diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 772f3c1f5..76e18b428 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,24 +16,16 @@ Put something here, there are people to recognize!
 
 * Async archive-get.
 
-* Database restore.
-
-* --version param (with with version written into backup.manifest).
-
 * Threading for archive-get and archive-put.
 
 * Add configurable sleep to archiver process to reduce ssh connections.
 
 * Fix bug where .backup files written into old directories can cause the archive process to error.
 
-* Default restore.conf is written to each backup.
+* Default restore.conf is written to each backup (with everything commented out).
 
 * Able to set timeout on ssh connection in config file.
 
-* File->wait() function.  Waits for a file or directory to exist with configurable retry and timeout.
-
-* Missing files during backup generate an ERROR in the log - the backup works but this message should probably be suppressed.
-
 ## required perl modules
 
 * Net::OpenSSH
diff --git a/bin/pg_backrest.pl b/bin/pg_backrest.pl
index ff1822d30..81003ab23 100755
--- a/bin/pg_backrest.pl
+++ b/bin/pg_backrest.pl
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ use constant
 my $strConfigFile;      # Configuration file
 my $strStanza;          # Stanza in the configuration file to load
 my $strType;            # Type of backup: full, differential (diff), incremental (incr)
+my $bVersion = false;   # Display the version and exit
 
 # Test parameters - not for general use
 my $bNoFork = false;    # Prevents the archive process from forking when local archiving is enabled
@@ -80,13 +81,21 @@ my $iTestDelay = 5;     # Amount of time to delay after hitting a test point (th
 GetOptions ("config=s" => \$strConfigFile,
             "stanza=s" => \$strStanza,
             "type=s"   => \$strType,
+            "version"   => \$bVersion,
 
-            # Test parameters - not for general use
+            # Test parameters - not for general use (and subject to change without notice)
             "no-fork"      => \$bNoFork,
             "test"         => \$bTest,
             "test-delay=s" => \$iTestDelay)
     or confess("Error in command line arguments\n");
 
+# Display the version and exit if requested
+if ($bVersion)
+{
+    print 'pg_backrest ' . version_get() . "\n";
+    exit 0;
+}
+
 # Set test parameters
 test_set($bTest, $iTestDelay);
 
diff --git a/lib/BackRest/Backup.pm b/lib/BackRest/Backup.pm
index 457610717..7b2885d61 100644
--- a/lib/BackRest/Backup.pm
+++ b/lib/BackRest/Backup.pm
@@ -1268,7 +1268,7 @@ sub backup
     my $bStartFast = shift;
 
     # Record timestamp start
-    my $strTimestampStart = timestamp_get();
+    my $strTimestampStart = timestamp_string_get();
 
     # Not supporting remote backup hosts yet
     if ($oFile->is_remote(PATH_BACKUP))
@@ -1339,6 +1339,12 @@ sub backup
         $oFile->path_create(PATH_BACKUP_TMP);
     }
 
+    # Write the VERSION file
+    my $hVersionFile;
+    open($hVersionFile, '>', "${strBackupTmpPath}/version") or confess "unable to open version file";
+    print $hVersionFile version_get();
+    close($hVersionFile);
+
     # Save the backup conf file first time - so we can see what is happening in the backup
     config_save($strBackupConfFile, \%oBackupManifest);
 
@@ -1397,14 +1403,14 @@ sub backup
 
     if ($strType eq "full" || !defined($strBackupLastPath))
     {
-        $strBackupPath = date_string_get() . "F";
+        $strBackupPath = timestamp_file_string_get() . "F";
         $strType = "full";
     }
     else
     {
         $strBackupPath = substr($strBackupLastPath, 0, 16);
 
-        $strBackupPath .= "_" . date_string_get();
+        $strBackupPath .= "_" . timestamp_file_string_get();
 
         if ($strType eq "differential")
         {
@@ -1417,7 +1423,7 @@ sub backup
     }
 
     # Record timestamp stop in the config
-    ${oBackupManifest}{backup}{timestamp_stop} = timestamp_get();
+    ${oBackupManifest}{backup}{timestamp_stop} = timestamp_string_get();
     ${oBackupManifest}{backup}{label} = $strBackupPath;
 
     # Save the backup conf file final time
diff --git a/lib/BackRest/Utility.pm b/lib/BackRest/Utility.pm
index e0240b341..b3a299a6c 100644
--- a/lib/BackRest/Utility.pm
+++ b/lib/BackRest/Utility.pm
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ use BackRest::Exception;
 use Exporter qw(import);
 
 our @EXPORT = qw(version_get
-                 data_hash_build trim common_prefix wait_for_file date_string_get file_size_format execute
+                 data_hash_build trim common_prefix wait_for_file file_size_format execute
                  log log_file_set log_level_set test_set test_check
                  lock_file_create lock_file_remove
-                 config_save config_load timestamp_get
+                 config_save config_load timestamp_string_get timestamp_file_string_get
                  TRACE DEBUG ERROR ASSERT WARN INFO OFF true false
                  TEST TEST_ENCLOSE TEST_MANIFEST_BUILD);
 
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ sub common_prefix
             last;
         }
 
-        $iCommonLen ++;
+        $iCommonLen++;
     }
 
     return $iCommonLen;
@@ -290,20 +290,28 @@ sub file_size_format
 }
 
 ####################################################################################################################################
-# DATE_STRING_GET - Get the date and time string
+# TIMESTAMP_STRING_GET - Get backrest standard timestamp (or formatted as specified
 ####################################################################################################################################
-sub date_string_get
+sub timestamp_string_get
 {
     my $strFormat = shift;
 
     if (!defined($strFormat))
     {
-        $strFormat = "%4d%02d%02d-%02d%02d%02d";
+        $strFormat = "%4d-%02d-%02d %02d:%02d:%02d";
     }
 
-    my ($sec,$min,$hour,$mday,$mon,$year,$wday,$yday,$isdst) = localtime(time);
+    my ($iSecond, $iMinute, $iHour, $iMonthDay, $iMonth, $iYear, $iWeekDay, $iYearDay, $bIsDst) = localtime(time);
 
-    return(sprintf($strFormat, $year+1900, $mon+1, $mday, $hour, $min, $sec));
+    return sprintf($strFormat, $iYear + 1900, $iMonth + 1, $iMonthDay, $iHour, $iMinute, $iSecond);
+}
+
+####################################################################################################################################
+# TIMESTAMP_FILE_STRING_GET - Get the date and time string formatted for filenames
+####################################################################################################################################
+sub timestamp_file_string_get
+{
+    return timestamp_string_get("%4d%02d%02d-%02d%02d%02d");
 }
 
 ####################################################################################################################################
@@ -318,7 +326,7 @@ sub log_file_set
         mkdir(dirname($strFile)) or die "unable to create directory for log file ${strFile}";
     }
 
-    $strFile .= "-" . date_string_get("%4d%02d%02d") . ".log";
+    $strFile .= "-" . timestamp_string_get("%4d%02d%02d") . ".log";
     my $bExists = false;
 
     if (-e $strFile)
@@ -400,16 +408,6 @@ sub test_check
     return index($strLog, TEST_ENCLOSE . '-' . $strTest . '-' . TEST_ENCLOSE) != -1;
 }
 
-####################################################################################################################################
-# TIMESTAMP_GET - Get backrest standard timestamp
-####################################################################################################################################
-sub timestamp_get
-{
-    my ($iSecond, $iMinute, $iHour, $iMonthDay, $iMonth, $iYear, $iWeekDay, $iYearDay, $bIsDst) = localtime(time);
-
-    return sprintf("%4d-%02d-%02d %02d:%02d:%02d", $iYear + 1900, $iMonth + 1, $iMonthDay, $iHour, $iMinute, $iSecond);
-}
-
 ####################################################################################################################################
 # LOG - log messages
 ####################################################################################################################################
@@ -459,7 +457,7 @@ sub log
     # Format the message text
     my ($sec, $min, $hour, $mday, $mon, $year, $wday, $yday, $isdst) = localtime(time);
 
-    $strMessageFormat = timestamp_get() . sprintf(" T%02d", threads->tid()) .
+    $strMessageFormat = timestamp_string_get() . sprintf(" T%02d", threads->tid()) .
                         (" " x (7 - length($strLevel))) . "${strLevel}: ${strMessageFormat}" .
                         (defined($iCode) ? " (code ${iCode})" : "") . "\n";