diff --git a/conf/messages.xml b/conf/messages.xml
index 6076a29a887..6b2384fdf61 100644
--- a/conf/messages.xml
+++ b/conf/messages.xml
@@ -183,7 +183,12 @@
     <field name="segment_north_2" type="float" unit="m"/>
   </message>
 
-  <!-- ID 23 is free -->
+  <message name="AUTOPILOT_VERSION" id="23">
+    <field name="version" type="uint32"/>
+    <field name="git_sha1" type="uint8[8]" format="%x"/>
+    <field name="desc" type="char[]"/>
+  </message>
+
   <!-- ID 24 is free -->
 
   <message name="SVINFO" id="25">
diff --git a/sw/airborne/firmwares/fixedwing/main_ap.c b/sw/airborne/firmwares/fixedwing/main_ap.c
index fbdf5bbbde4..2dd42019b8a 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/firmwares/fixedwing/main_ap.c
+++ b/sw/airborne/firmwares/fixedwing/main_ap.c
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ static inline void on_gps_solution(void);
 #endif
 
 /** Paparazzi version */
-static const uint16_t version = PPRZ_VERSION_INT;
+static const uint16_t version = PPRZ_VERSION_INT16;
 
 #if defined RADIO_CONTROL || defined RADIO_CONTROL_AUTO1
 static uint8_t  mcu1_ppm_cpt;
diff --git a/sw/airborne/firmwares/rotorcraft/main.c b/sw/airborne/firmwares/rotorcraft/main.c
index 791af66774c..4e43f10650c 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/firmwares/rotorcraft/main.c
+++ b/sw/airborne/firmwares/rotorcraft/main.c
@@ -115,7 +115,9 @@ INFO_VALUE("it is recommended to configure in your airframe PERIODIC_FREQUENCY t
 #endif
 
 /** Paparazzi version */
-static const uint16_t version = PPRZ_VERSION_INT;
+static const uint16_t version = PPRZ_VERSION_INT16;
+static uint32_t ap_version = PPRZ_VERSION_INT32;
+static uint8_t git_version[8];
 
 static inline void on_gyro_event(void);
 static inline void on_accel_event(void);
@@ -148,6 +150,7 @@ int main(void)
 
 STATIC_INLINE void main_init(void)
 {
+  get_pprz_git_version(git_version);
 
   mcu_init();
 
@@ -253,8 +256,13 @@ STATIC_INLINE void telemetry_periodic(void)
 
   /* initialisation phase during boot */
   if (boot) {
+#if DOWNLINK
     uint16_t non_const_version = version;
     DOWNLINK_SEND_BOOT(DefaultChannel, DefaultDevice, &non_const_version);
+    char *ver_desc = PPRZ_VERSION_DESC;
+    DOWNLINK_SEND_AUTOPILOT_VERSION(DefaultChannel, DefaultDevice,
+                                    &ap_version, git_version, strlen(ver_desc), ver_desc);
+#endif
     boot = FALSE;
   }
   /* then report periodicly */
diff --git a/sw/airborne/modules/datalink/mavlink.c b/sw/airborne/modules/datalink/mavlink.c
index f94d981b688..a129d6bbabc 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/modules/datalink/mavlink.c
+++ b/sw/airborne/modules/datalink/mavlink.c
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ static inline void mavlink_send_params(void)
 static inline void mavlink_send_autopilot_version(void)
 {
   /// TODO: fill in versions correctly, how should they be encoded?
-  static uint32_t ver = PPRZ_VERSION_INT;
+  static uint32_t ver = PPRZ_VERSION_INT32;
   mavlink_msg_autopilot_version_send(MAVLINK_COMM_0,
                                      0,  // capabilities,
                                      ver, // version
diff --git a/sw/include/pprz_version.h b/sw/include/pprz_version.h
index 9bea372c822..97278304d57 100644
--- a/sw/include/pprz_version.h
+++ b/sw/include/pprz_version.h
@@ -48,8 +48,11 @@
 #define PPRZ_VERSION_DESC  STRINGIFY(GIT_DESC)
 #define PPRZ_VERSION       STRINGIFY(PPRZ_VER)
 
-/** paparazzi version encoded as one integer */
-#define PPRZ_VERSION_INT (PPRZ_VER_MAJOR * 100 + PPRZ_VER_MINOR * 10 + PPRZ_VER_PATCH)
+/** paparazzi version encoded as one 16bit integer */
+#define PPRZ_VERSION_INT16 (PPRZ_VER_MAJOR * 100 + PPRZ_VER_MINOR * 10 + PPRZ_VER_PATCH)
+
+/** paparazzi version encoded as one 32bit integer */
+#define PPRZ_VERSION_INT32 (PPRZ_VER_MAJOR * 10000 + PPRZ_VER_MINOR * 100 + PPRZ_VER_PATCH)
 
 static inline uint8_t nibble_from_char(char c)
 {