diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf4499b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+BINARY := emcli
+LDFLAGS := -s -w
+
+.PHONY: build test vet
+build:
+	CGO_ENABLED=0 go build -ldflags "$(LDFLAGS)" -o $(BINARY) ./cmd/emcli
+
+test:
+	go test ./...
+
+vet:
+	go vet ./...
diff --git a/cmd/emcli/main.go b/cmd/emcli/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d946df3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/emcli/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
+	"git.dcglab.co.uk/steve/emcli/internal/version"
+)
+
+func main() {
+	if len(os.Args) >= 2 && os.Args[1] == "version" {
+		fmt.Println(version.String)
+		return
+	}
+	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "emcli: no command given")
+	os.Exit(2)
+}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a506e68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+module git.dcglab.co.uk/steve/emcli
+
+go 1.22
diff --git a/internal/version/version.go b/internal/version/version.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..759d59a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/version/version.go
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+// Package version holds the build version string.
+package version
+
+// String is the emcli version. Overridden at release via -ldflags.
+var String = "v0.1.0-dev"
diff --git a/internal/version/version_test.go b/internal/version/version_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..36d4cf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/version/version_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+package version
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestStringIsSemver(t *testing.T) {
+	if String == "" {
+		t.Fatal("version.String must not be empty")
+	}
+	if String[0] != 'v' {
+		t.Fatalf("version %q must start with 'v'", String)
+	}
+}