diff --git a/add-on/_locales/en/messages.json b/add-on/_locales/en/messages.json
index 8129f65ef..5d6169c02 100644
--- a/add-on/_locales/en/messages.json
+++ b/add-on/_locales/en/messages.json
@@ -35,13 +35,9 @@
     "message": "The URL of your local Kubo RPC",
     "description": "A label in Node status section of Browser Action pop-up (panel_statusApiAddressTitle)"
   },
-  "panel_statusGatewayVersion": {
-    "message": "version",
-    "description": "A label in Node status section of Browser Action pop-up (panel_statusGatewayVersion)"
-  },
-  "panel_statusGatewayVersionTitle": {
-    "message": "The version of IPFS your local node is using",
-    "description": "A label in Node status section of Browser Action pop-up (panel_statusGatewayVersionTitle)"
+  "panel_kuboRpcBackendVersionTitle": {
+    "message": "The version of IPFS backend this extension talks to over Kubo RPC API",
+    "description": "A label in Node status section of Browser Action pop-up (panel_kuboRpcBackendVersionTitle)"
   },
   "panel_statusSwarmPeers": {
     "message": "Peers",
@@ -260,7 +256,7 @@
     "description": "An option title on the Preferences screen (option_ipfsNodeConfig_title)"
   },
   "option_ipfsNodeType_external": {
-    "message": "External",
+    "message": "External (Kubo RPC)",
     "description": "An option on the Preferences screen (option_ipfsNodeType_external)"
   },
   "option_ipfsNodeType_brave": {
diff --git a/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-companion.js b/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-companion.js
index 480975b02..aca4e7d16 100644
--- a/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-companion.js
+++ b/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-companion.js
@@ -230,6 +230,21 @@ export default async function init (inQuickImport = false) {
     handler(message)
   }
 
+  async function fetchKuboRpcBackendVersion () {
+    // prefer AgentVersion string from 'ipfs id' , but if that fails, use 'ipfs version'
+    try {
+      const { agentVersion } = await ipfs.id()
+      if (agentVersion) {
+        return agentVersion
+      }
+      const { version, commit } = await ipfs.version()
+      if (version || commit) {
+        return [version, commit].filter(Boolean).join('/')
+      }
+    } catch (_) {}
+    return null
+  }
+
   async function sendStatusUpdateToBrowserAction () {
     if (!browserActionPort) return
     const currentTab = await browser.tabs.query({ active: true, currentWindow: true }).then(tabs => tabs[0])
@@ -250,14 +265,9 @@ export default async function init (inQuickImport = false) {
       newVersion: state.dismissedUpdate !== version ? version : null,
       currentTab
     }
-    try {
-      const v = await ipfs.version()
-      if (v) {
-        info.gatewayVersion = v.commit ? v.version + '/' + v.commit : v.version
-      }
-    } catch (error) {
-      info.gatewayVersion = null
-    }
+
+    info.kuboRpcBackendVersion = await fetchKuboRpcBackendVersion()
+
     if (state.active && info.currentTab) {
       const url = info.currentTab.url
       info.isIpfsContext = ipfsPathValidator.isIpfsPageActionsContext(url)
diff --git a/add-on/src/popup/browser-action/gateway-status.js b/add-on/src/popup/browser-action/gateway-status.js
index b877d27d7..c1ead02aa 100644
--- a/add-on/src/popup/browser-action/gateway-status.js
+++ b/add-on/src/popup/browser-action/gateway-status.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ function statusEntry ({ label, labelLegend, value, check, itemClass = '', valueC
 
 export default function gatewayStatus ({
   gatewayAddress,
-  gatewayVersion,
+  kuboRpcBackendVersion,
   ipfsApiUrl,
   swarmPeers
 }) {
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export default function gatewayStatus ({
       label: 'panel_statusApiAddress',
       labelLegend: 'panel_statusApiAddressTitle',
       value: api,
-      check: gatewayVersion
+      check: kuboRpcBackendVersion
     })}
     </ul>
   `
diff --git a/add-on/src/popup/browser-action/ipfs-version.js b/add-on/src/popup/browser-action/ipfs-version.js
index 7aa265e19..988352ba6 100644
--- a/add-on/src/popup/browser-action/ipfs-version.js
+++ b/add-on/src/popup/browser-action/ipfs-version.js
@@ -11,20 +11,19 @@ function statusEntry ({ label, labelLegend, title, value, check, valueClass = ''
   value = value || value === 0 ? value : offline
   return html`
       <div title="${labelLegend}" class="ma0 pa0" style="line-height: 0.25">
-        <span class="f7 tr monospace force-select-all ${valueClass}" title="${title}">${value.substring(0, 13)}</span>
+        <span class="f7 tr monospace force-select-all ${valueClass}" title="${title}">${value.substring(0, 20)}</span>
       </div>
     `
 }
 
 export default function ipfsVersion ({
-  gatewayVersion
+  kuboRpcBackendVersion
 }) {
   return html`
   ${statusEntry({
-    label: 'panel_statusGatewayVersion',
-    title: browser.i18n.getMessage('panel_statusGatewayVersionTitle'),
-    value: gatewayVersion,
-    check: gatewayVersion
+    title: browser.i18n.getMessage('panel_kuboRpcBackendVersionTitle'),
+    value: kuboRpcBackendVersion,
+    check: kuboRpcBackendVersion
   })}
   `
 }
diff --git a/add-on/src/popup/browser-action/store.js b/add-on/src/popup/browser-action/store.js
index c0ede3974..e87ac1aa8 100644
--- a/add-on/src/popup/browser-action/store.js
+++ b/add-on/src/popup/browser-action/store.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export default (state, emitter) => {
     publicSubdomainGatewayUrl: null,
     gatewayAddress: null,
     swarmPeers: null,
-    gatewayVersion: null,
+    kuboRpcBackendVersion: null,
     isApiAvailable: false,
     // isRedirectContext
     currentTab: null,
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ export default (state, emitter) => {
       if (!state.active) {
         state.gatewayAddress = state.pubGwURLString
         state.ipfsApiUrl = null
-        state.gatewayVersion = null
+        state.kuboRpcBackendVersion = null
         state.swarmPeers = null
         state.isIpfsOnline = false
       }
@@ -241,13 +241,13 @@ export default (state, emitter) => {
       state.isApiAvailable = state.active && !browser.extension.inIncognitoContext // https://github.com/ipfs-shipyard/ipfs-companion/issues/243
       state.swarmPeers = !state.active || status.peerCount === -1 ? null : status.peerCount
       state.isIpfsOnline = state.active && status.peerCount > -1
-      state.gatewayVersion = state.active && status.gatewayVersion ? status.gatewayVersion : null
+      state.kuboRpcBackendVersion = state.active && status.kuboRpcBackendVersion ? status.kuboRpcBackendVersion : null
       state.ipfsApiUrl = state.active ? status.apiURLString : null
     } else {
       state.ipfsNodeType = 'external'
       state.swarmPeers = null
       state.isIpfsOnline = false
-      state.gatewayVersion = null
+      state.kuboRpcBackendVersion = null
       state.isIpfsContext = false
       state.isRedirectContext = false
     }