diff --git a/bootstrap/kubeadm/main.go b/bootstrap/kubeadm/main.go
index 97a0a1416ebe..2ce8fc71df6a 100644
--- a/bootstrap/kubeadm/main.go
+++ b/bootstrap/kubeadm/main.go
@@ -195,26 +195,27 @@ func InitFlags(fs *pflag.FlagSet) {
 // +kubebuilder:rbac:groups=bootstrap.cluster.x-k8s.io,resources=kubeadmconfigtemplates,verbs=get;list;watch;patch;update
 
 func main() {
-	setupLog.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Version: %+v", version.Get().String()))
-
 	InitFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
 	pflag.CommandLine.SetNormalizeFunc(cliflag.WordSepNormalizeFunc)
 	pflag.CommandLine.AddGoFlagSet(flag.CommandLine)
 	// Set log level 2 as default.
 	if err := pflag.CommandLine.Set("v", "2"); err != nil {
-		setupLog.Error(err, "failed to set default log level")
+		fmt.Printf("Failed to set default log level: %v\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	pflag.Parse()
 
 	if err := logsv1.ValidateAndApply(logOptions, nil); err != nil {
-		setupLog.Error(err, "unable to start manager")
+		fmt.Printf("Unable to start manager: %v\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
 	// klog.Background will automatically use the right logger.
 	ctrl.SetLogger(klog.Background())
 
+	// Note: setupLog can only be used after ctrl.SetLogger was called
+	setupLog.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Version: %s (git commit: %s)", version.Get().String(), version.Get().GitCommit))
+
 	restConfig := ctrl.GetConfigOrDie()
 	restConfig.QPS = restConfigQPS
 	restConfig.Burst = restConfigBurst
diff --git a/controlplane/kubeadm/main.go b/controlplane/kubeadm/main.go
index 4ce0bd54e1fd..2d6c992f2667 100644
--- a/controlplane/kubeadm/main.go
+++ b/controlplane/kubeadm/main.go
@@ -211,26 +211,27 @@ func InitFlags(fs *pflag.FlagSet) {
 // +kubebuilder:rbac:groups=apiextensions.k8s.io,resources=customresourcedefinitions;customresourcedefinitions/status,verbs=update;patch,resourceNames=kubeadmcontrolplanes.controlplane.cluster.x-k8s.io;kubeadmcontrolplanetemplates.controlplane.cluster.x-k8s.io
 
 func main() {
-	setupLog.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Version: %+v", version.Get().String()))
-
 	InitFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
 	pflag.CommandLine.SetNormalizeFunc(cliflag.WordSepNormalizeFunc)
 	pflag.CommandLine.AddGoFlagSet(flag.CommandLine)
 	// Set log level 2 as default.
 	if err := pflag.CommandLine.Set("v", "2"); err != nil {
-		setupLog.Error(err, "failed to set default log level")
+		fmt.Printf("Failed to set default log level: %v\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	pflag.Parse()
 
 	if err := logsv1.ValidateAndApply(logOptions, nil); err != nil {
-		setupLog.Error(err, "unable to start manager")
+		fmt.Printf("Unable to start manager: %v\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
 	// klog.Background will automatically use the right logger.
 	ctrl.SetLogger(klog.Background())
 
+	// Note: setupLog can only be used after ctrl.SetLogger was called
+	setupLog.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Version: %s (git commit: %s)", version.Get().String(), version.Get().GitCommit))
+
 	restConfig := ctrl.GetConfigOrDie()
 	restConfig.QPS = restConfigQPS
 	restConfig.Burst = restConfigBurst
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index f1d831201c1a..99a67fa50fe3 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -298,26 +298,27 @@ func InitFlags(fs *pflag.FlagSet) {
 // +kubebuilder:rbac:groups=cluster.x-k8s.io,resources=machinedrainrules,verbs=get;list;watch;patch;update
 
 func main() {
-	setupLog.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Version: %+v", version.Get().String()))
-
 	InitFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
 	pflag.CommandLine.SetNormalizeFunc(cliflag.WordSepNormalizeFunc)
 	pflag.CommandLine.AddGoFlagSet(flag.CommandLine)
 	// Set log level 2 as default.
 	if err := pflag.CommandLine.Set("v", "2"); err != nil {
-		setupLog.Error(err, "Failed to set default log level")
+		fmt.Printf("Failed to set default log level: %v\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	pflag.Parse()
 
 	if err := logsv1.ValidateAndApply(logOptions, nil); err != nil {
-		setupLog.Error(err, "Unable to start manager")
+		fmt.Printf("Unable to start manager: %v\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
 	// klog.Background will automatically use the right logger.
 	ctrl.SetLogger(klog.Background())
 
+	// Note: setupLog can only be used after ctrl.SetLogger was called
+	setupLog.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Version: %s (git commit: %s)", version.Get().String(), version.Get().GitCommit))
+
 	restConfig := ctrl.GetConfigOrDie()
 	restConfig.QPS = restConfigQPS
 	restConfig.Burst = restConfigBurst
diff --git a/test/extension/main.go b/test/extension/main.go
index 522e982b2e9f..5507252f73c2 100644
--- a/test/extension/main.go
+++ b/test/extension/main.go
@@ -162,15 +162,12 @@ func InitFlags(fs *pflag.FlagSet) {
 // +kubebuilder:rbac:groups=authorization.k8s.io,resources=subjectaccessreviews,verbs=create
 
 func main() {
-	setupLog.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Version: %+v", version.Get().String()))
-
-	// Initialize and parse command line flags.
 	InitFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
 	pflag.CommandLine.SetNormalizeFunc(cliflag.WordSepNormalizeFunc)
 	pflag.CommandLine.AddGoFlagSet(flag.CommandLine)
 	// Set log level 2 as default.
 	if err := pflag.CommandLine.Set("v", "2"); err != nil {
-		setupLog.Error(err, "Failed to set default log level")
+		fmt.Printf("Failed to set default log level: %v\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	pflag.Parse()
@@ -179,7 +176,7 @@ func main() {
 	// so klog will automatically use the right logger.
 	// NOTE: klog is the log of choice of component-base machinery.
 	if err := logsv1.ValidateAndApply(logOptions, nil); err != nil {
-		setupLog.Error(err, "Unable to start extension")
+		fmt.Printf("Unable to start manager: %v\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
@@ -189,6 +186,9 @@ func main() {
 	// requiring an addition log parameter in all the functions).
 	ctrl.SetLogger(klog.Background())
 
+	// Note: setupLog can only be used after ctrl.SetLogger was called
+	setupLog.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Version: %s (git commit: %s)", version.Get().String(), version.Get().GitCommit))
+
 	restConfig := ctrl.GetConfigOrDie()
 	restConfig.QPS = restConfigQPS
 	restConfig.Burst = restConfigBurst
diff --git a/test/infrastructure/docker/main.go b/test/infrastructure/docker/main.go
index cdf00d9c8172..25850844d366 100644
--- a/test/infrastructure/docker/main.go
+++ b/test/infrastructure/docker/main.go
@@ -210,8 +210,6 @@ func InitFlags(fs *pflag.FlagSet) {
 // +kubebuilder:rbac:groups=infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io,resources=devclustertemplates;devmachinetemplates,verbs=get;list;watch;patch;update
 
 func main() {
-	setupLog.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Version: %+v", version.Get().String()))
-
 	if _, err := os.ReadDir("/tmp/"); err != nil {
 		setupLog.Error(err, "Unable to start manager")
 		os.Exit(1)
@@ -222,19 +220,22 @@ func main() {
 	pflag.CommandLine.AddGoFlagSet(flag.CommandLine)
 	// Set log level 2 as default.
 	if err := pflag.CommandLine.Set("v", "2"); err != nil {
-		setupLog.Error(err, "Failed to set default log level")
+		fmt.Printf("Failed to set default log level: %v\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	pflag.Parse()
 
 	if err := logsv1.ValidateAndApply(logOptions, nil); err != nil {
-		setupLog.Error(err, "Unable to start manager")
+		fmt.Printf("Unable to start manager: %v\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
 	// klog.Background will automatically use the right logger.
 	ctrl.SetLogger(klog.Background())
 
+	// Note: setupLog can only be used after ctrl.SetLogger was called
+	setupLog.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Version: %s (git commit: %s)", version.Get().String(), version.Get().GitCommit))
+
 	restConfig := ctrl.GetConfigOrDie()
 	restConfig.QPS = restConfigQPS
 	restConfig.Burst = restConfigBurst