diff --git a/lib/carto/index.js b/lib/carto/index.js
index 13de4b8..326b591 100644
--- a/lib/carto/index.js
+++ b/lib/carto/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,19 @@
 var util = require('util');
+var fs = require('fs');
+var path = require('path');
+
+function getVersion() {
+    if (parseInt(process.version.split('.')[1]) > 4) {
+        return require('../../package.json').version.split('.');
+    } else {
+        // older node
+        var package_json = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname,'../../package.json')))
+        return package_json.version.split('.');
+    }
+}
+
 var carto = {
-    version: [0, 4, 7],
+    version: getVersion(),
     Parser: require('./parser').Parser,
     Renderer: require('./renderer').Renderer,
     tree: require('./tree'),
diff --git a/test/version.test.js b/test/version.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3684a44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/version.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+var carto = require('../lib/carto');
+var fs = require('fs');
+var path = require('path');
+var assert = require('assert');
+
+
+describe('Version check', function() {
+    it('test version matches package.json version and changelog', function() {
+        if (parseInt(process.version.split('.')[1]) > 4) {
+            var info = require('../package.json');
+            assert.deepEqual(info.version.split('.'), carto.version);
+        } else {
+            var info = JSON.parse(require('fs').readFileSync(path.join(__dirname,'../package.json')));
+            assert.deepEqual(info.version.split('.'), carto.version);
+        }
+    });
+});