diff --git a/cmd/admin-revoker/main.go b/cmd/admin-revoker/main.go
index 56692bdd3..a76473217 100644
--- a/cmd/admin-revoker/main.go
+++ b/cmd/admin-revoker/main.go
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ import (
 	sapb "github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/sa/proto"
 )
 
-const clientName = "AdminRevoker"
-
 const usageString = `
 usage:
 admin-revoker serial-revoke --config <path> <serial> <reason-code>
diff --git a/cmd/boulder-ca/main.go b/cmd/boulder-ca/main.go
index 5784b7282..f86176f6f 100644
--- a/cmd/boulder-ca/main.go
+++ b/cmd/boulder-ca/main.go
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@ import (
 	sapb "github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/sa/proto"
 )
 
-const clientName = "CA"
-
 type config struct {
 	CA cmd.CAConfig
 
@@ -139,7 +137,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	scope, logger := cmd.StatsAndLogging(c.Syslog)
 	defer logger.AuditPanic()
-	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString(clientName))
+	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString())
 
 	cmd.FailOnError(c.PA.CheckChallenges(), "Invalid PA configuration")
 
diff --git a/cmd/boulder-publisher/main.go b/cmd/boulder-publisher/main.go
index 7b1ea1bb7..cce9b8755 100644
--- a/cmd/boulder-publisher/main.go
+++ b/cmd/boulder-publisher/main.go
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ import (
 	sapb "github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/sa/proto"
 )
 
-const clientName = "Publisher"
-
 type config struct {
 	Publisher struct {
 		cmd.ServiceConfig
@@ -53,7 +51,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	scope, logger := cmd.StatsAndLogging(c.Syslog)
 	defer logger.AuditPanic()
-	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString(clientName))
+	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString())
 
 	logs := make([]*publisher.Log, len(c.Common.CT.Logs))
 	for i, ld := range c.Common.CT.Logs {
diff --git a/cmd/boulder-ra/main.go b/cmd/boulder-ra/main.go
index 137f0bf18..e6195e9ba 100644
--- a/cmd/boulder-ra/main.go
+++ b/cmd/boulder-ra/main.go
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ import (
 	sapb "github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/sa/proto"
 )
 
-const clientName = "RA"
-
 type config struct {
 	RA struct {
 		cmd.ServiceConfig
@@ -105,7 +103,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	scope, logger := cmd.StatsAndLogging(c.Syslog)
 	defer logger.AuditPanic()
-	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString(clientName))
+	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString())
 
 	// Validate PA config and set defaults if needed
 	cmd.FailOnError(c.PA.CheckChallenges(), "Invalid PA configuration")
diff --git a/cmd/boulder-sa/main.go b/cmd/boulder-sa/main.go
index ec0292678..11656ba0d 100644
--- a/cmd/boulder-sa/main.go
+++ b/cmd/boulder-sa/main.go
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ import (
 	sapb "github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/sa/proto"
 )
 
-const clientName = "SA"
-
 type config struct {
 	SA struct {
 		cmd.ServiceConfig
@@ -45,7 +43,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	scope, logger := cmd.StatsAndLogging(c.Syslog)
 	defer logger.AuditPanic()
-	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString(clientName))
+	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString())
 
 	saConf := c.SA
 
diff --git a/cmd/boulder-va/main.go b/cmd/boulder-va/main.go
index e9daf7468..7bae1b744 100644
--- a/cmd/boulder-va/main.go
+++ b/cmd/boulder-va/main.go
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/va"
 )
 
-const clientName = "VA"
-
 type config struct {
 	VA struct {
 		cmd.ServiceConfig
@@ -71,7 +69,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	scope, logger := cmd.StatsAndLogging(c.Syslog)
 	defer logger.AuditPanic()
-	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString(clientName))
+	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString())
 
 	pc := &cmd.PortConfig{
 		HTTPPort:  80,
diff --git a/cmd/boulder-wfe/main.go b/cmd/boulder-wfe/main.go
index 6af3e93de..347a6ec54 100644
--- a/cmd/boulder-wfe/main.go
+++ b/cmd/boulder-wfe/main.go
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/wfe"
 )
 
-const clientName = "WFE"
-
 type config struct {
 	WFE struct {
 		cmd.ServiceConfig
@@ -103,7 +101,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	scope, logger := cmd.StatsAndLogging(c.Syslog)
 	defer logger.AuditPanic()
-	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString(clientName))
+	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString())
 
 	kp, err := goodkey.NewKeyPolicy("") // don't load any weak keys
 	cmd.FailOnError(err, "Unable to create key policy")
diff --git a/cmd/boulder-wfe2/main.go b/cmd/boulder-wfe2/main.go
index 5e6059088..433f2cfb7 100644
--- a/cmd/boulder-wfe2/main.go
+++ b/cmd/boulder-wfe2/main.go
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/wfe2"
 )
 
-const clientName = "WFE2"
-
 type config struct {
 	WFE struct {
 		cmd.ServiceConfig
@@ -103,7 +101,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	scope, logger := cmd.StatsAndLogging(c.Syslog)
 	defer logger.AuditPanic()
-	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString(clientName))
+	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString())
 
 	kp, err := goodkey.NewKeyPolicy("") // don't load any weak keys
 	cmd.FailOnError(err, "Unable to create key policy")
diff --git a/cmd/expiration-mailer/main.go b/cmd/expiration-mailer/main.go
index aaa03f8e6..aa6719947 100644
--- a/cmd/expiration-mailer/main.go
+++ b/cmd/expiration-mailer/main.go
@@ -356,8 +356,6 @@ func (ds durationSlice) Swap(a, b int) {
 	ds[a], ds[b] = ds[b], ds[a]
 }
 
-const clientName = "ExpirationMailer"
-
 type config struct {
 	Mailer struct {
 		cmd.ServiceConfig
@@ -409,7 +407,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	scope, logger := cmd.StatsAndLogging(c.Syslog)
 	defer logger.AuditPanic()
-	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString(clientName))
+	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString())
 
 	if *certLimit > 0 {
 		c.Mailer.CertLimit = *certLimit
diff --git a/cmd/expired-authz-purger/main.go b/cmd/expired-authz-purger/main.go
index c20750a95..0350ce5a0 100644
--- a/cmd/expired-authz-purger/main.go
+++ b/cmd/expired-authz-purger/main.go
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/letsencrypt/boulder/sa"
 )
 
-const clientName = "ExpiredAuthzPurger"
-
 type eapConfig struct {
 	ExpiredAuthzPurger struct {
 		cmd.DBConfig
@@ -151,7 +149,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Set up logging
 	scope, auditlogger := cmd.StatsAndLogging(config.ExpiredAuthzPurger.Syslog)
-	auditlogger.Info(cmd.VersionString(clientName))
+	auditlogger.Info(cmd.VersionString())
 
 	defer auditlogger.AuditPanic()
 
diff --git a/cmd/ocsp-responder/main.go b/cmd/ocsp-responder/main.go
index 55777c014..8744da83c 100644
--- a/cmd/ocsp-responder/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ocsp-responder/main.go
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ as generated by Boulder's single-ocsp command.
 
 	scope, logger := cmd.StatsAndLogging(c.Syslog)
 	defer logger.AuditPanic()
-	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString("ocsp-responder"))
+	logger.Info(cmd.VersionString())
 
 	config := c.OCSPResponder
 	var source cfocsp.Source
diff --git a/cmd/ocsp-updater/main.go b/cmd/ocsp-updater/main.go
index a3377fe7c..4103404bc 100644
--- a/cmd/ocsp-updater/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ocsp-updater/main.go
@@ -707,8 +707,6 @@ func newLog(logConfig cmd.LogDescription) (*ctLog, error) {
 	return &ctLog{logID: logID, key: logConfig.Key, uri: logConfig.URI}, nil
 }
 
-const clientName = "OCSP"
-
 type config struct {
 	OCSPUpdater cmd.OCSPUpdaterConfig
 
@@ -771,7 +769,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	scope, auditlogger := cmd.StatsAndLogging(c.Syslog)
 	defer auditlogger.AuditPanic()
-	auditlogger.Info(cmd.VersionString(clientName))
+	auditlogger.Info(cmd.VersionString())
 
 	// Configure DB
 	dbURL, err := conf.DBConfig.URL()
diff --git a/cmd/shell.go b/cmd/shell.go
index a2441eb0c..8e51b382d 100644
--- a/cmd/shell.go
+++ b/cmd/shell.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ import (
 func init() {
 	for _, v := range os.Args {
 		if v == "--version" || v == "-version" {
-			fmt.Println(VersionString(os.Args[0]))
+			fmt.Println(VersionString())
 			os.Exit(0)
 		}
 	}
@@ -251,7 +251,8 @@ func ReadConfigFile(filename string, out interface{}) error {
 }
 
 // VersionString produces a friendly Application version string.
-func VersionString(name string) string {
+func VersionString() string {
+	name := path.Base(os.Args[0])
 	return fmt.Sprintf("Versions: %s=(%s %s) Golang=(%s) BuildHost=(%s)", name, core.GetBuildID(), core.GetBuildTime(), runtime.Version(), core.GetBuildHost())
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/shell_test.go b/cmd/shell_test.go
index 93dd1e67b..8e062671f 100644
--- a/cmd/shell_test.go
+++ b/cmd/shell_test.go
@@ -126,8 +126,8 @@ func TestVersionString(t *testing.T) {
 	core.BuildTime = "RightNow!"
 	core.BuildHost = "Localhost"
 
-	versionStr := VersionString("test")
-	expected := fmt.Sprintf("Versions: test=(TestBuildID RightNow!) Golang=(%s) BuildHost=(Localhost)", runtime.Version())
+	versionStr := VersionString()
+	expected := fmt.Sprintf("Versions: cmd.test=(TestBuildID RightNow!) Golang=(%s) BuildHost=(Localhost)", runtime.Version())
 	test.AssertEquals(t, versionStr, expected)
 }