diff --git a/api/version.h.in b/api/version.h.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fd1ad27608
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/version.h.in
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#define TESSERACT_MAJOR_VERSION @GENERIC_MAJOR_VERSION@
+#define TESSERACT_MINOR_VERSION @GENERIC_MINOR_VERSION@
+#define TESSERACT_MICRO_VERSION @GENERIC_MICRO_VERSION@
+#define TESSERACT_VERSION \
+  (TESSERACT_MAJOR_VERSION << 16 | \
+   TESSERACT_MINOR_VERSION << 8 | \
+   TESSERACT_MICRO_VERSION)
+#define TESSERACT_VERSION_STR "@PACKAGE_VERSION@"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7148efc8f3..e62282e277 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -479,6 +479,7 @@ fi
 # Output files
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile tesseract.pc])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([api/Makefile])
+AC_CONFIG_FILES([api/version.h])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([arch/Makefile])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([ccmain/Makefile])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([opencl/Makefile])