diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f8621eb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+server/manifest.go linguist-generated=true
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1521c8b7..c30ecd19 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 dist
+server/manifest.go
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fc2c58c4..5342f195 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ GO ?= $(shell command -v go 2> /dev/null)
 NPM ?= $(shell command -v npm 2> /dev/null)
 CURL ?= $(shell command -v curl 2> /dev/null)
 MM_DEBUG ?=
-MANIFEST_FILE ?= plugin.json
 GOPATH ?= $(shell go env GOPATH)
 GO_TEST_FLAGS ?= -race
 GO_BUILD_FLAGS ?=
@@ -13,6 +12,10 @@ DEFAULT_GOARCH := $(shell go env GOARCH)
 
 export GO111MODULE=on
 
+# We need to export GOBIN to allow it to be set
+# for processes spawned from the Makefile
+export GOBIN ?= $(PWD)/bin
+
 # You can include assets this directory into the bundle. This can be e.g. used to include profile pictures.
 ASSETS_DIR ?= assets
 
@@ -22,7 +25,6 @@ default: all
 
 # Verify environment, and define PLUGIN_ID, PLUGIN_VERSION, HAS_SERVER and HAS_WEBAPP as needed.
 include build/setup.mk
-include build/legacy.mk
 
 BUNDLE_NAME ?= $(PLUGIN_ID)-$(PLUGIN_VERSION).tar.gz
 
@@ -41,9 +43,20 @@ endif
 .PHONY: all
 all: check-style test dist
 
+## Propagates plugin manifest information into the server/ and webapp/ folders.
+.PHONY: apply
+apply:
+	./build/bin/manifest apply
+
+## Install go tools
+install-go-tools:
+	@echo Installing go tools
+	$(GO) install github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/cmd/golangci-lint@v1.51.1
+	$(GO) install gotest.tools/gotestsum@v1.7.0
+
 ## Runs eslint and golangci-lint
 .PHONY: check-style
-check-style: webapp/node_modules
+check-style: apply webapp/node_modules install-go-tools
 	@echo Checking for style guide compliance
 
 ifneq ($(HAS_WEBAPP),)
@@ -51,14 +64,13 @@ ifneq ($(HAS_WEBAPP),)
 	cd webapp && npm run check-types
 endif
 
+# It's highly recommended to run go-vet first
+# to find potential compile errors that could introduce
+# weird reports at golangci-lint step
 ifneq ($(HAS_SERVER),)
-	@if ! [ -x "$$(command -v golangci-lint)" ]; then \
-		echo "golangci-lint is not installed. Please see https://github.com/golangci/golangci-lint#install for installation instructions."; \
-		exit 1; \
-	fi; \
-
 	@echo Running golangci-lint
-	golangci-lint run ./...
+	$(GO) vet ./...
+	$(GOBIN)/golangci-lint run ./...
 endif
 
 ## Builds the server, if it exists, for all supported architectures, unless MM_SERVICESETTINGS_ENABLEDEVELOPER is set.
@@ -104,7 +116,7 @@ endif
 bundle:
 	rm -rf dist/
 	mkdir -p dist/$(PLUGIN_ID)
-	cp $(MANIFEST_FILE) dist/$(PLUGIN_ID)/
+	./build/bin/manifest dist
 ifneq ($(wildcard $(ASSETS_DIR)/.),)
 	cp -r $(ASSETS_DIR) dist/$(PLUGIN_ID)/
 endif
@@ -125,7 +137,7 @@ endif
 
 ## Builds and bundles the plugin.
 .PHONY: dist
-dist:	server webapp bundle
+dist: apply server webapp bundle
 
 ## Builds and installs the plugin to a server.
 .PHONY: deploy
@@ -134,7 +146,7 @@ deploy: dist
 
 ## Builds and installs the plugin to a server, updating the webapp automatically when changed.
 .PHONY: watch
-watch: server bundle
+watch: apply server bundle
 ifeq ($(MM_DEBUG),)
 	cd webapp && $(NPM) run build:watch
 else
@@ -188,9 +200,20 @@ detach: setup-attach
 
 ## Runs any lints and unit tests defined for the server and webapp, if they exist.
 .PHONY: test
-test: webapp/node_modules
+test: apply webapp/node_modules install-go-tools
+ifneq ($(HAS_SERVER),)
+	$(GOBIN)/gotestsum -- -v ./...
+endif
+ifneq ($(HAS_WEBAPP),)
+	cd webapp && $(NPM) run test;
+endif
+
+## Runs any lints and unit tests defined for the server and webapp, if they exist, optimized
+## for a CI environment.
+.PHONY: test-ci
+test-ci: apply webapp/node_modules install-go-tools
 ifneq ($(HAS_SERVER),)
-	$(GO) test -v $(GO_TEST_FLAGS) ./server/...
+	$(GOBIN)/gotestsum --format standard-verbose --junitfile report.xml -- ./...
 endif
 ifneq ($(HAS_WEBAPP),)
 	cd webapp && $(NPM) run test;
@@ -198,7 +221,7 @@ endif
 
 ## Creates a coverage report for the server code.
 .PHONY: coverage
-coverage: webapp/node_modules
+coverage: apply webapp/node_modules
 ifneq ($(HAS_SERVER),)
 	$(GO) test $(GO_TEST_FLAGS) -coverprofile=server/coverage.txt ./server/...
 	$(GO) tool cover -html=server/coverage.txt
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 016e33c7..cf202986 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -164,3 +164,12 @@ The `/autolink` commands allow the users to easily edit the configurations.
 ## Development
 
 This plugin contains a server portion. Read our documentation about the [Developer Workflow](https://developers.mattermost.com/integrate/plugins/developer-workflow/) and [Developer Setup](https://developers.mattermost.com/integrate/plugins/developer-setup/) for more information about developing and extending plugins.
+
+### Releasing new versions
+
+The version of a plugin is determined at compile time, automatically populating a `version` field in the [plugin manifest](plugin.json):
+* If the current commit matches a tag, the version will match after stripping any leading `v`, e.g. `1.3.1`.
+* Otherwise, the version will combine the nearest tag with `git rev-parse --short HEAD`, e.g. `1.3.1+d06e53e1`.
+* If there is no version tag, an empty version will be combined with the short hash, e.g. `0.0.0+76081421`.
+
+To disable this behaviour, manually populate and maintain the `version` field.
diff --git a/build/legacy.mk b/build/legacy.mk
deleted file mode 100644
index 0c327339..00000000
--- a/build/legacy.mk
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-.PHONY: apply
-apply:
-	@echo make apply is deprecated and has no effect.
diff --git a/build/manifest/main.go b/build/manifest/main.go
index 957a5002..c57fe107 100644
--- a/build/manifest/main.go
+++ b/build/manifest/main.go
@@ -4,11 +4,50 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost/server/public/model"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
+const pluginIDGoFileTemplate = `// This file is automatically generated. Do not modify it manually.
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost/server/public/model"
+)
+
+var manifest *model.Manifest
+
+const manifestStr = ` + "`" + `
+%s
+` + "`" + `
+
+func init() {
+	_ = json.NewDecoder(strings.NewReader(manifestStr)).Decode(&manifest)
+}
+`
+
+const pluginIDJSFileTemplate = `// This file is automatically generated. Do not modify it manually.
+
+const manifest = JSON.parse(` + "`" + `
+%s
+` + "`" + `);
+
+export default manifest;
+`
+
+// These build-time vars are read from shell commands and populated in ../setup.mk
+var (
+	BuildHashShort  string
+	BuildTagLatest  string
+	BuildTagCurrent string
+)
+
 func main() {
 	if len(os.Args) <= 1 {
 		panic("no cmd specified")
@@ -37,6 +76,16 @@ func main() {
 			fmt.Printf("true")
 		}
 
+	case "apply":
+		if err := applyManifest(manifest); err != nil {
+			panic("failed to apply manifest: " + err.Error())
+		}
+
+	case "dist":
+		if err := distManifest(manifest); err != nil {
+			panic("failed to write manifest to dist directory: " + err.Error())
+		}
+
 	default:
 		panic("unrecognized command: " + cmd)
 	}
@@ -62,6 +111,32 @@ func findManifest() (*model.Manifest, error) {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to parse manifest")
 	}
 
+	// If no version is listed in the manifest, generate one based on the state of the current
+	// commit, and use the first version we find (to prevent causing errors)
+	if manifest.Version == "" {
+		var version string
+		tags := strings.Fields(BuildTagCurrent)
+		for _, t := range tags {
+			if strings.HasPrefix(t, "v") {
+				version = t
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if version == "" {
+			if BuildTagLatest != "" {
+				version = BuildTagLatest + "+" + BuildHashShort
+			} else {
+				version = "v0.0.0+" + BuildHashShort
+			}
+		}
+		manifest.Version = strings.TrimPrefix(version, "v")
+	}
+
+	// If no release notes specified, generate one from the latest tag, if present.
+	if manifest.ReleaseNotesURL == "" && BuildTagLatest != "" {
+		manifest.ReleaseNotesURL = manifest.HomepageURL + "releases/tag/" + BuildTagLatest
+	}
+
 	return &manifest, nil
 }
 
@@ -74,3 +149,63 @@ func dumpPluginID(manifest *model.Manifest) {
 func dumpPluginVersion(manifest *model.Manifest) {
 	fmt.Printf("%s", manifest.Version)
 }
+
+// applyManifest propagates the plugin_id into the server and webapp folders, as necessary
+func applyManifest(manifest *model.Manifest) error {
+	if manifest.HasServer() {
+		// generate JSON representation of Manifest.
+		manifestBytes, err := json.MarshalIndent(manifest, "", "  ")
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		manifestStr := string(manifestBytes)
+
+		// write generated code to file by using Go file template.
+		if err := os.WriteFile(
+			"server/manifest.go",
+			[]byte(fmt.Sprintf(pluginIDGoFileTemplate, manifestStr)),
+			0600,
+		); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to write server/manifest.go")
+		}
+	}
+
+	if manifest.HasWebapp() {
+		// generate JSON representation of Manifest.
+		// JSON is very similar and compatible with JS's object literals. so, what we do here
+		// is actually JS code generation.
+		manifestBytes, err := json.MarshalIndent(manifest, "", "    ")
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		manifestStr := string(manifestBytes)
+
+		// Escape newlines
+		manifestStr = strings.ReplaceAll(manifestStr, `\n`, `\\n`)
+
+		// write generated code to file by using JS file template.
+		if err := os.WriteFile(
+			"webapp/src/manifest.ts",
+			[]byte(fmt.Sprintf(pluginIDJSFileTemplate, manifestStr)),
+			0600,
+		); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to open webapp/src/manifest.ts")
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// distManifest writes the manifest file to the dist directory
+func distManifest(manifest *model.Manifest) error {
+	manifestBytes, err := json.MarshalIndent(manifest, "", "    ")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if err := os.WriteFile(fmt.Sprintf("dist/%s/plugin.json", manifest.Id), manifestBytes, 0600); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to write plugin.json")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/build/setup.mk b/build/setup.mk
index 493b06fc..b90963af 100644
--- a/build/setup.mk
+++ b/build/setup.mk
@@ -4,8 +4,13 @@ ifeq ($(GO),)
     $(error "go is not available: see https://golang.org/doc/install")
 endif
 
+# Gather build variables to inject into the manifest tool
+BUILD_HASH_SHORT = $(shell git rev-parse --short HEAD)
+BUILD_TAG_LATEST = $(shell git describe --tags --match 'v*' --abbrev=0 2>/dev/null)
+BUILD_TAG_CURRENT = $(shell git tag --points-at HEAD)
+
 # Ensure that the build tools are compiled. Go's caching makes this quick.
-$(shell cd build/manifest && $(GO) build -o ../bin/manifest)
+$(shell cd build/manifest && $(GO) build -ldflags '-X "main.BuildHashShort=$(BUILD_HASH_SHORT)" -X "main.BuildTagLatest=$(BUILD_TAG_LATEST)" -X "main.BuildTagCurrent=$(BUILD_TAG_CURRENT)"' -o ../bin/manifest)
 
 # Ensure that the deployment tools are compiled. Go's caching makes this quick.
 $(shell cd build/pluginctl && $(GO) build -o ../bin/pluginctl)
diff --git a/plugin.json b/plugin.json
index 83abf77e..22217750 100644
--- a/plugin.json
+++ b/plugin.json
@@ -4,9 +4,7 @@
     "description": "Automatically rewrite text matching a regular expression into a Markdown link.",
     "homepage_url": "https://github.com/mattermost/mattermost-plugin-autolink",
     "support_url": "https://github.com/mattermost/mattermost-plugin-autolink/issues",
-    "release_notes_url": "https://github.com/mattermost/mattermost-plugin-autolink/releases/tag/v1.4.0",
     "icon_path": "assets/icon.svg",
-    "version": "1.4.0",
     "min_server_version": "5.16.0",
     "server": {
         "executables": {
@@ -19,7 +17,7 @@
         "executable": ""
     },
     "settings_schema": {
-        "header": "Configure this plugin directly in the `config.json` file, or using the `/autolink` command. Learn more [in our documentation](https://github.com/mattermost/mattermost-plugin-autolink/blob/master/README.md).\n\n To report an issue, make a suggestion, or contribute, [check the plugin repository](https://github.com/mattermost/mattermost-plugin-autolink).",
+        "header": "Configure this plugin directly in the config.json file, or using the /autolink command. Learn more [in our documentation](https://github.com/mattermost/mattermost-plugin-autolink/blob/master/README.md).\n\n To report an issue, make a suggestion, or contribute, [check the plugin repository](https://github.com/mattermost/mattermost-plugin-autolink).",
         "footer": "",
         "settings": [
             {
diff --git a/server/manifest.go b/server/manifest.go
deleted file mode 100644
index bb9e6611..00000000
--- a/server/manifest.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-// This file is automatically generated. Do not modify it manually.
-
-package main
-
-var manifest = struct {
-	ID      string
-	Version string
-}{
-	ID:      "mattermost-autolink",
-	Version: "1.4.0",
-}