diff --git a/hermes_cli/dump.py b/hermes_cli/dump.py
index 239a6994b61..82a49b03f1c 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/dump.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/dump.py
@@ -56,6 +56,30 @@ def _get_git_commit(project_root: Path) -> str:
     return "(unknown)"
 
 
+def _get_git_commit_date(project_root: Path) -> str:
+    """Return the date the HEAD commit was authored (YYYY-MM-DD), or ''.
+
+    Resolves live via ``git log`` on source installs.  The published Docker
+    image excludes ``.git``, so this returns '' there — the dump line simply
+    drops the date suffix in that case (the baked SHA still identifies the
+    build).
+    """
+    try:
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ["git", "log", "-1", "--format=%cd", "--date=short", "HEAD"],
+            capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=5,
+            cwd=str(project_root),
+        )
+        if result.returncode == 0:
+            value = result.stdout.strip()
+            if value:
+                return value
+    except Exception:
+        pass
+
+    return ""
+
+
 def _redact(value: str) -> str:
     """Redact all but first 4 and last 4 chars.
 
@@ -231,12 +255,12 @@ def run_dump(args):
     hermes_home = get_hermes_home()
 
     try:
-        from hermes_cli import __version__, __release_date__
+        from hermes_cli import __version__
     except ImportError:
         __version__ = "(unknown)"
-        __release_date__ = ""
 
     commit = _get_git_commit(project_root)
+    commit_date = _get_git_commit_date(project_root)
 
     try:
         config = load_config()
@@ -283,10 +307,14 @@ def run_dump(args):
 
     lines = []
     lines.append("--- hermes dump ---")
+    # Identify the build by commit + the date that commit was made, resolved
+    # live via git.  __release_date__ (the package release date) is
+    # intentionally NOT shown here — it reads like a wall-clock timestamp and
+    # confuses support triage.  The commit date is the real "as-of" date.
     ver_str = f"{__version__}"
-    if __release_date__:
-        ver_str += f" ({__release_date__})"
     ver_str += f" [{commit}]"
+    if commit_date:
+        ver_str += f" ({commit_date})"
     lines.append(f"version:          {ver_str}")
     lines.append(f"os:               {os_info}")
     lines.append(f"python:           {sys.version.split()[0]}")
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_dump_git_commit.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_dump_git_commit.py
index 264ad22a585..0cfa804f091 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_dump_git_commit.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_dump_git_commit.py
@@ -116,3 +116,44 @@ def test_get_git_commit_output_format_identical_between_sources(tmp_path):
     # Same length, same charset — no decoration in either branch.
     assert len(live) == 8
     assert all(c in "0123456789abcdef" for c in live)
+
+
+def test_get_git_commit_date_uses_live_git(tmp_path):
+    """Source install: ``git log -1 --format=%cd --date=short`` returns the date."""
+    from hermes_cli import dump
+
+    repo_dir = tmp_path / "repo"
+    repo_dir.mkdir()
+
+    git_result = MagicMock(returncode=0, stdout="2026-06-17\n")
+    with patch("hermes_cli.dump.subprocess.run", return_value=git_result):
+        date = dump._get_git_commit_date(repo_dir)
+
+    assert date == "2026-06-17"
+
+
+def test_get_git_commit_date_empty_when_git_fails(tmp_path):
+    """Docker image / pip wheel: no git → '' so the dump line drops the date."""
+    from hermes_cli import dump
+
+    repo_dir = tmp_path / "no-git-here"
+    repo_dir.mkdir()
+
+    failed = MagicMock(returncode=128, stdout="")
+    with patch("hermes_cli.dump.subprocess.run", return_value=failed):
+        date = dump._get_git_commit_date(repo_dir)
+
+    assert date == ""
+
+
+def test_get_git_commit_date_empty_when_git_raises(tmp_path):
+    """git binary missing → '' (no crash, suffix simply omitted)."""
+    from hermes_cli import dump
+
+    repo_dir = tmp_path / "repo"
+    repo_dir.mkdir()
+
+    with patch("hermes_cli.dump.subprocess.run", side_effect=FileNotFoundError("git")):
+        date = dump._get_git_commit_date(repo_dir)
+
+    assert date == ""