diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 043dc45..1e2f098 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -16,11 +16,18 @@ all: depend $(TARGET)
 $(TARGET): $(OBJS)
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $(TARGET) $(OBJS) $(LIBS)
 
+# rebuild the version number every time so we always have the
+# correct subversion version
+version.h:
+	echo "#define PICOC_SUBVERSION_VERSION \"`svnversion`\"" > version.h
+
+.PHONY: version.h
+
 test:	all
 	(cd tests; make test)
 
 clean:
-	rm -f $(TARGET) $(OBJS) *~
+	rm -f $(TARGET) $(OBJS) version.h *~
 
 count:
 	@echo "Core:"
@@ -30,6 +37,7 @@ count:
 	@cat $(SRCS) *.h */*.h | wc
 
 depend:
+	touch version.h
 	$(CC) -MM $(SRCS) >.depend
 
 -include .depend
diff --git a/clibrary.c b/clibrary.c
index c890ae4..53a9696 100644
--- a/clibrary.c
+++ b/clibrary.c
@@ -1,7 +1,21 @@
 #include "picoc.h"
+#include "version.h"
 
-/* initialise a library */
-void LibraryInit(struct Table *GlobalTable, const char *LibraryName, struct LibraryFunction *FuncList)
+/* the picoc version string */
+#define PICOC_VERSION "v2.1 beta r" PICOC_SUBVERSION_VERSION
+static const char *VersionString = NULL;
+
+
+/* global initialisation for libraries */
+void LibraryInit()
+{
+    /* define the version number macro */
+    VersionString = TableStrRegister(PICOC_VERSION);
+    VariableDefinePlatformVar(NULL, "PICOC_VERSION", CharPtrType, (union AnyValue *)&VersionString, FALSE);
+}
+
+/* add a library */
+void LibraryAdd(struct Table *GlobalTable, const char *LibraryName, struct LibraryFunction *FuncList)
 {
     struct ParseState Parser;
     int Count;
@@ -11,6 +25,7 @@ void LibraryInit(struct Table *GlobalTable, const char *LibraryName, struct Libr
     void *Tokens;
     const char *IntrinsicName = TableStrRegister("c library");
     
+    /* read all the library definitions */
     for (Count = 0; FuncList[Count].Prototype != NULL; Count++)
     {
         Tokens = LexAnalyse(IntrinsicName, FuncList[Count].Prototype, strlen((char *)FuncList[Count].Prototype), NULL);
diff --git a/include.c b/include.c
index 49c9dc4..f9c1293 100644
--- a/include.c
+++ b/include.c
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ void IncludeFile(char *FileName)
                 
                 /* set up the library functions */
                 if (LInclude->FuncList != NULL)
-                    LibraryInit(&GlobalTable, FileName, LInclude->FuncList);
+                    LibraryAdd(&GlobalTable, FileName, LInclude->FuncList);
             }
             
             return;
diff --git a/picoc.c b/picoc.c
index e13b952..a7c2308 100644
--- a/picoc.c
+++ b/picoc.c
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@ void Initialise(int StackSize)
 #ifndef NO_HASH_INCLUDE
     IncludeInit();
 #endif
+    LibraryInit();
 #ifdef BUILTIN_MINI_STDLIB
-    LibraryInit(&GlobalTable, "c library", &CLibrary[0]);
+    LibraryAdd(&GlobalTable, "c library", &CLibrary[0]);
     CLibraryInit();
 #endif
     PlatformLibraryInit();
diff --git a/picoc.h b/picoc.h
index 75017e4..0978e84 100644
--- a/picoc.h
+++ b/picoc.h
@@ -408,7 +408,8 @@ void *VariableDereferencePointer(struct ParseState *Parser, struct Value *Pointe
 
 /* clibrary.c */
 void BasicIOInit();
-void LibraryInit(struct Table *GlobalTable, const char *LibraryName, struct LibraryFunction *FuncList);
+void LibraryInit();
+void LibraryAdd(struct Table *GlobalTable, const char *LibraryName, struct LibraryFunction *FuncList);
 void CLibraryInit();
 void PrintCh(char OutCh, IOFILE *Stream);
 void PrintSimpleInt(long Num, IOFILE *Stream);