diff --git a/CMakeLists_files.cmake b/CMakeLists_files.cmake
index 69d5a22d..2af2c6c9 100644
--- a/CMakeLists_files.cmake
+++ b/CMakeLists_files.cmake
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ list (APPEND MAIN_SOURCE_FILES
 	opm/core/utility/parameters/tinyxml/tinyxmlerror.cpp
 	opm/core/utility/parameters/tinyxml/tinyxmlparser.cpp
 	opm/core/utility/parameters/tinyxml/xmltest.cpp
+	opm/core/version.c
 	opm/core/wells/InjectionSpecification.cpp
 	opm/core/wells/ProductionSpecification.cpp
 	opm/core/wells/WellCollection.cpp
@@ -213,6 +214,7 @@ list (APPEND PUBLIC_HEADER_FILES
 	opm/core/linalg/blas_lapack.h
 	opm/core/linalg/call_umfpack.h
 	opm/core/linalg/sparse_sys.h
+	opm/core/version.h
 	opm/core/wells.h
 	opm/core/pressure/CompressibleTpfa.hpp
 	opm/core/pressure/FlowBCManager.hpp
diff --git a/opm/core/version.c b/opm/core/version.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f5e1cdfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opm/core/version.c
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+/* this file is written by the build system; don't include it anywhere else */
+#include <project-version.h>
+
+/* declaration of the externally visible symbol */
+#include <opm/core/version.h>
+
+/* initialization */
+const char* const opm_core_version = PROJECT_VERSION;
diff --git a/opm/core/version.h b/opm/core/version.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b82f13b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opm/core/version.h
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+/**
+ * This symbol is initialized with the built version of the library.
+ */
+extern const char* const opm_core_version;