diff --git a/client/ui/loading_screen.gd b/client/ui/loading_screen.gd
index 059c34cfd..fad4e8222 100644
--- a/client/ui/loading_screen.gd
+++ b/client/ui/loading_screen.gd
@@ -2,12 +2,16 @@ extends Control
 ## #257: Loading screen overlay — blocks input during save/load round-trip.
 ## Shown when LOAD_GAME fires; hidden when save_result arrives (success or failure).
 ## Full-screen, dark overlay with centered status text.
+## #724: Shows client version (from project.yaml) and protocol version below the status text.
 
 const BG_COLOR := Color(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.75)
 const TEXT_COLOR := Color("#c8d0e0")
+const VERSION_COLOR := Color("#667788")
 const FONT_SIZE := 18
+const VERSION_FONT_SIZE := 11
 
 var _label: Label = null
+var _version_label: Label = null
 
 
 func _ready() -> void:
@@ -34,6 +38,39 @@ func _build_ui() -> void:
 	_label.mouse_filter = Control.MOUSE_FILTER_IGNORE
 	add_child(_label)
 
+	var client_ver := _read_client_version()
+	var proto_ver: int = Protocol.PROTOCOL_VERSION
+	_version_label = Label.new()
+	_version_label.text = "v%s  ·  protocol %d" % [client_ver, proto_ver]
+	_version_label.add_theme_font_size_override("font_size", VERSION_FONT_SIZE)
+	_version_label.add_theme_color_override("font_color", VERSION_COLOR)
+	_version_label.horizontal_alignment = HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_CENTER
+	_version_label.anchor_left = 0.0
+	_version_label.anchor_right = 1.0
+	_version_label.anchor_top = 1.0
+	_version_label.anchor_bottom = 1.0
+	_version_label.offset_top = -32.0
+	_version_label.offset_bottom = -8.0
+	_version_label.mouse_filter = Control.MOUSE_FILTER_IGNORE
+	add_child(_version_label)
+
+
+func _read_client_version() -> String:
+	var yaml_path := ProjectSettings.globalize_path("res://") + "/../project.yaml"
+	if not FileAccess.file_exists(yaml_path):
+		return "?.?.?"
+	var file := FileAccess.open(yaml_path, FileAccess.READ)
+	if file == null:
+		return "?.?.?"
+	var content := file.get_as_text()
+	file.close()
+	for line: String in content.split("\n"):
+		if line.begins_with("version:"):
+			var parts := line.split(":", false, 1)
+			if parts.size() >= 2:
+				return parts[1].strip_edges()
+	return "?.?.?"
+
 
 func show_loading() -> void:
 	visible = true