diff --git a/desktop/build.gradle b/desktop/build.gradle
index e5e7b9444..7e359f641 100644
--- a/desktop/build.gradle
+++ b/desktop/build.gradle
@@ -28,14 +28,25 @@ project.ext.assetsDir = new File("../android/src/main/assets")
 
 [compileJava, compileTestJava]*.options*.encoding = 'UTF-8'
 
-task run(dependsOn: classes, type: JavaExec) {
+task debug(type: JavaExec) {
     main = project.mainClassName
     classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     workingDir = project.assetsDir
     ignoreExitValue = true
 }
 
-//TODO add dist task to generate a .JAR
+task releaseJAR(type: Jar) {
+    from sourceSets.main.output
+    from project.assetsDir
+    from { configurations.runtimeClasspath.findAll { it.name.endsWith('jar') }.collect { zipTree(it) } }
+
+    manifest {
+        attributes 'Main-Class': project.mainClassName
+        attributes 'Specification-Name': appName
+        attributes 'Specification-Version': appVersionName
+        attributes 'Implementation-Version': appVersionCode
+    }
+}
 
 dependencies {
     implementation project(':core')
diff --git a/desktop/src/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/desktop/DesktopLauncher.java b/desktop/src/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/desktop/DesktopLauncher.java
index f09bc2ad6..48a0c8705 100644
--- a/desktop/src/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/desktop/DesktopLauncher.java
+++ b/desktop/src/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/desktop/DesktopLauncher.java
@@ -49,17 +49,6 @@ public class DesktopLauncher {
 			}
 		});
 		
-		String version = DesktopLauncher.class.getPackage().getSpecificationVersion();
-		if (version == null) {
-			Game.version = "0.7.5d";
-		}
-		
-		try {
-			Game.versionCode = Integer.parseInt(DesktopLauncher.class.getPackage().getImplementationVersion());
-		} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
-			Game.versionCode = 372;
-		}
-		
 		LwjglApplicationConfiguration config = new LwjglApplicationConfiguration();
 		
 		config.width = 1920;
@@ -69,7 +58,23 @@ public class DesktopLauncher {
 		config.foregroundFPS = 0;
 		config.backgroundFPS = -1;
 		
-		config.title = "Shattered Pixel Dungeon";
+		//TODO rather than hardcoding these values when running debug
+		// it would be nice to be able to fetch them from gradle in some way
+		config.title = DesktopLauncher.class.getPackage().getSpecificationTitle();
+		if (config.title == null) {
+			config.title = "ShatteredPD INDEV";
+		}
+		
+		Game.version = DesktopLauncher.class.getPackage().getSpecificationVersion();
+		if (Game.version == null) {
+			Game.version = "0.7.5d-INDEV";
+		}
+		
+		try {
+			Game.versionCode = Integer.parseInt(DesktopLauncher.class.getPackage().getImplementationVersion());
+		} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
+			Game.versionCode = 380;
+		}
 		
 		new LwjglApplication(new ShatteredPixelDungeon(new DesktopPlatformSupport()), config);
 	}