diff --git a/packages/app-desktop/gulpfile.js b/packages/app-desktop/gulpfile.js
index 8d4312a324..05c343e2af 100644
--- a/packages/app-desktop/gulpfile.js
+++ b/packages/app-desktop/gulpfile.js
@@ -1,13 +1,16 @@
 const gulp = require('gulp');
 const utils = require('@joplin/tools/gulp/utils');
 const compileSass = require('@joplin/tools/compileSass');
+const compilePackageInfo = require('@joplin/tools/compilePackageInfo');
 
 const tasks = {
 	compileScripts: {
 		fn: require('./tools/compileScripts'),
 	},
 	compilePackageInfo: {
-		fn: require('./tools/compile-package-info.js'),
+		fn: async () => {
+			await compilePackageInfo(`${__dirname}/package.json`, `${__dirname}/packageInfo.js`);
+		},
 	},
 	copyPluginAssets: {
 		fn: require('./tools/copyPluginAssets.js'),
diff --git a/packages/server/gulpfile.js b/packages/server/gulpfile.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e9924b82b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/gulpfile.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+const gulp = require('gulp');
+const utils = require('@joplin/tools/gulp/utils');
+const compilePackageInfo = require('@joplin/tools/compilePackageInfo');
+const fs = require('fs-extra');
+
+const tasks = {
+	compilePackageInfo: {
+		fn: async () => {
+			const targetDir = `${__dirname}/dist`;
+			await fs.mkdirp(targetDir);
+			await compilePackageInfo(`${__dirname}/package.json`, `${targetDir}/packageInfo.js`);
+		},
+	},
+};
+
+utils.registerGulpTasks(gulp, tasks);
+
+const buildParallel = [
+	'compilePackageInfo',
+];
+
+gulp.task('build', gulp.parallel(...buildParallel));
diff --git a/packages/server/package.json b/packages/server/package.json
index c5668b20a5..07683f1617 100644
--- a/packages/server/package.json
+++ b/packages/server/package.json
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
   "scripts": {
     "start-dev": "nodemon --config nodemon.json --ext ts,js,mustache,css,tsx dist/app.js --env dev",
     "start-dev-no-watch": "node dist/app.js --env dev",
+    "build": "gulp build",
+    "postinstall": "npm run build",
     "devCreateDb": "node dist/app.js --env dev --create-db",
     "devDropTables": "node dist/app.js --env dev --drop-tables",
     "devDropDb": "node dist/app.js --env dev --drop-db",
@@ -65,6 +67,7 @@
     "@types/nodemailer": "^6.4.1",
     "@types/yargs": "^13.0.2",
     "@types/zxcvbn": "^4.4.1",
+    "gulp": "^4.0.2",
     "jest": "^26.6.3",
     "jsdom": "^16.4.0",
     "node-mocks-http": "^1.10.0",
diff --git a/packages/server/src/config.ts b/packages/server/src/config.ts
index 1d87efc4aa..51b80014f6 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/config.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/config.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 import { rtrimSlashes } from '@joplin/lib/path-utils';
 import { Config, DatabaseConfig, DatabaseConfigClient, Env, MailerConfig, RouteType, StripeConfig } from './utils/types';
 import * as pathUtils from 'path';
-import { readFile } from 'fs-extra';
 import { loadStripeConfig, StripePublicConfig } from '@joplin/lib/utils/joplinCloud';
 
+interface PackageJson {
+	version: string;
+}
+
+const packageJson: PackageJson = require(`${__dirname}/packageInfo.js`);
+
 export interface EnvVariables {
 	APP_NAME?: string;
 
@@ -148,25 +153,13 @@ function baseUrlFromEnv(env: any, appPort: number): string {
 	}
 }
 
-interface PackageJson {
-	version: string;
-}
-
-async function readPackageJson(filePath: string): Promise<PackageJson> {
-	const text = await readFile(filePath, 'utf8');
-	return JSON.parse(text);
-}
-
 let config_: Config = null;
 
 export async function initConfig(envType: Env, env: EnvVariables, overrides: any = null) {
 	runningInDocker_ = !!env.RUNNING_IN_DOCKER;
 
 	const rootDir = pathUtils.dirname(__dirname);
-
-	const packageJson = await readPackageJson(`${rootDir}/package.json`);
 	const stripePublicConfig = loadStripeConfig(envType === Env.BuildTypes ? Env.Dev : envType, `${rootDir}/stripeConfig.json`);
-
 	const appName = env.APP_NAME || 'Joplin Server';
 	const viewDir = `${rootDir}/src/views`;
 	const appPort = env.APP_PORT ? Number(env.APP_PORT) : 22300;
diff --git a/packages/tools/compilePackageInfo.js b/packages/tools/compilePackageInfo.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..13e6c33230
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/tools/compilePackageInfo.js
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+const fs = require('fs-extra');
+const { execSync } = require('child_process');
+
+module.exports = async function compilePackageInfo(packageInfoPath, outputPath) {
+	const packageInfo = require(packageInfoPath);
+
+	const removeKeys = [
+		'dependencies',
+		'devDependencies',
+		'main',
+		'optionalDependencies',
+		'private',
+		'scripts',
+	];
+
+	for (let i = 0; i < removeKeys.length; i++) {
+		delete packageInfo[removeKeys[i]];
+	}
+
+	// Relevant for desktop app
+	if (packageInfo.build) {
+		const appId = packageInfo.build.appId;
+		const productName = packageInfo.build.productName;
+		delete packageInfo.build;
+		packageInfo.build = { appId: appId };
+		packageInfo.name = productName;
+	}
+
+	let branch;
+	let hash;
+	try {
+		// Use stdio: 'pipe' so that execSync doesn't print error directly to stdout
+		branch = execSync('git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD', { stdio: 'pipe' }).toString().trim();
+		hash = execSync('git log --pretty="%h" -1', { stdio: 'pipe' }).toString().trim();
+		// The builds in CI are done from a 'detached HEAD' state, thus the branch name will be 'HEAD' for CI builds.
+	} catch (err) {
+		// Don't display error object as it's a "fatal" error, but
+		// not for us, since is it not critical information
+		// https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/issues/2256
+		console.info('Warning: Could not get git info (it will not be displayed in About dialog box)');
+	}
+	if (typeof branch !== 'undefined' && typeof hash !== 'undefined') {
+		packageInfo.git = { branch: branch, hash: hash };
+	}
+
+	let fileContent = '// Auto-generated by compilePackageInfo.js\n// Do not change directly';
+	fileContent += '\n';
+	fileContent += `module.exports = ${JSON.stringify(packageInfo, null, '\t')};\n`;
+
+	await fs.writeFile(outputPath, fileContent);
+
+	console.info(`Generated ${outputPath}`);
+};