diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 0c88704..03e9536 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ done
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE($PACKAGENAME, $MAJOR.$MINOR.$LEAST, [marc@waeckerlin.org]) 
 
 # files to create
-AC_CONFIG_FILES(makefile
+AC_CONFIG_FILES(makefile src/version.cxx
                 src/makefile test/makefile doc/examples/makefile
                 doc/doxyfile doc/makefile
                 src/libxml-cxx.pc debian/changelog
diff --git a/src/makefile.am b/src/makefile.am
index 604c7e4..ad4ce0c 100644
--- a/src/makefile.am
+++ b/src/makefile.am
@@ -10,13 +10,15 @@ pkgconfig_DATA = libxml-cxx.pc
 pkgconfig2dir = $(datarootdir)/pkgconfig
 pkgconfig2_DATA = $(pkgconfig_DATA)
 
-EXTRA_DIST = $(pkgconfig_DATA).in
+EXTRA_DIST = $(pkgconfig_DATA).in version.cxx.in
+
+BUILT_SOURCES = version.cxx
 
 AM_CXXFLAGS += -I ${top_srcdir}/src
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = libxml-cxx.la
 nobase_include_HEADERS = xml-cxx/xml.hxx xml-cxx/any.hxx
 
-libxml_cxx_la_SOURCES = xml.cxx
+libxml_cxx_la_SOURCES = xml.cxx version.cxx
 
 DISTCLEANFILES = $(pkgconfig_DATA)
 MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = makefile.in
diff --git a/src/xml-cxx/xml.hxx b/src/xml-cxx/xml.hxx
index 5a820f0..d049239 100644
--- a/src/xml-cxx/xml.hxx
+++ b/src/xml-cxx/xml.hxx
@@ -455,6 +455,8 @@ class MethodTrace {
 //! Everything is in namespace xml
 namespace xml {
 
+  std::string version();
+
   //! @addtogroup freexml
   //@{