diff --git a/bin/readprops.py b/bin/readprops.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..047b567d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/readprops.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+
+
+import subprocess
+import configparser
+import traceback
+import sys
+
+
+def readProps(prefsLoc):
+    """Read the version of our project as a string"""
+
+    config = configparser.RawConfigParser()
+    config.read(prefsLoc)
+    version = dict(config.items('VERSION'))
+
+    # Try to find current build SHA if if the workspace is clean.  This could fail if git is not installed
+    try:
+        sha = subprocess.check_output(
+            ['git', 'rev-parse', '--short', 'HEAD']).decode("utf-8").strip()
+        isDirty = subprocess.check_output(
+            ['git', 'diff', 'HEAD']).decode("utf-8").strip()
+        suffix = sha
+        if isDirty:
+            suffix = sha + "-dirty"
+        verStr = "{}.{}.{}.{}".format(
+            version["major"], version["minor"], version["build"], suffix)
+    except:
+        # print("Unexpected error:", sys.exc_info()[0])
+        # traceback.print_exc()
+        verStr = "{}.{}.{}".format(
+            version["major"], version["minor"], version["build"])
+
+    # print("firmare version " + verStr)
+    return verStr
+# print("path is" + ','.join(sys.path))