diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9e6fb356d..c50b5461a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -103,7 +103,9 @@ version-update:
 		> ipa-server/selinux/ipa-server-selinux.spec
 	sed s/VERSION/$(IPA_VERSION)/ ipa-python/setup.py.in \
 		> ipa-python/setup.py
-
+	sed s/__VERSION__/$(IPA_VERSION)/ ipa-server/ipaserver/version.py.in \
+		> ipa-server/ipaserver/version.py
+	perl -pi -e "s:__NUM_VERSION__:$(IPA_VERSION_MAJOR)$(IPA_VERSION_MINOR)$(IPA_VERSION_RELEASE):" ipa-server/ipaserver/version.py
 
 archive:
 	-mkdir -p dist
diff --git a/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-replica-install b/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-replica-install
index a881071b7..e7a8daed9 100644
--- a/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-replica-install
+++ b/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-replica-install
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ from ipa import ipautil
 
 from ipaserver import dsinstance, replication, installutils, krbinstance, service
 from ipaserver import httpinstance, ntpinstance, certs, ipaldap
+from ipaserver import version
 
 class ReplicaConfig:
     def __init__(self):
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ class ReplicaConfig:
 
 def parse_options():
     from optparse import OptionParser
-    parser = OptionParser()
+    parser = OptionParser(version=version.VERSION)
     parser.add_option("-N", "--no-ntp", dest="conf_ntp", action="store_false",
                       help="do not configure ntp", default=True)
     parser.add_option("-d", "--debug", dest="debug", action="store_true",
diff --git a/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-replica-manage b/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-replica-manage
index dd58907c5..28aceeb53 100644
--- a/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-replica-manage
+++ b/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-replica-manage
@@ -17,11 +17,19 @@
 # along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
 # Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
 #
+import sys
+
+import getpass, ldap, re, krbV
+import traceback, logging
+
+from ipa import ipautil
+from ipaserver import replication, ipaldap, dsinstance, installutils
+from ipaserver import version
 
 def parse_options():
     from optparse import OptionParser
 
-    parser = OptionParser()
+    parser = OptionParser(version=version.VERSION)
     parser.add_option("-H", "--host", dest="host", help="starting host")
     parser.add_option("-p", "--password", dest="dirman_passwd", help="Directory Manager password")
     parser.add_option("-v", "--verbose", dest="verbose", action="store_true", default=False,
@@ -138,14 +146,6 @@ def main():
         synch_master(r, args[1])
 
 try:
-    import sys
-
-    import getpass, ldap, re, krbV
-    import traceback, logging
-
-    from ipa import ipautil
-    from ipaserver import replication, ipaldap, dsinstance, installutils
-
     main()
 except KeyboardInterrupt:
     sys.exit(1)   
diff --git a/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-replica-prepare b/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-replica-prepare
index 81a98f113..4090ad8a1 100644
--- a/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-replica-prepare
+++ b/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-replica-prepare
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ from optparse import OptionParser
 import ipa.config
 from ipa import ipautil
 from ipaserver import dsinstance, installutils, certs, ipaldap
+from ipaserver import version
 import ldap
 
 def usage():
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ def usage():
     sys.exit(1)
 
 def parse_options():
-    parser = OptionParser()
+    parser = OptionParser(version=version.VERSION)
 
     args = ipa.config.init_config(sys.argv)
     options, args = parser.parse_args(args)
diff --git a/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-server-install b/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-server-install
index 09fba19c8..e1cca3930 100644
--- a/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-server-install
+++ b/ipa-server/ipa-install/ipa-server-install
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@
 # openldap-clients
 # nss-tools
 
-VERSION = "%prog .1"
-
 import sys
 import os
 import socket
@@ -46,13 +44,14 @@ import ipaserver.httpinstance
 import ipaserver.ntpinstance
 
 from ipaserver import service
+from ipaserver import version
 from ipaserver.installutils import *
 
 from ipa import sysrestore
 from ipa.ipautil import *
 
 def parse_options():
-    parser = OptionParser(version=VERSION)
+    parser = OptionParser(version=version.VERSION)
     parser.add_option("-u", "--user", dest="ds_user",
                       help="ds user")
     parser.add_option("-r", "--realm", dest="realm_name",
diff --git a/ipa-server/ipaserver/Makefile.am b/ipa-server/ipaserver/Makefile.am
index 13029e14f..e124f6b8c 100644
--- a/ipa-server/ipaserver/Makefile.am
+++ b/ipa-server/ipaserver/Makefile.am
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ app_PYTHON = 			\
 	installutils.py		\
 	replication.py		\
 	certs.py		\
+	version.py		\
 	$(NULL)
 
 EXTRA_DIST =			\
diff --git a/ipa-server/ipaserver/version.py.in b/ipa-server/ipaserver/version.py.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b0b53f44f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ipa-server/ipaserver/version.py.in
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# Authors: Rob Crittenden <rcritten@redhat.com>
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2007  Red Hat
+# see file 'COPYING' for use and warranty information
+#
+# This program 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; version 2 only
+#
+# This program 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; if not, write to the Free Software
+# Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
+#
+
+# The full version including strings
+VERSION="__VERSION__"
+
+# Just the numeric portion of the version so one can do direct numeric
+# comparisons to see if the API is compatible.
+NUM_VERSION="__NUM_VERSION__"
diff --git a/ipa-server/xmlrpc-server/funcs.py b/ipa-server/xmlrpc-server/funcs.py
index d83fed09e..351632653 100644
--- a/ipa-server/xmlrpc-server/funcs.py
+++ b/ipa-server/xmlrpc-server/funcs.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import ipaserver.dsinstance
 import ipaserver.ipaldap
 import copy
 from ipaserver import attrs
+from ipaserver import version
 from ipa import ipaerror
 from ipa import ipautil
 from urllib import quote,unquote
@@ -383,6 +384,10 @@ class IPAServer:
         return True
 
 # Higher-level API
+    def version(self, opts=None):
+       """The version of IPA"""
+       logging.debug("IPA: version")
+       return ipaserver.version.NUM_VERSION
 
     def get_aci_entry(self, sattrs, opts=None):
         """Returns the entry containing access control ACIs."""
diff --git a/ipa-server/xmlrpc-server/ipaxmlrpc.py b/ipa-server/xmlrpc-server/ipaxmlrpc.py
index 95f2352aa..4e2ad3522 100644
--- a/ipa-server/xmlrpc-server/ipaxmlrpc.py
+++ b/ipa-server/xmlrpc-server/ipaxmlrpc.py
@@ -324,6 +324,7 @@ def handler(req, profiling=False):
         try:
             f = funcs.IPAServer()
             h = ModXMLRPCRequestHandler()
+            h.register_function(f.version)
             h.register_function(f.get_aci_entry)
             h.register_function(f.get_entry_by_dn)
             h.register_function(f.get_entry_by_cn)