diff --git a/app/build.gradle b/app/build.gradle
index 5509a8a..a7963a3 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle
+++ b/app/build.gradle
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@ android {
     ndkVersion "25.0.8141415"
     defaultConfig {
         applicationId "app.dapk.st"
-        versionCode 2
-        versionName "0.0.1-alpha1"
+        def versionJson = new groovy.json.JsonSlurper().parseText(rootProject.file('version.json').text)
+        versionCode versionJson.code
+        versionName versionJson.name
         resConfigs "en"
     }
 
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ android {
 
     buildTypes {
         debug {
+            versionNameSuffix =" [debug]"
             matchingFallbacks = ['release']
             signingConfig.storeFile rootProject.file("tools/debug.keystore")
         }
@@ -33,6 +35,8 @@ android {
                     'proguard/app.pro',
                     "proguard/serializationx.pro",
                     "proguard/olm.pro"
+
+            // actual releases are signed with a different config
             signingConfig = buildTypes.debug.signingConfig
         }
     }
diff --git a/version.json b/version.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..11c15d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/version.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "name": "0.0.1-alpha01",
+  "code": 2
+}
\ No newline at end of file