diff --git a/include/json/config.h b/include/json/config.h
index 6971fa656..4619e93bd 100644
--- a/include/json/config.h
+++ b/include/json/config.h
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ extern JSON_API int msvc_pre1900_c99_snprintf(char* outBuf, size_t size,
 #endif // if !defined(JSON_IS_AMALGAMATION)
 
 namespace Json {
+JSON_API const char* version();
 using Int = int;
 using UInt = unsigned int;
 #if defined(JSON_NO_INT64)
diff --git a/src/lib_json/json_value.cpp b/src/lib_json/json_value.cpp
index a812ea4d3..168251ee1 100644
--- a/src/lib_json/json_value.cpp
+++ b/src/lib_json/json_value.cpp
@@ -1704,4 +1704,6 @@ Value& Path::make(Value& root) const {
   return *node;
 }
 
+const char* version() { return JSONCPP_VERSION_STRING; }
+
 } // namespace Json
diff --git a/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp b/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp
index d6938c1d0..4c000fa9b 100644
--- a/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp
+++ b/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp
@@ -4188,6 +4188,11 @@ JSONTEST_FIXTURE_LOCAL(VersionTest, VersionNumbersMatch) {
   JSONTEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(vstr.str(), std::string(JSONCPP_VERSION_STRING));
 }
 
+JSONTEST_FIXTURE_LOCAL(VersionTest, RuntimeVersionString) {
+  JSONTEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(std::string(JSONCPP_VERSION_STRING),
+                        std::string(Json::version()));
+}
+
 #if defined(__GNUC__)
 #pragma GCC diagnostic pop
 #endif