diff --git a/src/common/assembly_graph/paths/bidirectional_path_io/bidirectional_path_output.cpp b/src/common/assembly_graph/paths/bidirectional_path_io/bidirectional_path_output.cpp
index 7d790bb32..b2d365761 100644
--- a/src/common/assembly_graph/paths/bidirectional_path_io/bidirectional_path_output.cpp
+++ b/src/common/assembly_graph/paths/bidirectional_path_io/bidirectional_path_output.cpp
@@ -142,6 +142,15 @@ void GFAPathWriter::WritePaths12(const std::vector<EdgeId> &edges,
     os_ << '\n';
 }
 
+void GFAPathWriter::WriteHeader() {
+    os_ << "H\t"
+        << "VN:Z:" << (version_ == Version::GFAv11 ? "1.1" : "1.2") << '\t'
+        << "sp:Z:" << version::flavour() << '-' << version::package() << '\t'
+        << "sg:Z:" << version::gitrev() << '\t'
+        << "sr:Z:" << version::refspec() << '\n';
+}
+
+
 void GFAPathWriter::WritePaths(const std::vector<EdgeId> &edges,
                                const std::string &name,
                                const std::string &flags) {
diff --git a/src/common/assembly_graph/paths/bidirectional_path_io/bidirectional_path_output.hpp b/src/common/assembly_graph/paths/bidirectional_path_io/bidirectional_path_output.hpp
index 72403533a..384b12088 100644
--- a/src/common/assembly_graph/paths/bidirectional_path_io/bidirectional_path_output.hpp
+++ b/src/common/assembly_graph/paths/bidirectional_path_io/bidirectional_path_output.hpp
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ class GFAPathWriter : public gfa::GFAWriter {
     using JumpLinks = std::unordered_set<std::pair<EdgeId, EdgeId>>;
     void WriteJumpLinks(const JumpLinks &links);
 
+protected:
+    void WriteHeader() override;
+
 public:
     enum class Version {
         GFAv11, // Split gapped paths into segments
diff --git a/src/common/io/graph/gfa_writer.cpp b/src/common/io/graph/gfa_writer.cpp
index 628f952f0..f16557182 100644
--- a/src/common/io/graph/gfa_writer.cpp
+++ b/src/common/io/graph/gfa_writer.cpp
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ void GFAWriter::WriteLinks(const Component &gc) {
 }
 
 void GFAWriter::WriteSegmentsAndLinks(const Component &gc) {
+    WriteHeader();
     WriteSegments(gc);
     WriteLinks(gc);
 }
@@ -109,3 +110,9 @@ void GFAWriter::WriteVertexLinks(const VertexId &vertex, const Component &gc) {
     }
 }
 
+void GFAWriter::WriteHeader() {
+    os_ << "H\t"
+        << "sp:Z:" << version::flavour() << '-' << version::package() << '\t'
+        << "sg:Z:" << version::gitrev() << '\t'
+        << "sr:Z:" << version::refspec() << '\n';
+}
diff --git a/src/common/io/graph/gfa_writer.hpp b/src/common/io/graph/gfa_writer.hpp
index 6b3edaf5b..98f1d709d 100644
--- a/src/common/io/graph/gfa_writer.hpp
+++ b/src/common/io/graph/gfa_writer.hpp
@@ -10,17 +10,13 @@
 #include "assembly_graph/components/graph_component.hpp"
 #include "assembly_graph/core/graph.hpp"
 #include "io/utils/edge_namer.hpp"
-#include "io/utils/id_mapper.hpp"
 
-#include <memory>
-#include <string>
 #include <ostream>
 
 namespace omnigraph {
 
 template <class Graph>
 class GraphComponent;
-
 }
 
 namespace gfa {
@@ -36,15 +32,20 @@ class GFAWriter {
               io::EdgeNamingF<Graph> naming_f = io::IdNamingF<Graph>())
             : graph_(graph),
               edge_namer_(graph_, naming_f),
-              os_(os) {
-    }
+              os_(os) {}
+
+    virtual ~GFAWriter() = default;
 
     void WriteSegmentsAndLinks() {
+        WriteHeader();
         WriteSegments();
         WriteLinks();
     }
     void WriteSegmentsAndLinks(const Component &gc);
 
+  protected:
+    virtual void WriteHeader();
+
   private:
     void WriteSegments();
     void WriteLinks();
@@ -62,4 +63,3 @@ class GFAWriter {
 };
 
 }
-
diff --git a/src/include/version.hpp b/src/include/version.hpp
index 775770d0d..49f16a228 100644
--- a/src/include/version.hpp
+++ b/src/include/version.hpp
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
 //***************************************************************************
 
 namespace version {
+const char *major();
+const char *minor();
+const char *patch();
+const char *package();
+const char *flavour();
 const char *refspec();
 const char *gitrev();
 };