diff --git a/Gruntfile.js b/Gruntfile.js
index c68931d8..e964c24e 100644
--- a/Gruntfile.js
+++ b/Gruntfile.js
@@ -21,11 +21,21 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
 	grunt.registerTask('test', ['clean:coverage', 'jshint', 'karma', 'coverage']);
 	grunt.registerTask('travis-test', ['concat', 'umd', 'copy:setupFiles', 'jshint', 'karma', 'coverage', 'coveralls']);
 
-	grunt.registerTask('release', ['bump-only','compile', 'demo_pages', 'changelog','gitcommit','bump-commit', 'shell:publish']);
-	grunt.registerTask('release:patch', ['bump-only:patch','compile','changelog','gitcommit','bump-commit', 'shell:publish']);
-	grunt.registerTask('release:minor', ['bump-only:minor','compile','changelog','gitcommit','bump-commit', 'shell:publish']);
-	grunt.registerTask('release:major', ['bump-only:major','compile','changelog','gitcommit','bump-commit', 'shell:publish']);
-	grunt.registerTask('release:prerelease', ['bump-only:prerelease','compile','changelog','gitcommit','bump-commit', 'shell:publish']);
+	grunt.registerTask('release', ['bump-only', 'setVersion', 'compile', 'demo_pages', 'changelog','gitcommit','bump-commit', 'shell:publish']);
+	grunt.registerTask('release:patch', ['bump-only:patch','setVersion','compile','changelog','gitcommit','bump-commit', 'shell:publish']);
+	grunt.registerTask('release:minor', ['bump-only:minor','setVersion','compile','changelog','gitcommit','bump-commit', 'shell:publish']);
+	grunt.registerTask('release:major', ['bump-only:major','setVersion','compile','changelog','gitcommit','bump-commit', 'shell:publish']);
+	grunt.registerTask('release:prerelease', ['bump-only:prerelease','setVersion','compile','changelog','gitcommit','bump-commit', 'shell:publish']);
+
+	grunt.registerTask('setVersion', function () {
+		var pkgJson = require('./package.json');
+		var version = pkgJson.version;
+		//grunt.log.writeln('textAngular version:'+version);
+		var contents = grunt.file.read('./src/globals.js');
+		contents = contents.replace(/textAngularVersion = 'v\d+.\d+.\d+'/i, "textAngularVersion = 'v"+version+"'");
+		grunt.file.write('./src/globals.js', contents);
+		console.log('Updated src/globals.js to textAngular version: v'+version);
+	});
 
 	var testConfig = function (configFile, customOptions) {
 		var options = { configFile: configFile, keepalive: true };
diff --git a/src/globals.js b/src/globals.js
index 78f13c69..956d0243 100644
--- a/src/globals.js
+++ b/src/globals.js
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+// NOTE: textAngularVersion must match the Gruntfile.js 'setVersion' task.... and have format v/d+./d+./d+
+var textAngularVersion = 'v1.5.5';   // This is automatically updated during the build process to the current release!
+
 
 // IE version detection - http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4169160/javascript-ie-detection-why-not-use-simple-conditional-comments
 // We need this as IE sometimes plays funny tricks with the contenteditable.
diff --git a/src/main.js b/src/main.js
index 7c38a813..763162a5 100644
--- a/src/main.js
+++ b/src/main.js
@@ -929,6 +929,8 @@ textAngular.service('textAngularManager', ['taToolExecuteAction', 'taTools', 'ta
 		// the inital state is correct.
 		//
 		updateStyles: updateStyles,
+		// return the current version of textAngular in use to the user
+		getVersion: function () { return textAngularVersion; },
 		// for testing
 		getToolbarScopes: function () { return toolbarScopes; }
 	};
@@ -1115,3 +1117,14 @@ textAngular.directive('textAngularToolbar', [
 		};
 	}
 ]);
+textAngular.directive('textAngularVersion', ['textAngularManager',
+	function(textAngularManager) {
+		var version = textAngularManager.getVersion();
+		return {
+			restrict: "EA",
+			link: function (scope, element, attrs) {
+				element.html(version);
+			}
+		};
+	}
+]);
diff --git a/test/textAngular.spec.js b/test/textAngular.spec.js
index 1edb96e0..ecdf5890 100644
--- a/test/textAngular.spec.js
+++ b/test/textAngular.spec.js
@@ -1280,4 +1280,19 @@ describe('textAngular', function(){
 			expect($rootScope.html).toBe('<p><b>Changed Content</b></p>');
 		}));
 	});
+
+	describe('textAngularVersion directive', function(){
+		beforeEach(inject(function(_textAngularManager_){
+			textAngularManager = _textAngularManager_;
+		}));
+		it('functions', inject(function($window, _$rootScope_, $compile, $document, $timeout){
+			$rootScope = _$rootScope_;
+			var version = textAngularManager.getVersion();
+			element = $compile('<div text-angular-version></div>')($rootScope);
+			$rootScope.$digest();
+			var html = element[0].outerHTML;
+			expect(html).toBe('<div text-angular-version="" class="ng-scope">'+version+'</div>');
+		}));
+	});
+
 });
diff --git a/test/textAngularManager.spec.js b/test/textAngularManager.spec.js
index 83ec0023..2840df9f 100644
--- a/test/textAngularManager.spec.js
+++ b/test/textAngularManager.spec.js
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@ describe('textAngularManager', function(){
 	'use strict';
 	beforeEach(module('textAngular'));
 
+	describe('getVersion', function(){
+		it('should return a valid version in the correct format!', inject(function(textAngularManager){
+			expect(/v\d+.\d+.\d+/i.test(textAngularManager.getVersion())).toBe(true);
+		}));
+	});
+
 	describe('toolbar', function(){
 		describe('registration', function(){
 			it('should require a scope object', inject(function(textAngularManager){