diff --git a/tools/odrive/__init__.py b/tools/odrive/__init__.py
index e69de29b..6eca987b 100644
--- a/tools/odrive/__init__.py
+++ b/tools/odrive/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+
+# Standard convention is to add a __version__ attribute to the package
+from .version import get_version
+__version__ = get_version()
+del get_version
diff --git a/tools/odrive/version.py b/tools/odrive/version.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..327c915c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/odrive/version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+
+import re
+import subprocess
+import os
+import sys
+
+def get_version(git_only=False):
+    """
+    Returns the versions of the tools
+    If git_only is true, the version.txt file is ignored even
+    if it is present.
+    """
+    script_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
+
+    # Try to read the version.txt file that is generated during
+    # the packaging step
+    version_file_path = os.path.join(script_dir, 'version.txt')
+    if os.path.exists(version_file_path) and git_only == False:
+        with open(version_file_path) as version_file:
+            return version_file.readline().rstrip('\n')
+
+    try:
+        # Determine the current git commit version
+        git_result = subprocess.run(["git", "describe", "--always", "--tags", "--dirty=*"],
+            cwd=script_dir,
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE, timeout=10)
+        git_tag = git_result.stdout.decode(sys.stdout.encoding)
+
+        regex=r'.*v([0-9a-zA-Z]).([0-9a-zA-Z]).([0-9a-zA-Z])(.*)'
+        package_version_major = int(re.sub(regex, r"\1", git_tag))
+        package_version_minor = int(re.sub(regex, r"\2", git_tag))
+        package_version_revision = int(re.sub(regex, r"\3", git_tag))
+        package_version_unreleased = (re.sub(regex, r"\4", git_tag) != "")
+
+        if package_version_unreleased:
+            package_version_revision += 1
+
+        # TODO: fetch from Git describe
+        version = '{}.{}.{}'.format(package_version_major, package_version_minor, package_version_revision)
+
+        if package_version_unreleased:
+            version += ".dev"
+    except Exception as ex:
+        print(ex)
+        version = "whatever version in " + script_dir
+    return version
diff --git a/tools/odrvtool b/tools/odrvtool
index d8d31bda..8d67203e 100755
--- a/tools/odrvtool
+++ b/tools/odrvtool
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ parser.add_argument("-s", "--serial-number", action="store",
                          "If omitted, any device is accepted.")
 parser.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", action="store_true",
                     help="print debug information")
+parser.add_argument("--version", action="store_true",
+                    help="print version information and exit")
 
 parser.set_defaults(path="usb")
 args = parser.parse_args()
@@ -82,7 +84,10 @@ logger.debug(str(args))
 app_shutdown_token = Event()
 
 try:
-    if args.command == 'shell':
+    if args.version == True:
+        print("ODrive control utility v" + odrive.__version__)
+
+    elif args.command == 'shell':
         import odrive.shell
         odrive.shell.launch_shell(args, logger, printer, app_shutdown_token)