diff --git a/dashboards/operator.json b/dashboards/operator.json
index 089edfcd14..dddb61d11d 100644
--- a/dashboards/operator.json
+++ b/dashboards/operator.json
@@ -91,8 +91,26 @@
       "type": "row"
     },
     {
+      "datasource": {
+        "type": "prometheus",
+        "uid": "$ds"
+      },
       "fieldConfig": {
-        "defaults": {},
+        "defaults": {
+          "color": {
+            "mode": "thresholds"
+          },
+          "mappings": [],
+          "thresholds": {
+            "mode": "absolute",
+            "steps": [
+              {
+                "color": "green",
+                "value": 0
+              }
+            ]
+          }
+        },
         "overrides": []
       },
       "gridPos": {
@@ -103,17 +121,42 @@
       },
       "id": 24,
       "options": {
-        "code": {
-          "language": "plaintext",
-          "showLineNumbers": false,
-          "showMiniMap": false
+        "colorMode": "value",
+        "graphMode": "none",
+        "justifyMode": "auto",
+        "orientation": "auto",
+        "percentChangeColorMode": "standard",
+        "reduceOptions": {
+          "calcs": [
+            "lastNotNull"
+          ],
+          "fields": "/^short_version$/",
+          "values": false
         },
-        "content": "<div style=\"text-align: center;\">$version</div>",
-        "mode": "markdown"
+        "showPercentChange": false,
+        "textMode": "value",
+        "wideLayout": true
       },
       "pluginVersion": "12.3.0",
+      "targets": [
+        {
+          "datasource": {
+            "type": "prometheus",
+            "uid": "$ds"
+          },
+          "editorMode": "code",
+          "exemplar": false,
+          "expr": "vm_app_version{job=~\"$job\",instance=~\"$instance\"}",
+          "format": "table",
+          "instant": true,
+          "interval": "",
+          "legendFormat": "{{short_version}}",
+          "range": false,
+          "refId": "A"
+        }
+      ],
       "title": "Version",
-      "type": "text"
+      "type": "stat"
     },
     {
       "datasource": {
diff --git a/dashboards/vm/operator.json b/dashboards/vm/operator.json
index 0fed20ecfb..b61332d6d4 100644
--- a/dashboards/vm/operator.json
+++ b/dashboards/vm/operator.json
@@ -92,29 +92,72 @@
       "type": "row"
     },
     {
+      "datasource": {
+        "type": "victoriametrics-metrics-datasource",
+        "uid": "$ds"
+      },
       "fieldConfig": {
-        "defaults": {},
+        "defaults": {
+          "color": {
+            "mode": "thresholds"
+          },
+          "mappings": [],
+          "thresholds": {
+            "mode": "absolute",
+            "steps": [
+              {
+                "color": "green",
+                "value": 0
+              }
+            ]
+          }
+        },
         "overrides": []
       },
       "gridPos": {
-        "h": 3,
+        "h": 4,
         "w": 4,
         "x": 0,
         "y": 1
       },
       "id": 24,
       "options": {
-        "code": {
-          "language": "plaintext",
-          "showLineNumbers": false,
-          "showMiniMap": false
+        "colorMode": "value",
+        "graphMode": "none",
+        "justifyMode": "auto",
+        "orientation": "auto",
+        "percentChangeColorMode": "standard",
+        "reduceOptions": {
+          "calcs": [
+            "lastNotNull"
+          ],
+          "fields": "/^short_version$/",
+          "values": false
         },
-        "content": "<div style=\"text-align: center;\">$version</div>",
-        "mode": "markdown"
+        "showPercentChange": false,
+        "textMode": "value",
+        "wideLayout": true
       },
       "pluginVersion": "12.3.0",
+      "targets": [
+        {
+          "datasource": {
+            "type": "victoriametrics-metrics-datasource",
+            "uid": "$ds"
+          },
+          "editorMode": "code",
+          "exemplar": false,
+          "expr": "vm_app_version{job=~\"$job\",instance=~\"$instance\"}",
+          "format": "table",
+          "instant": true,
+          "interval": "",
+          "legendFormat": "{{short_version}}",
+          "range": false,
+          "refId": "A"
+        }
+      ],
       "title": "Version",
-      "type": "text"
+      "type": "stat"
     },
     {
       "datasource": {
diff --git a/docs/victoriametrics/changelog/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/victoriametrics/changelog/CHANGELOG.md
index 5f5ebf07b9..2219fccd18 100644
--- a/docs/victoriametrics/changelog/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/victoriametrics/changelog/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -31,11 +31,13 @@ See also [LTS releases](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/lts-rel
 * FEATURE: all VictoriaMetrics components: expose `process_cpu_seconds_total`, `process_resident_memory_bytes`, and other process-level metrics when running on macOS. See [metrics#75](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/metrics/issues/75).
 * FEATURE: [dashboards/vmauth](https://grafana.com/grafana/dashboards/21394): add `Request body buffering duration` panel to the `Troubleshooting` section. This panel shows the time spent buffering incoming client request bodies, helping identify slow client uploads and potential concurrency issues. The panel is only available when `-requestBufferSize` is non-zero. See [#10309](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/10309).
 * FEATURE: [vmagent](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/vmagent/), [vmsingle](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/single-server-victoriametrics/), `vminsert` and `vmstorage` in [VictoriaMetrics cluster](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/cluster-victoriametrics/): enable [ingestion](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/vmagent/#metric-metadata) and in-memory [storage](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/single-server-victoriametrics/#metrics-metadata) of metrics metadata by default. Metadata ingestion can be disabled with `-enableMetadata=false`. See [#2974](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/2974).
+* FEATURE: [dashboards/operator](https://grafana.com/grafana/dashboards/17869): extract operator version from metrics instead of hardcoded value
 
 * BUGFIX: [vmsingle](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/single-server-victoriametrics/) and `vmstorage` in [VictoriaMetrics cluster](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/cluster-victoriametrics/): prevent panic `error parsing regexp: expression nests too deeply` triggered by large repetition ranges in regex, for example `{"__name__"=~"a{0,1000}"}`. See [VictoriaLogs#1112](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaLogs/issues/1112).
 * BUGFIX: [vmui](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/single-server-victoriametrics/#vmui): fix escaping for label names with special characters. See [#10485](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/10485).
 * BUGFIX: `vmstorage` in [VictoriaMetrics cluster](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/cluster-victoriametrics/): properly search tenants for [multitenant](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/cluster-victoriametrics/#multitenancy) query request. See [#10422](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/10422).
 
+
 ## [v1.136.0](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/releases/tag/v1.136.0)
 
 Released at 2026-02-13