diff --git a/web/packages/base/app.ts b/web/packages/base/app.ts
index 74b891a9c0..e330e41a83 100644
--- a/web/packages/base/app.ts
+++ b/web/packages/base/app.ts
@@ -62,8 +62,7 @@ export const staticAppTitle = {
 /**
  * Client "package names" for our app.
  *
- * The package name is used as the (a) "X-Client-Package" header in API
- * requests, and (b) as the identifier in inline user agent strings in payloads.
+ * The package name is used as the "X-Client-Package" header in API requests.
  *
  * In cases where this code works for both a web and a desktop app for the same
  * app (currently only photos), this will be the platform specific package name.
@@ -72,9 +71,7 @@ export const clientPackageName = (() => {
     if (isDesktop) {
         if (appName != "photos")
             throw new Error(`Unsupported desktop appName ${appName}`);
-        if (!desktopAppVersion)
-            throw new Error(`desktopAppVersion is not defined`);
-        return `io.ente.photos.desktop/${desktopAppVersion}`;
+        return "io.ente.photos.desktop";
     }
     return {
         accounts: "io.ente.accounts.web",
@@ -83,3 +80,23 @@ export const clientPackageName = (() => {
         photos: "io.ente.photos.web",
     }[appName];
 })();
+
+/**
+ * The client package name, augmented with the client version where applicable.
+ *
+ * This string is used as the "client identifier" in payloads (e.g. ML data
+ * generated by a client).
+ *
+ * For the desktop app, it will be client package name and version. Otherwise,
+ * it'll just be the same as {@link clientPackageName}.
+ */
+export const clientIdentifier = (() => {
+    if (isDesktop) {
+        if (appName != "photos")
+            throw new Error(`Unsupported desktop appName ${appName}`);
+        if (!desktopAppVersion)
+            throw new Error(`desktopAppVersion is not defined`);
+        return `io.ente.photos.desktop/${desktopAppVersion}`;
+    }
+    return clientPackageName;
+})();
diff --git a/web/packages/base/http.ts b/web/packages/base/http.ts
index 38bb447608..e21b6f97c6 100644
--- a/web/packages/base/http.ts
+++ b/web/packages/base/http.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { desktopAppVersion, isDesktop } from "ente-base/app";
 import { wait } from "ente-utils/promise";
 import { z } from "zod";
 import { clientPackageName } from "./app";
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ import log from "./log";
 export const authenticatedRequestHeaders = async () => ({
     "X-Auth-Token": await ensureAuthToken(),
     "X-Client-Package": clientPackageName,
+    ...(isDesktop ? { "X-Client-Version": desktopAppVersion } : {}),
 });
 
 /**
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@ export const authenticatedRequestHeaders = async () => ({
  */
 export const publicRequestHeaders = () => ({
     "X-Client-Package": clientPackageName,
+    ...(isDesktop ? { "X-Client-Version": desktopAppVersion } : {}),
 });
 
 /**
diff --git a/web/packages/base/next.config.base.js b/web/packages/base/next.config.base.js
index 5bb855f792..8afb699564 100644
--- a/web/packages/base/next.config.base.js
+++ b/web/packages/base/next.config.base.js
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ const isDesktop = process.env._ENTE_IS_DESKTOP ? "1" : "";
 
 /**
  * When we're running within the desktop app, also extract the version of the
- * desktop app for use in our "X-Client-Package" string.
+ * desktop app for use in our "X-Client-Version" string.
  *
  * > The web app has continuous deployments, and doesn't have versions.
  */
diff --git a/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/worker.ts b/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/worker.ts
index 7ddaeeb659..28ecbd09a8 100644
--- a/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/worker.ts
+++ b/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/worker.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { expose, wrap } from "comlink";
-import { clientPackageName } from "ente-base/app";
+import { clientIdentifier } from "ente-base/app";
 import { assertionFailed } from "ente-base/assert";
 import { isHTTP4xxError, isHTTPErrorWithStatus } from "ente-base/http";
 import log from "ente-base/log";
@@ -590,13 +590,13 @@ const index = async (
 
         const remoteFaceIndex = existingRemoteFaceIndex ?? {
             version: faceIndexingVersion,
-            client: clientPackageName,
+            client: clientIdentifier,
             ...faceIndex,
         };
 
         const remoteCLIPIndex = existingRemoteCLIPIndex ?? {
             version: clipIndexingVersion,
-            client: clientPackageName,
+            client: clientIdentifier,
             ...clipIndex,
         };