diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 98589ff045..7eda7a3d34 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+3568.	[cleanup]	Add a product description line to the version file,
+			to be reported by named -v/-V. [RT #33366]
+
 3567.	[bug]		Silence clang static analyzer warnings. [RT #33365]
 
 3563.	[contrib]	zone2sqlite failed with some table names. [RT #33375]
diff --git a/bin/named/Makefile.in b/bin/named/Makefile.in
index 36c0a6f2ea..e3ce3bd154 100644
--- a/bin/named/Makefile.in
+++ b/bin/named/Makefile.in
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ top_srcdir =	@top_srcdir@
 
 @BIND9_PRODUCT@
 
+@BIND9_DESCRIPTION@
+
 @BIND9_SRCID@
 
 @BIND9_CONFIGARGS@
@@ -119,6 +121,7 @@ main.@O@: main.c
 	${LIBTOOL_MODE_COMPILE} ${CC} ${ALL_CFLAGS} \
 		-DVERSION=\"${VERSION}\" \
 		-DPRODUCT=\"${PRODUCT}\" \
+		-DDESCRIPTION=\"${DESCRIPTION}\" \
 		-DSRCID=\"${SRCID}\" \
 		-DCONFIGARGS="\"${CONFIGARGS}\"" \
 		-DNS_LOCALSTATEDIR=\"${localstatedir}\" \
diff --git a/bin/named/include/named/globals.h b/bin/named/include/named/globals.h
index befcd7dc50..39307f3699 100644
--- a/bin/named/include/named/globals.h
+++ b/bin/named/include/named/globals.h
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ EXTERN isc_socketmgr_t *	ns_g_socketmgr		INIT(NULL);
 EXTERN cfg_parser_t *		ns_g_parser		INIT(NULL);
 EXTERN const char *		ns_g_version		INIT(VERSION);
 EXTERN const char *		ns_g_product		INIT(PRODUCT);
+EXTERN const char *		ns_g_description	INIT(DESCRIPTION);
 EXTERN const char *		ns_g_srcid		INIT(SRCID);
 EXTERN const char *		ns_g_configargs		INIT(CONFIGARGS);
 EXTERN in_port_t		ns_g_port		INIT(0);
diff --git a/bin/named/main.c b/bin/named/main.c
index 3c55a68576..f6c929e5b9 100644
--- a/bin/named/main.c
+++ b/bin/named/main.c
@@ -535,11 +535,17 @@ parse_command_line(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 			ns_g_username = isc_commandline_argument;
 			break;
 		case 'v':
-			printf("%s %s\n", ns_g_product, ns_g_version);
+			printf("%s %s", ns_g_product, ns_g_version);
+			if (*ns_g_description != 0)
+				printf(" %s", ns_g_description);
+			printf("\n");
 			exit(0);
 		case 'V':
-			printf("%s %s <id:%s> built with %s\n", ns_g_product,
-			       ns_g_version, ns_g_srcid, ns_g_configargs);
+			printf("%s %s", ns_g_product, ns_g_version);
+			if (*ns_g_description != 0)
+				printf(" %s", ns_g_description);
+			printf(" <id:%s> built with %s\n", ns_g_srcid,
+				ns_g_configargs);
 #ifdef OPENSSL
 			printf("using OpenSSL version: %s\n",
 			       OPENSSL_VERSION_TEXT);
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 43bb5ce480..d08dc17476 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1169,6 +1169,7 @@ SO
 BIND9_CONFIGARGS
 BIND9_SRCID
 BIND9_VERSION
+BIND9_DESCRIPTION
 BIND9_PRODUCT
 BIND9_BIND9_BUILDINCLUDE
 BIND9_LWRES_BUILDINCLUDE
@@ -19274,6 +19275,8 @@ BIND9_MAKE_RULES=$BIND9_TOP_BUILDDIR/make/rules
 . $srcdir/version
 BIND9_PRODUCT="PRODUCT=\"${PRODUCT}\""
 
+BIND9_DESCRIPTION="DESCRIPTION=\"${DESCRIPTION}\""
+
 BIND9_VERSION="VERSION=${MAJORVER}.${MINORVER}${PATCHVER:+.}${PATCHVER}${RELEASETYPE}${RELEASEVER}"
 
 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 1d66041758..8db8dde766 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -3241,6 +3241,8 @@ BIND9_MAKE_RULES=$BIND9_TOP_BUILDDIR/make/rules
 . $srcdir/version
 BIND9_PRODUCT="PRODUCT=\"${PRODUCT}\""
 AC_SUBST(BIND9_PRODUCT)
+BIND9_DESCRIPTION="DESCRIPTION=\"${DESCRIPTION}\""
+AC_SUBST(BIND9_DESCRIPTION)
 BIND9_VERSION="VERSION=${MAJORVER}.${MINORVER}${PATCHVER:+.}${PATCHVER}${RELEASETYPE}${RELEASEVER}"
 AC_SUBST(BIND9_VERSION)
 
diff --git a/version b/version
index dd21a39ba6..c300e5721e 100644
--- a/version
+++ b/version
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 # configure.
 #
 PRODUCT=BIND
+DESCRIPTION=
 MAJORVER=9
 MINORVER=8
 PATCHVER=5