diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index db13de81..86aac285 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ endif()
 set(CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS ON)
 
 include (${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/cmake/generate_version_file.cmake)
+install(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/netgen_version.hpp DESTINATION ${NG_INSTALL_DIR_INCLUDE}/include COMPONENT netgen_devel)
 set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION "${NETGEN_VERSION}")
 
 
diff --git a/cmake/generate_version_file.cmake b/cmake/generate_version_file.cmake
index 3b913636..eb1a5e35 100644
--- a/cmake/generate_version_file.cmake
+++ b/cmake/generate_version_file.cmake
@@ -36,7 +36,17 @@ endif()
 set(NETGEN_VERSION_LONG ${NETGEN_VERSION_SHORT}-${NETGEN_VERSION_TWEAK}-${NETGEN_VERSION_HASH})
 
 set(version_file ${BDIR}/netgen_version.hpp)
-set(new_version_file_string "#define NETGEN_VERSION \"${NETGEN_VERSION}\"\n")
+set(new_version_file_string "\
+#ifndef NETGEN_VERSION_HPP_INCLUDED
+#define NETGEN_VERSION_HPP_INCLUDED
+#define NETGEN_VERSION \"${NETGEN_VERSION}\"
+#define NETGEN_VERSION_MAJOR ${NETGEN_VERSION_MAJOR}
+#define NETGEN_VERSION_MINOR ${NETGEN_VERSION_MINOR}
+#define NETGEN_VERSION_PATCH ${NETGEN_VERSION_PATCH}
+#define NETGEN_VERSION_TWEAK ${NETGEN_VERSION_TWEAK}
+#define NETGEN_VERSION_HASH \"${NETGEN_VERSION_HASH}\"
+#endif // NETGEN_VERSION_HPP_INCLUDED
+")
 if(EXISTS ${version_file})
   file(READ ${version_file} old_version_file_string )
   if(${old_version_file_string} STREQUAL ${new_version_file_string})
diff --git a/libsrc/core/archive.cpp b/libsrc/core/archive.cpp
index 84e6d875..5d968b6c 100644
--- a/libsrc/core/archive.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/core/archive.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 #include "archive.hpp"
+#include <netgen_version.hpp>
 
 #ifndef WIN32
 #include <cxxabi.h>
@@ -44,4 +45,10 @@ namespace ngcore
                                    std::make_unique<std::map<std::string, detail::ClassArchiveInfo>>();
     return type_register->count(classname) != 0;
   }
+
+
+  static bool dummy = [](){
+    SetLibraryVersion("netgen", NETGEN_VERSION);
+    return true;
+  }();
 } // namespace ngcore