diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/build.yaml b/.forgejo/workflows/build.yaml
index 167ec8ef..d6207139 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/build.yaml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/build.yaml
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           IMAGE="${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}"
           TAG="${{ steps.tag.outputs.tag }}"
-          docker build -t "${IMAGE}:${TAG}" -t "${IMAGE}:latest" .
+          BUILD_TIMESTAMP=$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
+          docker build \
+            --build-arg BUILD_TIMESTAMP="${BUILD_TIMESTAMP}" \
+            -t "${IMAGE}:${TAG}" -t "${IMAGE}:latest" .
           docker push "${IMAGE}:${TAG}"
           docker push "${IMAGE}:latest"
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index e64d8e63..a7000f5e 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -137,6 +137,11 @@ RUN mix release
 # ---- Final runtime stage ----
 FROM ${RUNNER_IMAGE} AS final
 
+# Build timestamp baked in by CI (--build-arg BUILD_TIMESTAMP=...).
+# Only consumed in this final stage, so it never busts the earlier
+# compile cache. Read at runtime by Microwaveprop.Application.build_timestamp/0.
+ARG BUILD_TIMESTAMP=unknown
+
 RUN apt-get update \
   && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
      libstdc++6 openssl libncurses6 locales ca-certificates snmp \
@@ -162,6 +167,9 @@ RUN ldconfig
 
 COPY --from=builder --chown=nobody:root /app/_build/${MIX_ENV}/rel/microwaveprop ./
 
+RUN echo "${BUILD_TIMESTAMP}" > /app/BUILD_TIMESTAMP \
+  && chown nobody /app/BUILD_TIMESTAMP
+
 USER nobody
 
 CMD ["/app/bin/server"]
diff --git a/lib/microwaveprop/application.ex b/lib/microwaveprop/application.ex
index 1f5beee5..0f386597 100644
--- a/lib/microwaveprop/application.ex
+++ b/lib/microwaveprop/application.ex
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Application do
 
   use Application
 
+  @build_timestamp DateTime.utc_now()
+
   @impl true
   def start(_type, _args) do
     topologies = Application.get_env(:libcluster, :topologies, [])
@@ -53,4 +55,51 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Application do
     MicrowavepropWeb.Endpoint.config_change(changed, removed)
     :ok
   end
+
+  @doc """
+  Returns the deployment (image build) timestamp.
+
+  Sources, in priority order:
+
+    1. The `/app/BUILD_TIMESTAMP` file baked into the Docker image at build
+       time (the CI pipeline passes `--build-arg BUILD_TIMESTAMP=...` in the
+       final stage, so this value is fresh on every image and is not affected
+       by earlier-stage layer caching). The path is overridable via
+       `config :microwaveprop, :build_timestamp_file` for tests.
+    2. The `DEPLOY_TIMESTAMP` environment variable, for environments that set
+       it imperatively (e.g. `kubectl set env`).
+    3. The compile-time fallback captured when this module was compiled.
+
+  All accepted values are ISO 8601, e.g. `2026-04-17T18:30:00Z`.
+  """
+  @spec build_timestamp() :: DateTime.t()
+  def build_timestamp do
+    with :error <- from_file(),
+         :error <- from_env() do
+      @build_timestamp
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp from_file do
+    path = Application.get_env(:microwaveprop, :build_timestamp_file, "/app/BUILD_TIMESTAMP")
+
+    case File.read(path) do
+      {:ok, contents} -> parse_iso8601(contents)
+      {:error, _} -> :error
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp from_env do
+    case System.get_env("DEPLOY_TIMESTAMP") do
+      nil -> :error
+      string -> parse_iso8601(string)
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp parse_iso8601(string) do
+    case string |> String.trim() |> DateTime.from_iso8601() do
+      {:ok, dt, _offset} -> dt
+      {:error, _} -> :error
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/lib/microwaveprop_web/components/layouts.ex b/lib/microwaveprop_web/components/layouts.ex
index 6f239aac..324aa820 100644
--- a/lib/microwaveprop_web/components/layouts.ex
+++ b/lib/microwaveprop_web/components/layouts.ex
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@ defmodule MicrowavepropWeb.Layouts do
           <% end %>
         </nav>
       </div>
-      <div class="flex-none">
+      <div class="flex-none flex items-center gap-3">
+        <.deploy_stamp />
         <.theme_toggle />
       </div>
     </header>
@@ -158,6 +159,38 @@ defmodule MicrowavepropWeb.Layouts do
     """
   end
 
+  @doc """
+  Shows when the running release was deployed, as a compact relative timestamp
+  with the full UTC time in the tooltip.
+  """
+  def deploy_stamp(assigns) do
+    ts = Microwaveprop.Application.build_timestamp()
+    iso = Calendar.strftime(ts, "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M UTC")
+    assigns = assign(assigns, build_time: ts, iso: iso, ago: format_time_ago(ts))
+
+    ~H"""
+    <span
+      class="hidden md:inline text-xs opacity-60"
+      title={"Last deployed #{@iso}"}
+    >
+      Deployed {@ago}
+    </span>
+    """
+  end
+
+  defp format_time_ago(%DateTime{} = dt) do
+    diff = max(DateTime.diff(DateTime.utc_now(), dt, :second), 0)
+
+    cond do
+      diff < 60 -> "just now"
+      diff < 3600 -> "#{div(diff, 60)}m ago"
+      diff < 86_400 -> "#{div(diff, 3600)}h ago"
+      diff < 2_592_000 -> "#{div(diff, 86_400)}d ago"
+      diff < 31_536_000 -> "#{div(diff, 2_592_000)}mo ago"
+      true -> "#{div(diff, 31_536_000)}y ago"
+    end
+  end
+
   @doc """
   Provides dark vs light theme toggle based on themes defined in app.css.
 
diff --git a/test/microwaveprop/application_test.exs b/test/microwaveprop/application_test.exs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c4a57e9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/microwaveprop/application_test.exs
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+defmodule Microwaveprop.ApplicationTest do
+  use ExUnit.Case, async: false
+
+  alias Microwaveprop.Application, as: App
+
+  describe "build_timestamp/0" do
+    setup do
+      original_env = System.get_env("DEPLOY_TIMESTAMP")
+      original_file = Application.get_env(:microwaveprop, :build_timestamp_file)
+
+      tmp = Path.join(System.tmp_dir!(), "build_timestamp_#{System.unique_integer([:positive])}")
+
+      on_exit(fn ->
+        if original_env do
+          System.put_env("DEPLOY_TIMESTAMP", original_env)
+        else
+          System.delete_env("DEPLOY_TIMESTAMP")
+        end
+
+        if original_file do
+          Application.put_env(:microwaveprop, :build_timestamp_file, original_file)
+        else
+          Application.delete_env(:microwaveprop, :build_timestamp_file)
+        end
+
+        File.rm(tmp)
+      end)
+
+      System.delete_env("DEPLOY_TIMESTAMP")
+      Application.put_env(:microwaveprop, :build_timestamp_file, tmp)
+
+      {:ok, tmp: tmp}
+    end
+
+    test "returns a DateTime when no sources are present" do
+      assert %DateTime{} = App.build_timestamp()
+    end
+
+    test "reads ISO8601 timestamp from the build-timestamp file", %{tmp: tmp} do
+      File.write!(tmp, "2026-04-15T12:30:00Z\n")
+      assert App.build_timestamp() == ~U[2026-04-15 12:30:00Z]
+    end
+
+    test "file takes precedence over DEPLOY_TIMESTAMP env", %{tmp: tmp} do
+      File.write!(tmp, "2026-04-15T12:30:00Z")
+      System.put_env("DEPLOY_TIMESTAMP", "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z")
+      assert App.build_timestamp() == ~U[2026-04-15 12:30:00Z]
+    end
+
+    test "falls back to DEPLOY_TIMESTAMP env when file is absent" do
+      System.put_env("DEPLOY_TIMESTAMP", "2026-02-02T02:02:02Z")
+      assert App.build_timestamp() == ~U[2026-02-02 02:02:02Z]
+    end
+
+    test "falls back to compile time when both are malformed", %{tmp: tmp} do
+      File.write!(tmp, "not-a-timestamp")
+      System.put_env("DEPLOY_TIMESTAMP", "also-garbage")
+      assert %DateTime{} = App.build_timestamp()
+    end
+  end
+end