diff --git a/include/ntfs/Makefile.am b/include/ntfs/Makefile.am
index 918ceaf4..89608d4b 100644
--- a/include/ntfs/Makefile.am
+++ b/include/ntfs/Makefile.am
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ linux_ntfsinclude_HEADERS = \
 	ntfstime.h		\
 	types.h			\
 	unistr.h		\
+	version.h		\
 	volume.h
 
 MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = Makefile.in
diff --git a/include/ntfs/version.h b/include/ntfs/version.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d9198b71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ntfs/version.h
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/**
+ * version.h - Info about the NTFS library. Part of the Linux-NTFS project.
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2005 Richard Russon
+ *
+ * This program/include file is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published
+ * by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program/include file is distributed in the hope that it will be
+ * useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty
+ * of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program (in the main directory of the Linux-NTFS
+ * distribution in the file COPYING); if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation,Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+ */
+
+#ifndef _NTFS_VERSION_H_
+#define _NTFS_VERSION_H_
+
+extern const char * ntfs_get_library_version (void);
+
+#endif /* _NTFS_VERSION_H_ */
+
diff --git a/libntfs/Makefile.am b/libntfs/Makefile.am
index 5594e546..40cc0fd9 100644
--- a/libntfs/Makefile.am
+++ b/libntfs/Makefile.am
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ libntfs_la_SOURCES =	\
 	runlist.c	\
 	security.c	\
 	unistr.c	\
+	version.c	\
 	volume.c
 
 if ENABLE_GNOME_VFS
diff --git a/libntfs/version.c b/libntfs/version.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6cfba869
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libntfs/version.c
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/**
+ * version.c - Info about the NTFS library. Part of the Linux-NTFS project.
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2005 Richard Russon
+ *
+ * This program/include file is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published
+ * by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program/include file is distributed in the hope that it will be
+ * useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty
+ * of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program (in the main directory of the Linux-NTFS
+ * distribution in the file COPYING); if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation,Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+ */
+
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include "config.h"
+#endif
+
+#include "version.h"
+
+#ifndef VERSION
+#define VERSION "unknown"
+#endif
+
+/**
+ * ntfs_get_library_version - Version number of the library release
+ *
+ * Returns a text string representing the release of libntfs, e.g. "1.9.4".
+ */
+const char * ntfs_get_library_version (void)
+{
+	return VERSION;
+}
+