diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index be24050c0f..a8ca6256c4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ man/*.[185]
 po/*.gmo
 po/.intltool-merge-cache
 
+include/nm-version.h
+
 docs/libnm-glib/*.stamp
 docs/libnm-glib/html/
 docs/libnm-glib/tmpl/
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7ec2e19e89..d99299ec69 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 AC_PREREQ(2.52)
 
-AC_INIT(NetworkManager, 0.8.992, dcbw@redhat.com, NetworkManager)
+dnl The NM version number
+m4_define([nm_major_version], [0])
+m4_define([nm_minor_version], [8])
+m4_define([nm_micro_version], [992])
+m4_define([nm_version],
+          [nm_major_version.nm_minor_version.nm_micro_version])
+
+AC_INIT([NetworkManager], [nm_version],
+        [http://bugzilla.gnome.org/enter_bug.gci?product=NetworkManager],
+        [NetworkManager])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.9 subdir-objects tar-ustar no-dist-gzip dist-bzip2])
 m4_ifdef([AM_SILENT_RULES], [AM_SILENT_RULES([no])])
 AM_MAINTAINER_MODE
@@ -28,6 +37,16 @@ else
 fi
 AC_SUBST(DISABLE_DEPRECATED)
 
+dnl Version stuff
+NM_MAJOR_VERSION=nm_major_version
+NM_MINOR_VERSION=nm_minor_version
+NM_MICRO_VERSION=nm_micro_version
+NM_VERSION=nm_version
+AC_SUBST(NM_MAJOR_VERSION)
+AC_SUBST(NM_MINOR_VERSION)
+AC_SUBST(NM_MICRO_VERSION)
+AC_SUBST(NM_VERSION)
+
 dnl
 dnl Required headers
 dnl
@@ -537,6 +556,7 @@ esac
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([
 Makefile
 include/Makefile
+include/nm-version.h
 src/Makefile
 src/tests/Makefile
 marshallers/Makefile
diff --git a/include/Makefile.am b/include/Makefile.am
index 54c4d1dc80..b2f24ae815 100644
--- a/include/Makefile.am
+++ b/include/Makefile.am
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
      wireless-helper.h \
      nm-dbus-glib-types.h \
      nm-glib-compat.h \
-     nm-test-helpers.h
+     nm-test-helpers.h \
+     nm-version.h.in
 
 NetworkManagerincludedir=$(includedir)/NetworkManager
 
 NetworkManagerinclude_HEADERS = \
 	NetworkManager.h \
-	NetworkManagerVPN.h
+	NetworkManagerVPN.h \
+	nm-version.h
 
diff --git a/include/NetworkManager.h b/include/NetworkManager.h
index 1ff9111582..9e92777914 100644
--- a/include/NetworkManager.h
+++ b/include/NetworkManager.h
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 #ifndef NETWORK_MANAGER_H
 #define NETWORK_MANAGER_H
 
+#include "nm-version.h"
+
 /*
  * dbus services details
  */
diff --git a/include/nm-version.h.in b/include/nm-version.h.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ee2e1080e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/nm-version.h.in
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+/* -*- Mode: C; tab-width: 4; indent-tabs-mode: t; c-basic-offset: 4 -*- */
+/*
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library 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
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the
+ * Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
+ * Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2011 Red Hat, Inc.
+ */
+
+#ifndef NM_VERSION_H
+#define NM_VERSION_H
+
+/**
+ * NM_MAJOR_VERSION:
+ *
+ * Evaluates to the major version number of NetworkManager which this source
+ * is compiled against.
+ */
+#define NM_MAJOR_VERSION (@NM_MAJOR_VERSION@)
+
+/**
+ * NM_MINOR_VERSION:
+ *
+ * Evaluates to the minor version number of NetworkManager which this source
+ * is compiled against.
+ */
+#define NM_MINOR_VERSION (@NM_MINOR_VERSION@)
+
+/**
+ * NM_MICRO_VERSION:
+ *
+ * Evaluates to the micro version number of NetworkManager which this source
+ * compiled against.
+ */
+#define NM_MICRO_VERSION (@NM_MICRO_VERSION@)
+
+/**
+ * NM_CHECK_VERSION:
+ * @major: major version (e.g. 1 for version 1.2.5)
+ * @minor: minor version (e.g. 2 for version 1.2.5)
+ * @micro: micro version (e.g. 5 for version 1.2.5)
+ *
+ * Returns %TRUE if the version of the NetworkManager header files
+ * is the same as or newer than the passed-in version.
+ */
+#define NM_CHECK_VERSION(major,minor,micro)                         \
+    (NM_MAJOR_VERSION > (major) ||                                  \
+     (NM_MAJOR_VERSION == (major) && NM_MINOR_VERSION > (minor)) || \
+     (NM_MAJOR_VERSION == (major) && NM_MINOR_VERSION == (minor) && NM_MICRO_VERSION >= (micro)))
+
+#endif  /* NM_VERSION_H */
+