diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 28163b4..9dac4d6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -44,11 +44,6 @@ jobs:
         uses: microsoft/setup-msbuild@v1.3.1
         if: runner.os == 'Windows'
 
-      - name: generate fake src/version.h so we can try to build
-        shell: bash
-        run: yarn update_version
-
-
       - name: build libsession-util-nodejs
         shell: bash
         run: yarn install --frozen-lockfile
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5e53f69..f8319a9 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,6 +6,28 @@ set(CMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP0069 NEW)
 
 set(VERBOSE ON)
 
+# Get current commit hash as GIT_COMMIT
+find_package(Git)
+set(GIT_COMMIT "unknown") # Default value for when Git is not found
+if (EXISTS "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/.git/index" AND GIT_FOUND)
+    execute_process(COMMAND "${GIT_EXECUTABLE}" rev-parse HEAD RESULT_VARIABLE GIT_GET_HASH_RESULT OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_COMMIT OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+    if(GIT_GET_HASH_RESULT)
+        message(STATUS "You are currently on commit ${GIT_COMMIT}")
+    else()
+        message(WARNING "Cannot determine current commit. Make sure that you are building either from a Git working tree or from a source archive.")
+    endif()
+endif()
+
+# Read the package.json file and extract the top-level .version as LIBSESSION_NODEJS_VERSION
+file(READ "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/package.json" PACKAGE_JSON)
+string(JSON LIBSESSION_NODEJS_VERSION GET "${PACKAGE_JSON}" version)
+
+# Generate src/version.h
+file(WRITE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/version.h"
+"const char* LIBSESSION_NODEJS_VERSION = \"${LIBSESSION_NODEJS_VERSION}\";
+const char* LIBSESSION_NODEJS_COMMIT = \"${GIT_COMMIT}\";\n"
+)
+
 # Detect the number of processors
 include(ProcessorCount)
 ProcessorCount(N)
@@ -18,7 +40,6 @@ else()
 endif()
 message(STATUS "Number of processors detected: ${N}")
 
-
 add_definitions(-DNAPI_VERSION=8)
 set(CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES Release)
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f0019bf..a963037 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ git clone --recursive git@github.com:session-foundation/libsession-util-nodejs.g
 ```
 
 Always do your changes in `[FOLDER_NOT_IN_SESSION_DESKTOP]/libsession-util-nodejs`, never in the one under session-desktop's `node_modules` as you might override your local changes.
-Then, you can quickly compile a non-electron build by first running `yarn naughty-patch && yarn update_version` and then `yarn install` from that folder. You should only have to run `yarn naughty-patch && yarn update_version` manually once when you first setup the project. This is a quick incremental build which can check for C++ compilation errors.
+Then, you can quickly compile a non-electron build by first running `yarn naughty-patch` and then `yarn install` from that folder. You should only have to run `yarn naughty-patch` manually once when you first setup the project. This is a quick incremental build which can check for C++ compilation errors.
 Once your changes are ready to be tested in the `session-desktop` you can compile an electron build using this command:
 
 ```
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7a948f5..b9618ab 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
     "email": "team@oxen.io"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "update_version": "sh update_version.sh",
     "clean": "rimraf .cache build",
     "lint:cpp": "cppcheck --std=c++20 -j8 --quiet src libsession-util/src",
     "install": "cmake-js build --runtime=electron --runtime-version=34.2.0 --CDSUBMODULE_CHECK=OFF --CDLOCAL_MIRROR=https://oxen.rocks/deps --CDENABLE_ONIONREQ=OFF --CDWITH_TESTS=OFF",
diff --git a/prepare_release.sh b/prepare_release.sh
index 0cf9079..8b34d6d 100755
--- a/prepare_release.sh
+++ b/prepare_release.sh
@@ -13,9 +13,24 @@ rm -f ./libsession_util_nodejs*.tar.gz
 python -m venv .venv
 . .venv/bin/activate
 pip install git-archive-all
+
 PACKAGE_VERSION=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
-yarn update_version
-echo "PACKAGE_VERSION: $PACKAGE_VERSION"
+GIT_COMMIT=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
+
+HEADER_PACKAGE_VERSION=$(grep 'LIBSESSION_NODEJS_VERSION' src/version.h | sed -E 's/.*"([0-9.]+)".*/\1/')
+HEADER_GIT_COMMIT=$(grep 'LIBSESSION_NODEJS_COMMIT' src/version.h | sed -E 's/.*"([A-Za-z0-9.]+)".*/\1/')
+
+echo "Package: $PACKAGE_VERSION; Commit: $GIT_COMMIT"
+if [ "$PACKAGE_VERSION" != "$HEADER_PACKAGE_VERSION" ]; then
+    echo "Error: Version mismatch! package.json version is $PACKAGE_VERSION, but src/version.h has $HEADER_PACKAGE_VERSION. Build the project first before packaging 'yarn install'"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ "$GIT_COMMIT" != "$HEADER_GIT_COMMIT" ]; then
+    echo "Error: Version mismatch! Git commit is $GIT_COMMIT, but src/version.h has $HEADER_GIT_COMMIT. Build the project first before packaging 'yarn install'"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 echo "Is '$PACKAGE_VERSION' the correct version? If yes, press 'y' to create the release. Press anything else to exit."
 read_char char_read
 case "$char_read" in
diff --git a/update_version.sh b/update_version.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 055d29f..0000000
--- a/update_version.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-set -e
-# set -x
-
-VERSION_FILE="src/version.h"
-
-rm -f $VERSION_FILE
-
-export LIBSESSION_NODEJS_VERSION=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
-LIBSESSION_NODEJS_COMMIT=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
-
-echo "Updating LIBSESSION_NODEJS_VERSION: $LIBSESSION_NODEJS_VERSION"
-echo "Updating LIBSESSION_NODEJS_COMMIT: $LIBSESSION_NODEJS_COMMIT"
-
-
-echo "const char* LIBSESSION_NODEJS_VERSION = \"$LIBSESSION_NODEJS_VERSION\";" > $VERSION_FILE
-echo "const char* LIBSESSION_NODEJS_COMMIT = \"$LIBSESSION_NODEJS_COMMIT\";" >> $VERSION_FILE
-
-echo "\n'$VERSION_FILE' updated to:"
-cat $VERSION_FILE
-