diff --git a/examples/basic_example.py b/examples/basic_example.py
index 2cdec62..0366b6d 100644
--- a/examples/basic_example.py
+++ b/examples/basic_example.py
@@ -31,6 +31,17 @@ def main():
     )
     parser.add_argument("--channel", help="Channel for the customer (optional)")
     parser.add_argument("--customer-name", help="Customer name (optional)")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--status",
+        choices=["missing", "unavailable", "ready", "updating", "degraded"],
+        default="ready",
+        help="Instance status (default: ready)",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--version",
+        default="",
+        help="Application version (optional)",
+    )
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
@@ -65,6 +76,15 @@ def main():
         instance = customer.get_or_create_instance()
         print(f"✓ Instance created/retrieved - ID: {instance.instance_id}")
 
+        # Set instance status
+        instance.set_status(args.status)
+        print(f"✓ Instance status set to: {args.status}")
+
+        # Set instance version if provided
+        if args.version:
+            instance.set_version(args.version)
+            print(f"✓ Instance version set to: {args.version}")
+
         print("\n🎉 Basic example completed successfully!")
         print(f"Customer ID: {customer.customer_id}")
         print(f"Instance ID: {instance.instance_id}")
diff --git a/examples/metrics_example.py b/examples/metrics_example.py
index d40158c..f0a37bc 100644
--- a/examples/metrics_example.py
+++ b/examples/metrics_example.py
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ async def main():
         default="ready",
         help="Instance status (default: ready)",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--version",
+        default="",
+        help="Application version (optional)",
+    )
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
@@ -80,6 +85,11 @@ async def main():
         await instance.set_status(args.status)
         print(f"✓ Instance status set to: {args.status}")
 
+        # Set instance version if provided
+        if args.version:
+            await instance.set_version(args.version)
+            print(f"✓ Instance version set to: {args.version}")
+
         # Send some metrics concurrently
         await asyncio.gather(
             instance.send_metric("cpu_usage", 0.83),
diff --git a/replicated/resources.py b/replicated/resources.py
index 683e248..925c52c 100644
--- a/replicated/resources.py
+++ b/replicated/resources.py
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ def __init__(
         self._machine_id = client._machine_id
         self._data = kwargs
         self._status = "ready"
+        self._version = ""
         self._metrics: dict[str, Union[int, float, str]] = {}
 
     def send_metric(self, name: str, value: Union[int, float, str]) -> None:
@@ -100,6 +101,14 @@ def set_status(self, status: str) -> None:
         self._status = status
         self._report_instance()
 
+    def set_version(self, version: str) -> None:
+        """Set the version of this instance for telemetry reporting."""
+        if not self.instance_id:
+            self._ensure_instance()
+
+        self._version = version
+        self._report_instance()
+
     def _ensure_instance(self) -> None:
         """Ensure the instance ID is generated and cached."""
         if self.instance_id:
@@ -154,6 +163,7 @@ def _report_instance(self) -> None:
                 "X-Replicated-InstanceID": self.instance_id,
                 "X-Replicated-ClusterID": self._machine_id,
                 "X-Replicated-AppStatus": self._status,
+                "X-Replicated-VersionLabel": self._version,
                 "X-Replicated-InstanceTagData": instance_tags_b64,
             }
 
@@ -188,6 +198,7 @@ def __init__(
         self._machine_id = client._machine_id
         self._data = kwargs
         self._status = "ready"
+        self._version = ""
         self._metrics: dict[str, Union[int, float, str]] = {}
 
     async def send_metric(self, name: str, value: Union[int, float, str]) -> None:
@@ -221,6 +232,14 @@ async def set_status(self, status: str) -> None:
         self._status = status
         await self._report_instance()
 
+    async def set_version(self, version: str) -> None:
+        """Set the version of this instance for telemetry reporting."""
+        if not self.instance_id:
+            await self._ensure_instance()
+
+        self._version = version
+        await self._report_instance()
+
     async def _ensure_instance(self) -> None:
         """Ensure the instance ID is generated and cached."""
         if self.instance_id:
@@ -275,6 +294,7 @@ async def _report_instance(self) -> None:
                 "X-Replicated-InstanceID": self.instance_id,
                 "X-Replicated-ClusterID": self._machine_id,
                 "X-Replicated-AppStatus": self._status,
+                "X-Replicated-VersionLabel": self._version,
                 "X-Replicated-InstanceTagData": instance_tags_b64,
             }
 
diff --git a/replicated/services.py b/replicated/services.py
index e27dcf4..d72bfdf 100644
--- a/replicated/services.py
+++ b/replicated/services.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def __init__(self, client: "ReplicatedClient") -> None:
     def get_or_create(
         self,
         email_address: str,
-        channel: Optional[str] = None,
+        channel: str = "Stable",
         name: Optional[str] = None,
     ) -> Customer:
         """Get or create a customer."""
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ def __init__(self, client: "AsyncReplicatedClient") -> None:
     async def get_or_create(
         self,
         email_address: str,
-        channel: Optional[str] = None,
+        channel: str = "Stable",
         name: Optional[str] = None,
     ) -> AsyncCustomer:
         """Get or create a customer."""