diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 23ad0bad74..7463e7635b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     "make-pdf": "./make-pdf/dist/pdf"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "bun run vendor:xterm && bun run gen:skill-docs --host all; bun build --compile browse/src/cli.ts --outfile browse/dist/browse && bun build --compile browse/src/find-browse.ts --outfile browse/dist/find-browse && bun build --compile design/src/cli.ts --outfile design/dist/design && bun build --compile make-pdf/src/cli.ts --outfile make-pdf/dist/pdf && bun build --compile bin/gstack-global-discover.ts --outfile bin/gstack-global-discover && bash browse/scripts/build-node-server.sh && { git rev-parse HEAD 2>/dev/null || true; } > browse/dist/.version && { git rev-parse HEAD 2>/dev/null || true; } > design/dist/.version && { git rev-parse HEAD 2>/dev/null || true; } > make-pdf/dist/.version && chmod +x browse/dist/browse browse/dist/find-browse design/dist/design make-pdf/dist/pdf bin/gstack-global-discover && (rm -f .*.bun-build || true)",
+    "build": "bun run vendor:xterm && bun run gen:skill-docs --host all; bun build --compile browse/src/cli.ts --outfile browse/dist/browse && bun build --compile browse/src/find-browse.ts --outfile browse/dist/find-browse && bun build --compile design/src/cli.ts --outfile design/dist/design && bun build --compile make-pdf/src/cli.ts --outfile make-pdf/dist/pdf && bun build --compile bin/gstack-global-discover.ts --outfile bin/gstack-global-discover && bash browse/scripts/build-node-server.sh && node scripts/write-versions.mjs && chmod +x browse/dist/browse browse/dist/find-browse design/dist/design make-pdf/dist/pdf bin/gstack-global-discover",
     "vendor:xterm": "mkdir -p extension/lib && cp node_modules/xterm/lib/xterm.js extension/lib/xterm.js && cp node_modules/xterm/css/xterm.css extension/lib/xterm.css && cp node_modules/xterm-addon-fit/lib/xterm-addon-fit.js extension/lib/xterm-addon-fit.js",
     "dev:make-pdf": "bun run make-pdf/src/cli.ts",
     "dev:design": "bun run design/src/cli.ts",
diff --git a/scripts/write-versions.mjs b/scripts/write-versions.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a064cdd4f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/write-versions.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+// Write the current git HEAD SHA into the .version files for browse/design/
+// make-pdf compiled binaries. Replaces three `{ git rev-parse HEAD || true; }
+// > FILE` brace-group + redirect constructs that bun-on-Windows can't parse.
+//
+// If git isn't available (rev-parse fails for any reason), write an empty
+// .version — the file still needs to exist, but the SHA is best-effort.
+
+import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { writeFileSync, mkdirSync } from "node:fs";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+
+let sha = "";
+const root = fileURLToPath(new URL("..", import.meta.url));
+
+try {
+  sha = execSync("git rev-parse HEAD", {
+    cwd: root,
+    stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "ignore"],
+  })
+    .toString()
+    .trim();
+} catch {
+  // Not in a git repo or git not on PATH. Leave sha empty.
+}
+
+const dirs = ["browse/dist", "design/dist", "make-pdf/dist"];
+for (const dir of dirs) {
+  const full = path.join(root, dir);
+  try {
+    mkdirSync(full, { recursive: true });
+  } catch {
+    // Directory probably exists; writeFileSync below will succeed.
+  }
+  writeFileSync(path.join(full, ".version"), sha + "\n");
+}