diff --git a/applications/osgversion/osgversion.cpp b/applications/osgversion/osgversion.cpp
index 4e725a3ff..aa1e9e19c 100644
--- a/applications/osgversion/osgversion.cpp
+++ b/applications/osgversion/osgversion.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include <osg/Version>
 #include <osg/ArgumentParser>
 #include <osg/ApplicationUsage>
+#include <OpenThreads/Version>
 
 #include <set>
 #include <vector>
@@ -649,6 +650,9 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv)
     arguments.getApplicationUsage()->addCommandLineOption("-h or --help","Display this information");
     arguments.getApplicationUsage()->addCommandLineOption("--entries","Print out number of entries into the ChangeLog file for each contributor.");
     arguments.getApplicationUsage()->addCommandLineOption("--version-number","Print out version number only");
+    arguments.getApplicationUsage()->addCommandLineOption("--soversion-number","Print out shared object version number only");
+    arguments.getApplicationUsage()->addCommandLineOption("--openthreads-version-number","Print out version number for OpenThreads only");
+    arguments.getApplicationUsage()->addCommandLineOption("--openthreads-soversion-number","Print out shared object version number for OpenThreads only");
     arguments.getApplicationUsage()->addCommandLineOption("-r <file> or --read <file>","Read the ChangeLog to generate an estimated contributors list.");
 
     if (arguments.read("--version-number"))
@@ -657,6 +661,24 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv)
         return 0;
     }
     
+    if (arguments.read("--soversion-number"))
+    {
+        std::cout<<osgGetSOVersion()<<std::endl;
+        return 0;
+    }
+    
+    if (arguments.read("--openthreads-version-number"))
+    {
+        std::cout<<OpenThreadsGetVersion()<<std::endl;
+        return 0;
+    }
+    
+    if (arguments.read("--openthreads-soversion-number"))
+    {
+        std::cout<<OpenThreadsGetSOVersion()<<std::endl;
+        return 0;
+    }
+    
     std::cout<<osgGetLibraryName()<< " "<< osgGetVersion()<<std::endl<<std::endl;
 
     bool printContributors = false;
diff --git a/include/osg/Version b/include/osg/Version
index 4840669f7..b34dd1fc4 100644
--- a/include/osg/Version
+++ b/include/osg/Version
@@ -18,12 +18,11 @@
 
 extern "C" {
 
-#define OSG_VERSION_MAJOR 2
-#define OSG_VERSION_MINOR 1
-#define OSG_VERSION_PATCH 9
 
-#define OSG_VERSION_RELEASE OSG_VERSION_PATCH
-#define OSG_VERSION_REVISION 0
+#define OPENSCENEGRAPH_MAJOR_VERSION 2
+#define OPENSCENEGRAPH_MINOR_VERSION 1
+#define OPENSCENEGRAPH_PATCH_VERSION 9
+#define OPENSCENEGRAPH_SOVERSION 20
 
 /**
   * osgGetVersion() returns the library version number.
@@ -43,9 +42,21 @@ extern "C" {
 */
 extern OSG_EXPORT const char* osgGetVersion();
 
+/** The osgGetSOVersion() method returns the OpenSceneGraph soversion number. */
+extern OSG_EXPORT const char* osgGetSOVersion();
+
 /** The osgGetLibraryName() method returns the library name in human-friendly form. */
 extern OSG_EXPORT const char* osgGetLibraryName();
 
+// old defines for backwards compatibility.
+#define OSG_VERSION_MAJOR OPENSCENEGRAPH_MAJOR_VERSION
+#define OSG_VERSION_MINOR OPENSCENEGRAPH_MINOR_VERSION
+#define OSG_VERSION_PATCH OPENSCENEGRAPH_PATCH_VERSION
+
+#define OSG_VERSION_RELEASE OSG_VERSION_PATCH
+#define OSG_VERSION_REVISION 0
+
+
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/osg/Version.cpp b/src/osg/Version.cpp
index e0db2172f..04074d601 100644
--- a/src/osg/Version.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/Version.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,18 @@ const char* osgGetVersion()
     return osg_version;
 }
 
+const char* osgGetSOVersion()
+{
+    static char osg_soversion[32];
+    static int osg_soversion_init = 1;
+    if (osg_soversion_init)
+    {
+        sprintf(osg_soversion,"%d",OPENSCENEGRAPH_SOVERSION);
+        osg_soversion_init = 0;
+    }
+    
+    return osg_soversion;
+}
 
 const char* osgGetLibraryName()
 {