diff --git a/src/mainwin.cc b/src/mainwin.cc
index 8f399c21..684b9fc9 100644
--- a/src/mainwin.cc
+++ b/src/mainwin.cc
@@ -127,12 +127,16 @@ unsigned int GuiLocker::gui_locked = 0;
 #define QUOTE(x__) # x__
 #define QUOTED(x__) QUOTE(x__)
 
-static char helptitle[] =
-	"OpenSCAD " QUOTED(OPENSCAD_VERSION)
+static std::string versionnumber = QUOTED(OPENSCAD_VERSION)
 #ifdef OPENSCAD_COMMIT
 	" (git " QUOTED(OPENSCAD_COMMIT) ")"
 #endif
-	"\nhttp://www.openscad.org\n\n";
+;
+
+static std::string openscad_version = "OpenSCAD " + versionnumber;
+
+static std::string helptitle = openscad_version +  "\nhttp://www.openscad.org\n\n";
+
 static char copyrighttext[] =
 	"Copyright (C) 2009-2014 The OpenSCAD Developers\n"
 	"\n"
@@ -189,6 +193,9 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(const QString &filename)
 	this->consoleDock->setConfigKey("view/hideConsole");
 	this->consoleDock->setAction(this->viewActionHideConsole);
 
+	QLabel *versionLabel = new QLabel(openscad_version.c_str());
+	this->statusbar->addPermanentWidget(versionLabel);
+
 	QSettings settings;
 	editortype = settings.value("editor/editortype").toString();
 	useScintilla = (editortype != "Simple Editor");
diff --git a/src/openscad.cc b/src/openscad.cc
index 89d2bf12..47ff6461 100644
--- a/src/openscad.cc
+++ b/src/openscad.cc
@@ -616,6 +616,9 @@ int gui(vector<string> &inputFiles, const fs::path &original_path, int argc, cha
     }
 #endif
 	QApplication app(argc, argv, true); //useGUI);
+	// remove ugly frames in the QStatusBar when using additional widgets
+	app.setStyleSheet("QStatusBar::item { border: 0px solid black }; ");
+
 #ifdef Q_OS_MAC
 	app.installEventFilter(new EventFilter(&app));
 #endif