diff --git a/gramps/gen/config.py b/gramps/gen/config.py
index f2426815c..d98764208 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/config.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/config.py
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ register('behavior.addmedia-image-dir', '')
 register('behavior.addmedia-relative-path', False)
 register('behavior.autoload', False)
 register('behavior.avg-generation-gap', 20)
-register('behavior.betawarn', False)
 register('behavior.check-for-addon-updates', 0)
 register('behavior.check-for-addon-update-types', ["new"])
 register('behavior.last-check-for-addon-updates', "1970/01/01")
diff --git a/gramps/gen/const.py b/gramps/gen/const.py
index aff4a22d1..4e2dc5f53 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/const.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/const.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ import uuid
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 from .git_revision import get_git_revision
 from .constfunc import get_env_var
-from ..version import VERSION, VERSION_TUPLE, major_version
+from ..version import VERSION, VERSION_TUPLE, major_version, DEV_VERSION
 from .utils.resourcepath import ResourcePath
 from .utils.grampslocale import GrampsLocale
 
@@ -145,7 +145,8 @@ sys.path.insert(0, ROOT_DIR)
 git_revision = get_git_revision(ROOT_DIR).replace('\n', '')
 if sys.platform == 'win32' and git_revision == "":
     git_revision = get_git_revision(os.path.split(ROOT_DIR)[1])
-VERSION += git_revision
+if DEV_VERSION:
+    VERSION += git_revision
 #VERSION += "-1"
 
 #
diff --git a/gramps/gui/displaystate.py b/gramps/gui/displaystate.py
index e3a7ac9b8..904b2d102 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/displaystate.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/displaystate.py
@@ -66,8 +66,10 @@ from .glade import Glade
 from gramps.gen.utils.db import navigation_label
 from gramps.gen.errors import HandleError
 from .widgets.progressdialog import ProgressMonitor, GtkProgressDialog
-from .dialog import ErrorDialog
+from .dialog import ErrorDialog, WarningDialog
 from .uimanager import ActionGroup
+from ..version import VERSION_QUALIFIER, DEV_VERSION
+from gramps.gen.const import VERSION
 
 DISABLED = -1
 
@@ -421,6 +423,7 @@ class DisplayState(Callback):
         self.status = status
         self.status_id = status.get_context_id('GRAMPS')
         self.progress = status.get_progress_bar()
+        self.status_ver = status.get_version_btn()
         self.history_lookup = {}
         self.gwm = GrampsWindowManager(uimanager)
         self.widget = None
@@ -444,6 +447,16 @@ class DisplayState(Callback):
         # but this connection is still made!
         # self.dbstate.connect('database-changed', self.db_changed)
 
+        if DEV_VERSION or VERSION_QUALIFIER:
+            ver_btn = status.get_version_btn()
+            ver_btn.set_label(VERSION)
+            if DEV_VERSION:
+                msg = 'master'
+            else:
+                msg = VERSION_QUALIFIER[1:]
+            ver_btn.connect('clicked', self.__develop_warn, msg)
+            ver_btn.show()
+
     def set_backup_timer(self):
         """
         Set the backup timer.
@@ -682,3 +695,34 @@ class DisplayState(Callback):
     def reload_symbols(self):
         self.symbols = config.get('utf8.in-use')
         self.death_symbol = config.get('utf8.death-symbol')
+
+    def __develop_warn(self, button, warning_type):
+        """
+        Display a development warning message to the user, with the
+        warning_type in it.
+
+        :param warning_type: the general name of the warning, e.g. "master"
+        :type warning_type: str
+        """
+        WarningDialog(
+            _('Danger: This is unstable code!'),
+            _("This Gramps ('%s') is a development release.\n"
+             ) % warning_type +
+            _("This version is not meant for normal usage. Use "
+              "at your own risk.\n"
+              "\n"
+              "This version may:\n"
+              "1) Work differently than you expect.\n"
+              "2) Fail to run at all.\n"
+              "3) Crash often.\n"
+              "4) Corrupt your data.\n"
+              "5) Save data in a format that is incompatible with the "
+              "official release.\n"
+              "\n"
+              "%(bold_start)sBACKUP%(bold_end)s "
+              "your existing databases before opening "
+              "them with this version, and make sure to export your "
+              "data to XML every now and then."
+             ) % {'bold_start' : '<b>',
+                  'bold_end'   : '</b>'},
+            parent=self.window)
diff --git a/gramps/gui/grampsgui.py b/gramps/gui/grampsgui.py
index 2443acec2..702049798 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/grampsgui.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/grampsgui.py
@@ -485,50 +485,6 @@ except ImportError:
 #
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-def _display_welcome_message(parent=None):
-    """
-    Display a welcome message to the user.
-    (This docstring seems very legacy/historical, not accurate.)
-    """
-    _display_generic_message("master", 'behavior.betawarn', parent=parent)
-
-def _display_generic_message(warning_type, config_key, parent=None):
-    """
-    Display a generic warning message to the user, with the
-    warning_type in it -- if the config_key key is not set
-
-    :param warning_type: the general name of the warning, e.g. "master"
-    :type warning_type: str
-    :param config_key: name of gramps.ini config key, e.g. "behavior.betawarn"
-    :type config_key: str
-    """
-    if not config.get(config_key):
-        from .dialog import WarningDialog
-        WarningDialog(
-            _('Danger: This is unstable code!'),
-            _("This Gramps ('%s') is a development release.\n"
-             ) % warning_type +
-            _("This version is not meant for normal usage. Use "
-              "at your own risk.\n"
-              "\n"
-              "This version may:\n"
-              "1) Work differently than you expect.\n"
-              "2) Fail to run at all.\n"
-              "3) Crash often.\n"
-              "4) Corrupt your data.\n"
-              "5) Save data in a format that is incompatible with the "
-              "official release.\n"
-              "\n"
-              "%(bold_start)sBACKUP%(bold_end)s "
-              "your existing databases before opening "
-              "them with this version, and make sure to export your "
-              "data to XML every now and then."
-             ) % {'bold_start' : '<b>',
-                  'bold_end'   : '</b>'},
-            parent=parent)
-        config.set('behavior.autoload', False)
-        config.set(config_key, True)
-
 def _display_gtk_gettext_message(parent=None):
     """
     Display a GTK-translations-missing message to the user.
@@ -618,8 +574,6 @@ class Gramps:
                 and not gettext.find(GTK_GETTEXT_DOMAIN)):
             _display_gtk_gettext_message(parent=self._vm.window)
 
-        _display_welcome_message(parent=self._vm.window)
-
         _display_translator_message(parent=self._vm.window)
 
         self._vm.init_interface()
diff --git a/gramps/gui/widgets/statusbar.py b/gramps/gui/widgets/statusbar.py
index df1632af4..a5329b1d5 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/widgets/statusbar.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/widgets/statusbar.py
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ class Statusbar(Gtk.Box):
 
         self.__warnbtn = WarnButton()
 
+        self.__version = Gtk.Button()
+        self.__version.set_relief(Gtk.ReliefStyle.NONE)
+        self.__version.get_style_context().add_class("destructive-action")
+
         self.__status = Gtk.Statusbar()
         self.__status.show()
 
@@ -71,6 +75,7 @@ class Statusbar(Gtk.Box):
         self.pack_start(self.__progress, False, True, 4)
         self.pack_start(self.__status, True, True, 4)
         self.pack_end(self.__filter, False, True, 4)
+        self.pack_end(self.__version, False, True, 4)
 
     def get_warning_button(self):
         """Return the warning button widget."""
@@ -80,6 +85,10 @@ class Statusbar(Gtk.Box):
         """Return the progress bar widget."""
         return self.__progress
 
+    def get_version_btn(self):
+        """Return the version button widget."""
+        return self.__version
+
     def get_context_id(self, context_description):
         """Return a new or existing context identifier."""
         return self.__status.get_context_id(context_description)
diff --git a/gramps/version.py b/gramps/version.py
index c6a297d86..fd5e4ae49 100644
--- a/gramps/version.py
+++ b/gramps/version.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 # Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
 #
 
+DEV_VERSION = True
 VERSION_TUPLE = (5, 2, 0)
 VERSION_QUALIFIER = ""
 VERSION = '.'.join(map(str,VERSION_TUPLE)) + VERSION_QUALIFIER