diff --git a/_build/deploy-phpdoc-branch.sh b/_build/deploy-phpdoc-branch.sh
index fd4eaba..b3238a0 100755
--- a/_build/deploy-phpdoc-branch.sh
+++ b/_build/deploy-phpdoc-branch.sh
@@ -33,8 +33,13 @@ generate-phpdoc.sh \
     "Pico 1.0 API Documentation ($TRAVIS_BRANCH branch)"
 [ $? -eq 0 ] || exit 1
 
-# deploy phpDocs
-deploy-phpdoc.sh \
-    "Update phpDocumentor class docs for $TRAVIS_BRANCH branch @ $TRAVIS_COMMIT" \
-    "$TRAVIS_REPO_SLUG" "heads/$TRAVIS_BRANCH" "$TRAVIS_COMMIT"
+# commit phpDocs
+git add "$PHPDOC_GIT_DIR/phpDoc/$PHPDOC_ID"
+git commit \
+    --message="Update phpDocumentor class docs for $TRAVIS_BRANCH branch @ $TRAVIS_COMMIT" \
+    "$PHPDOC_GIT_DIR/phpDoc/$PHPDOC_ID"
+[ $? -eq 0 ] || exit 1
+
+# deploy phpDocs
+github-deploy.sh "$TRAVIS_REPO_SLUG" "heads/$TRAVIS_BRANCH" "$TRAVIS_COMMIT"
 [ $? -eq 0 ] || exit 1
diff --git a/_build/deploy-phpdoc-release.sh b/_build/deploy-phpdoc-release.sh
index e613808..1f7b8c5 100755
--- a/_build/deploy-phpdoc-release.sh
+++ b/_build/deploy-phpdoc-release.sh
@@ -3,25 +3,41 @@
 [ "$DEPLOY_PHPDOC_RELEASES" == "true" ] || exit
 
 PHPDOC_ID="${TRAVIS_BRANCH//\//_}"
-PHPDOC_GIT_DIR="$TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR/_build/phpdoc-$PHPDOC_ID.git"
+GIT_DIR="$TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR/_build/phpdoc-$PHPDOC_ID.git"
 
 # clone repo
 echo "Cloning repo..."
-git clone --branch="gh-pages" "https://github.com/$TRAVIS_REPO_SLUG.git" "$PHPDOC_GIT_DIR"
+git clone --branch="gh-pages" "https://github.com/$TRAVIS_REPO_SLUG.git" "$GIT_DIR"
 [ $? -eq 0 ] || exit 1
 
-cd "$PHPDOC_GIT_DIR"
+cd "$GIT_DIR"
 echo
 
 # generate phpDocs
 generate-phpdoc.sh \
     "$TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR/.phpdoc.xml" \
-    "-" "$PHPDOC_GIT_DIR/phpDoc/$PHPDOC_ID" \
+    "-" "$GIT_DIR/phpDoc/$PHPDOC_ID" \
     "Pico 1.0 API Documentation ($TRAVIS_TAG)"
 [ $? -eq 0 ] || exit 1
 
-# deploy phpDocs
-deploy-phpdoc.sh \
-    "Update phpDocumentor class docs for $TRAVIS_TAG" \
-    "$TRAVIS_REPO_SLUG" "tags/$TRAVIS_TAG" "$TRAVIS_COMMIT"
+# commit phpDocs
+git add "$GIT_DIR/phpDoc/$PHPDOC_ID"
+git commit \
+    --message="Update phpDocumentor class docs for $TRAVIS_TAG" \
+    "$GIT_DIR/phpDoc/$PHPDOC_ID"
+[ $? -eq 0 ] || exit 1
+
+# update version badge
+gnerate-badge.sh \
+    "$GIT_DIR/badges/pico-version.svg" \
+    "release" "v$TRAVIS_TAG" "blue"
+
+# commit version badge
+git add "$GIT_DIR/badges/pico-version.svg"
+git commit \
+    --message="Update version badge for $TRAVIS_TAG" \
+    "$GIT_DIR/badges/pico-version.svg"
+
+# deploy
+github-deploy.sh "$TRAVIS_REPO_SLUG" "tags/$TRAVIS_TAG" "$TRAVIS_COMMIT"
 [ $? -eq 0 ] || exit 1
diff --git a/_build/generate-badge.sh b/_build/generate-badge.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e478242
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_build/generate-badge.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+##
+# Downloads a custom badge from shields.io
+#
+# All credit goes to the awesome guys at shields.io!
+#
+# @see     http://shields.io/
+#
+# @author  Daniel Rudolf
+# @link    http://picocms.org
+# @license http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
+#
+
+set -e
+
+# parameters
+BADGE_FILE_PATH="$1"
+BADGE_SUBJECT="$2"
+BADGE_STATUS="$3"
+BADGE_COLOR="$4"
+
+# print parameters
+echo "Generating badge..."
+printf 'BADGE_FILE_PATH="%s"\n' "$BADGE_FILE_PATH"
+printf 'BADGE_SUBJECT="%s"\n' "$BADGE_SUBJECT"
+printf 'BADGE_STATUS="%s"\n' "$BADGE_STATUS"
+printf 'BADGE_COLOR="%s"\n' "$BADGE_COLOR"
+echo
+
+# download badge from shields.io
+printf 'Downloading badge...\n'
+TMP_BADGE="$(mktemp -u)"
+
+wget -O "$TMP_BADGE" \
+    "https://img.shields.io/badge/$BADGE_SUBJECT-$BADGE_STATUS-$BADGE_COLOR.svg"
+
+# validate badge
+if [ ! -f "$TMP_BADGE" ]; then
+    echo "Unable to generate badge; aborting...\n" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# MIME type image/svg+xml isn't supported at the moment
+#
+#TMP_BADGE_MIME="$(file --mime-type "$TMP_BADGE" | cut -d ' ' -f 2)"
+#if [ "$TMP_BADGE_MIME" != "image/svg+xml" ]; then
+#    echo "Generated badge should be of type 'image/svg+xml', '$TMP_BADGE_MIME' given; aborting...\n" >&2
+#    exit 1
+#fi
+
+# deploy badge
+mv "$TMP_BADGE" "$BADGE_FILE_PATH"
+
+echo
diff --git a/_build/deploy-phpdoc.sh b/_build/github-deploy.sh
similarity index 83%
rename from _build/deploy-phpdoc.sh
rename to _build/github-deploy.sh
index dea8366..9d4e08b 100755
--- a/_build/deploy-phpdoc.sh
+++ b/_build/github-deploy.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 ##
-# Deploys phpDoc class documentation
+# Pushes commits to a GitHub repo
 #
 # @author  Daniel Rudolf
 # @link    http://picocms.org
@@ -14,22 +14,26 @@ set -e
 # GITHUB_OAUTH_TOKEN    GitHub authentication token, see https://github.com/settings/tokens
 
 # parameters
-COMMIT_MESSAGE="$1"         # commit message
-CHECK_REPO_SLUG="$2"        # optional GitHub repo (e.g. picocms/Pico) to check
+CHECK_REPO_SLUG="$1"        # optional GitHub repo (e.g. picocms/Pico) to check
                             # its latest commit as basic race condition protection
-CHECK_REMOTE_REF="$3"       # optional remote Git reference (e.g. heads/master)
-CHECK_LOCAL_COMMIT="$4"     # optional local commit SHA1
+CHECK_REMOTE_REF="$2"       # optional remote Git reference (e.g. heads/master)
+CHECK_LOCAL_COMMIT="$3"     # optional local commit SHA1
 
 # print parameters
-echo "Deploying phpDocs..."
-printf 'COMMIT_MESSAGE="%s"\n' "$COMMIT_MESSAGE"
+echo "Deploying repo..."
 printf 'CHECK_REPO_SLUG="%s"\n' "$CHECK_REPO_SLUG"
 printf 'CHECK_REMOTE_REF="%s"\n' "$CHECK_REMOTE_REF"
 printf 'CHECK_LOCAL_COMMIT="%s"\n' "$CHECK_LOCAL_COMMIT"
 echo
 
+# check for git repo
+if ! git rev-parse --git-dir > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    printf 'Not a git repo; aborting...\n\n'
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 # check for changes
-if [ -z "$(git status --porcelain)" ]; then
+if [ -z "$(git log --oneline '@{upstream}..')" ]; then
     printf 'Nothing to deploy; skipping...\n\n'
     exit 0
 fi
@@ -45,11 +49,6 @@ if [ -n "$GITHUB_OAUTH_TOKEN" ]; then
     (umask 077 && echo "https://GitHub:$GITHUB_OAUTH_TOKEN@github.com" > .git/credentials)
 fi
 
-# commit changes
-printf '\nCommiting changes...\n'
-git add --all
-git commit --message="$COMMIT_MESSAGE"
-
 # race condition protection for concurrent Travis builds
 # this is no definite protection (race conditions are still possible during `git push`),
 # but it should give a basic protection without disabling concurrent builds completely
@@ -84,6 +83,8 @@ fi
 
 # push changes
 printf '\nPushing changes...\n'
-git push origin
+git push
+EXIT_CODE=$?
 
 echo
+exit $EXIT_CODE