diff --git a/cpp/lib/core/app.cpp b/cpp/lib/core/app.cpp
index 5bcb28f108..0fcab3427b 100644
--- a/cpp/lib/core/app.cpp
+++ b/cpp/lib/core/app.cpp
@@ -1153,7 +1153,7 @@ void init(int cmdline_argc, const char *const *cmdline_argv) {
     NAME.erase(NAME.size() - 4);
 #endif
 
-  if (strcmp(mrtrix_version, executable_uses_mrtrix_version) != 0) {
+  if (mrtrix_version != executable_uses_mrtrix_version) {
     Exception E("executable was compiled for a different version of the MRtrix3 library!");
     E.push_back(std::string("  ") + NAME + " version: " + executable_uses_mrtrix_version);
     E.push_back(std::string("  library version: ") + mrtrix_version);
diff --git a/cpp/lib/core/app.h b/cpp/lib/core/app.h
index 1af93e0e74..d678d6f0c4 100644
--- a/cpp/lib/core/app.h
+++ b/cpp/lib/core/app.h
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ extern void run();
 
 namespace MR::App {
 
-extern const char *mrtrix_version;
-extern const char *build_date;
+extern const std::string mrtrix_version;
+extern const std::string build_date;
 extern int log_level;
 extern int exit_error_code;
 extern std::string NAME;
diff --git a/cpp/lib/core/command.h b/cpp/lib/core/command.h
index 5d4b9d44b6..b399bbebf3 100644
--- a/cpp/lib/core/command.h
+++ b/cpp/lib/core/command.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include "app.h"
-#include "cmd_version.h"
+#include "executable_version.h"
 #include "mrtrix.h"
 #ifdef MRTRIX_PROJECT
 namespace MR {
diff --git a/cpp/lib/executable_version.cpp.in b/cpp/lib/executable_version.cpp.in
index 8bbac002c4..b310f2bb6f 100644
--- a/cpp/lib/executable_version.cpp.in
+++ b/cpp/lib/executable_version.cpp.in
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#include "cmd_version.h"
+#include "executable_version.h"
 
 namespace MR {
   namespace App {
diff --git a/cpp/lib/mrtrix_version.cpp.in b/cpp/lib/mrtrix_version.cpp.in
index f7235a4b5b..87d2935f92 100644
--- a/cpp/lib/mrtrix_version.cpp.in
+++ b/cpp/lib/mrtrix_version.cpp.in
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "mrtrix_version.h"
+#include <string>
 
 namespace MR::App {
-const char *mrtrix_version = "@MRTRIX_VERSION@";
-const char *build_date = __DATE__;
+const std::string mrtrix_version = "@MRTRIX_VERSION@";
+const std::string build_date = __DATE__;
 }
diff --git a/cpp/lib/mrtrix_version.h b/cpp/lib/mrtrix_version.h
index 00b6d8534e..c765871502 100644
--- a/cpp/lib/mrtrix_version.h
+++ b/cpp/lib/mrtrix_version.h
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@
  */
 
 #pragma once
+#include <string>
 
 namespace MR::App {
-extern const char *mrtrix_version;
-extern const char *build_date;
+extern const std::string mrtrix_version;
+extern const std::string build_date;
 } // namespace MR::App