diff --git a/client/src/components/UpdateCard.jsx b/client/src/components/UpdateCard.jsx
index 7874180..8a5df48 100644
--- a/client/src/components/UpdateCard.jsx
+++ b/client/src/components/UpdateCard.jsx
@@ -260,9 +260,9 @@ export default function UpdateCard({ container, onSettled, onPinChange, register
               <ExternalIcon />
             </a>
           )}
-          {showUpdateAvailable && (
+          {link && (
             <button type="button" className="btn-ghost" onClick={toggleChangelog} aria-expanded={clOpen}>
-              {clOpen ? 'Hide changes' : "What's changed"}
+              {clOpen ? 'Hide changes' : showUpdateAvailable ? "What's changed" : 'Release notes'}
             </button>
           )}
         </div>
diff --git a/server/src/checker.js b/server/src/checker.js
index b90a148..845677c 100644
--- a/server/src/checker.js
+++ b/server/src/checker.js
@@ -38,6 +38,21 @@ async function resolveAvailableVersion(c) {
   return labelVersion || null;
 }
 
+/**
+ * The running image's latest release tag, when its own version label is junk
+ * but it declares a GitHub source. Cached. Used for up-to-date images, where
+ * "running" == the latest release.
+ *
+ * @param {{ sourceUrl?: string|null }} c
+ * @returns {Promise<string|null>}
+ */
+async function releaseTagForSource(c) {
+  const gh = parseGitHubRepo(c.sourceUrl);
+  if (!gh) return null;
+  const tag = await getLatestReleaseTag(gh.owner, gh.repo);
+  return isMeaningfulVersion(tag) ? tag : null;
+}
+
 /**
  * @returns {Promise<{ total: number, checked: number, updatesFound: number, errors: number }>}
  * @throws if the Docker daemon can't be reached (caller maps to 503).
@@ -70,6 +85,13 @@ export async function runCheck() {
         if (c.currentDigest && digestsEqual(remote, c.currentDigest)) {
           // Up to date — clear any stale unresolved event.
           db.resolveEventsForRef(c.normalizedRef);
+          // The running image IS the latest. If its own version label is junk
+          // (e.g. homarr's `main`), remember the source repo's latest release
+          // tag for this digest so the dashboard can show a real number.
+          if (!isMeaningfulVersion(c.currentVersion)) {
+            const tag = await releaseTagForSource(c);
+            if (tag) db.setImageVersion(c.currentDigest, tag);
+          }
           continue;
         }
 
@@ -85,6 +107,7 @@ export async function runCheck() {
             const better = await resolveAvailableVersion(c);
             if (isMeaningfulVersion(better)) {
               db.updateEventAvailableVersion(c.normalizedRef, remote, better);
+              db.setImageVersion(remote, better);
             }
           }
           continue;
@@ -101,6 +124,11 @@ export async function runCheck() {
           available_version: availableVersion,
           raw_json: JSON.stringify({ source: 'check' }),
         });
+        // Remember versions per digest: the available one keyed by the remote
+        // digest (so it shows instantly once the user updates), and the running
+        // one if its own label is usable.
+        if (isMeaningfulVersion(availableVersion)) db.setImageVersion(remote, availableVersion);
+        if (isMeaningfulVersion(c.currentVersion)) db.setImageVersion(c.currentDigest, c.currentVersion);
         updatesFound += 1;
       } catch (err) {
         errors += 1;
diff --git a/server/src/containers-service.js b/server/src/containers-service.js
index 4a06126..a2b1b44 100644
--- a/server/src/containers-service.js
+++ b/server/src/containers-service.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
  */
 
 import { isUpdateAvailable, digestsEqual } from './reconcile.js';
+import { isMeaningfulVersion } from './version.js';
 
 /**
  * @param {object} params
@@ -22,12 +23,15 @@ import { isUpdateAvailable, digestsEqual } from './reconcile.js';
  *   - returns the latest unresolved event row for a normalized ref, or
  *     undefined if there is none.
  * @param {(normalizedRef: string) => boolean} params.isPinned
+ * @param {(digest: string|null) => (string|null)} [params.lookupVersion]
+ *   - returns a remembered human version for an image digest, or null. Lets the
+ *     dashboard show a real version even when the image's own labels are junk.
  * @returns {{
  *   items: Array<object>,
  *   refsToResolve: string[]
  * }}
  */
-export function buildContainerItems({ containers, lookupEvent, isPinned }) {
+export function buildContainerItems({ containers, lookupEvent, isPinned, lookupVersion = () => null }) {
   const items = [];
   const refsToResolve = [];
 
@@ -52,13 +56,22 @@ export function buildContainerItems({ containers, lookupEvent, isPinned }) {
       availableVersion = updateAvailable ? (event?.available_version ?? null) : null;
     }
 
+    // Prefer the image's own meaningful version label; otherwise fall back to a
+    // version we remembered for this digest from a prior check.
+    const currentVersion = isMeaningfulVersion(c.currentVersion)
+      ? c.currentVersion
+      : lookupVersion(c.currentDigest) ?? c.currentVersion ?? null;
+    if (updateAvailable && !isMeaningfulVersion(availableVersion)) {
+      availableVersion = lookupVersion(availableDigest) ?? availableVersion ?? null;
+    }
+
     items.push({
       name: c.name,
       project: c.project,
       service: c.service,
       image: c.image,
       tag: c.tag ?? null,
-      currentVersion: c.currentVersion ?? null,
+      currentVersion,
       sourceUrl: c.sourceUrl ?? null,
       currentDigest: c.currentDigest,
       updateAvailable,
diff --git a/server/src/db.js b/server/src/db.js
index dd271c3..7d91445 100644
--- a/server/src/db.js
+++ b/server/src/db.js
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS settings (
   key TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
   value TEXT
 );
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS image_versions (
+  digest TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+  version TEXT NOT NULL,
+  updated_at TEXT DEFAULT (datetime('now'))
+);
 CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_events_ref ON update_events(normalized_ref, resolved);
 CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_history_created ON update_history(created_at DESC);
 `);
@@ -75,6 +80,14 @@ const stmts = {
     UPDATE update_events SET available_version = ?
     WHERE normalized_ref = ? AND digest = ? AND resolved = 0
   `),
+  setImageVersion: db.prepare(`
+    INSERT INTO image_versions (digest, version, updated_at)
+    VALUES (?, ?, datetime('now'))
+    ON CONFLICT(digest) DO UPDATE SET version = excluded.version, updated_at = excluded.updated_at
+  `),
+  getImageVersion: db.prepare(`
+    SELECT version FROM image_versions WHERE digest = ? LIMIT 1
+  `),
   recordUpdate: db.prepare(`
     INSERT INTO update_history (container_name, image, old_digest, new_digest, status, message)
     VALUES (@container_name, @image, @old_digest, @new_digest, @status, @message)
@@ -147,6 +160,22 @@ export function updateEventAvailableVersion(normalized_ref, digest, available_ve
   return stmts.updateEventAvailableVersion.run(available_version ?? null, normalized_ref, digest);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Remember a human-readable version for a specific image digest, so the
+ * dashboard can show a real version number even for images whose own labels
+ * are junk (e.g. `:latest` + `org.opencontainers.image.version=main`).
+ */
+export function setImageVersion(digest, version) {
+  if (!digest || !version) return undefined;
+  return stmts.setImageVersion.run(digest, version);
+}
+
+export function getImageVersion(digest) {
+  if (!digest) return null;
+  const row = stmts.getImageVersion.get(digest);
+  return row ? row.version : null;
+}
+
 export function recordUpdate({ container_name, image, old_digest, new_digest, status, message }) {
   return stmts.recordUpdate.run({
     container_name,
diff --git a/server/src/routes/api.js b/server/src/routes/api.js
index adb4b37..4f92b9e 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/api.js
+++ b/server/src/routes/api.js
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ apiRouter.get('/api/containers', async (req, res) => {
     containers,
     lookupEvent: db.latestUnresolvedEventForRef,
     isPinned: (ref) => db.isPinned(ref),
+    lookupVersion: (digest) => db.getImageVersion(digest),
   });
 
   for (const ref of refsToResolve) {
diff --git a/server/test/containers-service.test.js b/server/test/containers-service.test.js
index 8f40956..d91ffe2 100644
--- a/server/test/containers-service.test.js
+++ b/server/test/containers-service.test.js
@@ -78,6 +78,43 @@ describe('buildContainerItems', () => {
     assert.deepEqual(refsToResolve, ['docker.io/library/nginx:latest']);
   });
 
+  test('junk currentVersion label -> falls back to remembered version for the digest', () => {
+    const containers = [makeContainer({ currentVersion: 'main', currentDigest: 'sha256:run' })];
+    const lookupVersion = (digest) => (digest === 'sha256:run' ? 'v1.68.1' : null);
+    const { items } = buildContainerItems({
+      containers,
+      lookupEvent: () => undefined,
+      isPinned: () => false,
+      lookupVersion,
+    });
+    assert.equal(items[0].currentVersion, 'v1.68.1');
+  });
+
+  test('meaningful currentVersion label is kept over the remembered version', () => {
+    const containers = [makeContainer({ currentVersion: '1.27.3', currentDigest: 'sha256:run' })];
+    const lookupVersion = () => 'should-not-be-used';
+    const { items } = buildContainerItems({
+      containers,
+      lookupEvent: () => undefined,
+      isPinned: () => false,
+      lookupVersion,
+    });
+    assert.equal(items[0].currentVersion, '1.27.3');
+  });
+
+  test('junk available_version on the event -> falls back to remembered version for availableDigest', () => {
+    const containers = [makeContainer({ currentDigest: 'sha256:aaa' })];
+    const lookupEvent = () => ({ digest: 'sha256:bbb', available_version: 'main' });
+    const lookupVersion = (digest) => (digest === 'sha256:bbb' ? 'v2.0.0' : null);
+    const { items } = buildContainerItems({
+      containers,
+      lookupEvent,
+      isPinned: () => false,
+      lookupVersion,
+    });
+    assert.equal(items[0].availableVersion, 'v2.0.0');
+  });
+
   test('pinned ref -> pinned true in the item', () => {
     const containers = [makeContainer()];
     const lookupEvent = () => undefined;