diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6c331cb..ee9bfd8 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 compile_flags.txt
-obj/
+compile_commands.json
+/build
diff --git a/hyprload.toml b/hyprload.toml
index 2c925a7..ef9f17c 100644
--- a/hyprload.toml
+++ b/hyprload.toml
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 [example]
 description = "Example plugin"
-version = "1.0.0"
 author = "YOU"
+## NOTE: version is omitted here because I don't like having multiple places
+## to update the version string. Feel free to add it back in.
+#
+# version = "v0.0.0"
 
 [example.build]
-output = "example.so"
+output = "build/src/example.so"
 steps = [
-    "make all",
+    "meson setup build",
+    "meson compile -Cbuild"
 ]
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47734d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+project('example', 'cpp', 'c',
+  # we always take the VERSION file as the single source of truth
+  version: run_command('cat', join_paths(meson.project_source_root(), 'VERSION'), check: true).stdout().strip(),
+  default_options: ['buildtype=release'],
+)
+
+cpp_compiler = meson.get_compiler('cpp')
+if cpp_compiler.has_argument('-std=c++23')
+  add_global_arguments('-std=c++23', language: 'cpp')
+elif cpp_compiler.has_argument('-std=c++2b')
+  add_global_arguments('-std=c++2b', language: 'cpp')
+else
+  error('Could not configure current C++ compiler (' + cpp_compiler.get_id() + ' ' + cpp_compiler.version() + ') with required C++ standard (C++23)')
+endif
+
+hyprland_headers = dependency('hyprland')
+
+subdir('src')
diff --git a/src/VERSION b/src/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ae39fab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+v0.0.0
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index a46a4d7..d729cc9 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #define WLR_USE_UNSTABLE
 
 #include "globals.hpp"
+// version.hpp will be generated by meson
+#include "version.hpp"
 
 #include <hyprland/src/Window.hpp>
 #include <hyprland/src/Compositor.hpp>
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..901dedc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+subdir('gestures')
+
+configure_file(
+  input: 'version.hpp.in',
+  output: 'version.hpp',
+  configuration: {
+    'PLUGIN_VERSION': meson.project_version()
+  }
+)
+
+shared_module('example',
+  'main.cpp',
+  cpp_args: ['-DWLR_USE_UNSTABLE'],
+  link_with: [gestures],
+  # sometimes you need to add other hyprland dependencies yourself
+  dependencies: [
+    dependency('pixman-1'),
+    dependency('libinput'),
+    dependency('wayland-server'),
+    dependency('xkbcommon'),
+    dependency('libdrm'),
+    hyprland_headers
+  ],
+  install: true)
diff --git a/src/version.hpp.in b/src/version.hpp.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39fc5b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/version.hpp.in
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+// "@PLUGIN_VERSION@" will be replaced with the actual version via meson
+#define PLUGIN_VERSION "@PLUGIN_VERSION@"