diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c93ff36a9..a07b6ed06 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -9,5 +9,8 @@ _book/
 *.mobi
 *.pdf
 
+# templated files
+meta.tex
+
 game.db.json
 .DS_Store
diff --git a/build.books.sh b/build.books.sh
index 141a13f55..02a2b8621 100755
--- a/build.books.sh
+++ b/build.books.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 
 set -e
 
+if [ -v GITHUB_REF_NAME ]; then
+    sed "s/%%FOOTER_VERSION%%/${GITHUB_REF_NAME}/" meta.tmpl.tex > meta.tex
+else
+    sed "s/%%FOOTER_VERSION%%/UNDEFINED VERSION/" meta.tmpl.tex > meta.tex
+fi
+
 docker run --rm -v `pwd`:/data uppalabharath/pandoc-latex-cjk:latest --from=gfm+rebase_relative_paths -o learn-go-with-tests.pdf \
     -H meta.tex --pdf-engine=xelatex --variable urlcolor=blue --toc --toc-depth=1 \
     -B pdf-cover.tex \
diff --git a/meta.tex b/meta.tmpl.tex
similarity index 93%
rename from meta.tex
rename to meta.tmpl.tex
index 8cd33510e..738a1695e 100644
--- a/meta.tex
+++ b/meta.tmpl.tex
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@
 
 \pagestyle{fancy}
 \fancyhf{}
-\cfoot{v 10.0.0}
+\cfoot{%%FOOTER_VERSION%%}