diff --git a/clutter/clutter-main.c b/clutter/clutter-main.c
index 45442a505..f62d6bd89 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-main.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-main.c
@@ -81,6 +81,10 @@ static GSList *main_loops                    = NULL;
 
 guint clutter_debug_flags = 0;  /* global clutter debug flag */
 
+const guint clutter_major_version = CLUTTER_MAJOR_VERSION;
+const guint clutter_minor_version = CLUTTER_MINOR_VERSION;
+const guint clutter_micro_version = CLUTTER_MICRO_VERSION;
+
 #ifdef CLUTTER_ENABLE_DEBUG
 static const GDebugKey clutter_debug_keys[] = {
   { "misc", CLUTTER_DEBUG_MISC },
@@ -2995,3 +2999,33 @@ _clutter_run_repaint_functions (void)
   if (reinvoke_list)
     context->repaint_funcs = reinvoke_list;
 }
+
+/**
+ * clutter_check_version:
+ * @major: major version, like 1 in 1.2.3
+ * @minor: minor version, like 2 in 1.2.3
+ * @micro: micro version, like 3 in 1.2.3
+ *
+ * Run-time version check, to check the version the Clutter library
+ * that an application is currently linked against
+ *
+ * This is the run-time equivalent of the compile-time %CLUTTER_CHECK_VERSION
+ * pre-processor macro
+ *
+ * Return value: %TRUE if the version of the Clutter library is
+ *   greater than (@major, @minor, @micro), and %FALSE otherwise
+ *
+ * Since: 1.2
+ */
+gboolean
+clutter_check_version (guint major,
+                       guint minor,
+                       guint micro)
+{
+  return (clutter_major_version > major ||
+          (clutter_major_version == major &&
+           clutter_minor_version > minor) ||
+          (clutter_major_version == major &&
+           clutter_minor_version == minor &&
+           clutter_micro_version >= micro));
+}
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-version.h.in b/clutter/clutter-version.h.in
index 7c9e15656..93a83923e 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-version.h.in
+++ b/clutter/clutter-version.h.in
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@
 #ifndef __CLUTTER_VERSION_H__
 #define __CLUTTER_VERSION_H__
 
+#include <glib.h>
+
+G_BEGIN_DECLS
+
 /**
  * CLUTTER_MAJOR_VERSION:
  *
@@ -117,7 +121,7 @@
  *
  * The default GObject type for the Clutter stage. 
  *
- * Since 0.8
+ * Since: 0.8
  */
 #define CLUTTER_STAGE_TYPE @CLUTTER_STAGE_TYPE@
 
@@ -131,5 +135,14 @@
  */
 #define CLUTTER_NO_FPU          CLUTTER_NO_FPU_MACRO_WAS_REMOVED
 
+extern const guint clutter_major_version;
+extern const guint clutter_minor_version;
+extern const guint clutter_micro_version;
+
+gboolean clutter_check_version (guint major,
+                                guint minor,
+                                guint micro);
+
+G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __CLUTTER_VERSION_H__ */
diff --git a/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt b/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt
index b81e82de6..36b552dda 100644
--- a/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt
+++ b/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt
@@ -1125,10 +1125,17 @@ CLUTTER_MICRO_VERSION
 CLUTTER_VERSION
 CLUTTER_VERSION_S
 CLUTTER_VERSION_HEX
+
+<SUBSECTION>
 CLUTTER_CHECK_VERSION
+
+<SUBSECTION>
 CLUTTER_FLAVOUR
 CLUTTER_COGL
 CLUTTER_NO_FPU
+
+<SUBSECTION>
+clutter_check_version
 </SECTION>
 
 <SECTION>