diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 730b38a968ccc678985b037bfb314c0f96e22315..dda9b9dd79adaa90ded1a646d58634da0b88e9ca 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -610,7 +610,10 @@ $(XDIFF_LIB): $(XDIFF_OBJS)
 
 
 perl/Makefile:	perl/Git.pm perl/Makefile.PL
-	(cd perl && $(PERL_PATH) Makefile.PL PREFIX="$(prefix)" DEFINE="$(ALL_CFLAGS)" LIBS="$(LIBS)")
+	(cd perl && $(PERL_PATH) Makefile.PL \
+		PREFIX="$(prefix)" \
+		DEFINE="$(ALL_CFLAGS) -DGIT_VERSION=\\\"$(GIT_VERSION)\\\"" \
+		LIBS="$(LIBS)")
 
 doc:
 	$(MAKE) -C Documentation all
diff --git a/perl/Git.pm b/perl/Git.pm
index 212337ee5bfe64bb0479eab01beb073f4f007f89..dcd769b4d1ef121e37f156f8580fb63ce39cf816 100644
--- a/perl/Git.pm
+++ b/perl/Git.pm
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ =head1 SYNOPSIS
 
 # Methods which can be called as standalone functions as well:
 @EXPORT_OK = qw(command command_oneline command_pipe command_noisy
-                exec_path hash_object);
+                version exec_path hash_object);
 
 
 =head1 DESCRIPTION
@@ -285,6 +285,18 @@ sub command_noisy {
 }
 
 
+=item version ()
+
+Return the Git version in use.
+
+Implementation of this function is very fast; no external command calls
+are involved.
+
+=cut
+
+# Implemented in Git.xs.
+
+
 =item exec_path ()
 
 Return path to the git sub-command executables (the same as
diff --git a/perl/Git.xs b/perl/Git.xs
index 6478f9c77f4ead953c0f1fdbf9d9c41732529215..d4608eb1cb198f0c5426d90270e202d441c7da82 100644
--- a/perl/Git.xs
+++ b/perl/Git.xs
@@ -23,6 +23,16 @@ PROTOTYPES: DISABLE
 # /* TODO: xs_call_gate(). See Git.pm. */
 
 
+const char *
+xs_version()
+CODE:
+{
+	RETVAL = GIT_VERSION;
+}
+OUTPUT:
+	RETVAL
+
+
 const char *
 xs_exec_path()
 CODE: