diff --git a/identify.go b/identify.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c84f385
--- /dev/null
+++ b/identify.go
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package forgepb
+
+import (
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+// print the protobuf in human form
+func IdentifyProtobuf(data []byte) error {
+	var pb *Identify
+	pb = new(Identify)
+	if err := pb.Unmarshal(data); err != nil {
+		log.Info("data can't be identified as a standard protobuf. len =", len(data))
+		return err
+	}
+	log.Info("Identify protobuf file uuid =", pb.Uuid, "version =", pb.Version)
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/patchset.proto b/patchset.proto
index 6f43da7..c4f99c6 100644
--- a/patchset.proto
+++ b/patchset.proto
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@ package forgepb;
 
 import "google/protobuf/timestamp.proto"; // Import the well-known type for Timestamp
 
+// this generic message is used by autogen to identify and
+// then dump the uuid and version from any arbitrary .pb file
+message Identify {                                            // `autogenpb:marshal`
+        string                      uuid                = 1;  //
+        string                      version             = 2;  //
+}
+
 message Patch {
         string                      filename            = 1;  // `autogenpb:unique` `autogenpb:sort`
         bytes                       data                = 2;  //