diff --git a/build/linux/platform_specific_code/juce_linux_Files.cpp b/build/linux/platform_specific_code/juce_linux_Files.cpp
index fb4db05359..39f2bd243f 100644
--- a/build/linux/platform_specific_code/juce_linux_Files.cpp
+++ b/build/linux/platform_specific_code/juce_linux_Files.cpp
@@ -294,6 +294,12 @@ bool File::setAsCurrentWorkingDirectory() const throw()
     return chdir (getFullPathName().toUTF8()) == 0;
 }
 
+//==============================================================================
+const String File::getVersion() const throw()
+{
+    return String::empty; // xxx not yet implemented
+}
+
 //==============================================================================
 const File File::getLinkedTarget() const throw()
 {
diff --git a/build/macosx/platform_specific_code/juce_mac_Files.mm b/build/macosx/platform_specific_code/juce_mac_Files.mm
index cb3bfb2552..eeaba4762a 100644
--- a/build/macosx/platform_specific_code/juce_mac_Files.mm
+++ b/build/macosx/platform_specific_code/juce_mac_Files.mm
@@ -330,6 +330,30 @@ bool File::setAsCurrentWorkingDirectory() const throw()
     return chdir (getFullPathName().toUTF8()) == 0;
 }
 
+//==============================================================================
+const String File::getVersion() const throw()
+{
+    const ScopedAutoReleasePool pool;
+    String result;
+
+    NSBundle* bundle = [NSBundle bundleWithPath: juceStringToNS (getFullPathName())];
+    
+    if (bundle != 0)
+    {
+        NSDictionary* info = [bundle infoDictionary];
+        
+        if (info != 0)
+        {
+            NSString* name = [info valueForKey: @"CFBundleShortVersionString"];
+
+            if (name != nil)
+                result = nsStringToJuce (name);
+        }
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
+
 //==============================================================================
 const File File::getLinkedTarget() const throw()
 {
diff --git a/build/win32/platform_specific_code/juce_win32_Files.cpp b/build/win32/platform_specific_code/juce_win32_Files.cpp
index d8ca9eae81..94c990e295 100644
--- a/build/win32/platform_specific_code/juce_win32_Files.cpp
+++ b/build/win32/platform_specific_code/juce_win32_Files.cpp
@@ -524,6 +524,35 @@ bool File::setAsCurrentWorkingDirectory() const throw()
     return SetCurrentDirectory (getFullPathName()) != FALSE;
 }
 
+
+//==============================================================================
+const String File::getVersion() const throw()
+{
+    String result;
+
+    DWORD handle = 0;
+    DWORD bufferSize = GetFileVersionInfoSize (getFullPathName(), &handle);
+    void* buffer = juce_calloc (bufferSize);
+
+    if (GetFileVersionInfo (getFullPathName(), 0, bufferSize, buffer))
+    {
+        VS_FIXEDFILEINFO* vffi;
+        UINT len = 0;
+
+        if (VerQueryValue (buffer, _T("\\"), (LPVOID*) &vffi, &len))
+        {
+            result.printf (T("%d.%d.%d.%d"),
+                           HIWORD (vffi->dwFileVersionMS),
+                           LOWORD (vffi->dwFileVersionMS),
+                           HIWORD (vffi->dwFileVersionLS),
+                           LOWORD (vffi->dwFileVersionLS));
+        }
+    }
+
+    juce_free (buffer);
+    return result;
+}
+
 //==============================================================================
 const File File::getLinkedTarget() const throw()
 {
diff --git a/juce_amalgamated.cpp b/juce_amalgamated.cpp
index 38a93518d8..3286c874ea 100644
--- a/juce_amalgamated.cpp
+++ b/juce_amalgamated.cpp
@@ -240405,6 +240405,33 @@ bool File::setAsCurrentWorkingDirectory() const throw()
     return SetCurrentDirectory (getFullPathName()) != FALSE;
 }
 
+const String File::getVersion() const throw()
+{
+    String result;
+
+    DWORD handle = 0;
+    DWORD bufferSize = GetFileVersionInfoSize (getFullPathName(), &handle);
+    void* buffer = juce_calloc (bufferSize);
+
+    if (GetFileVersionInfo (getFullPathName(), 0, bufferSize, buffer))
+    {
+        VS_FIXEDFILEINFO* vffi;
+        UINT len = 0;
+
+        if (VerQueryValue (buffer, _T("\\"), (LPVOID*) &vffi, &len))
+        {
+            result.printf (T("%d.%d.%d.%d"),
+                           HIWORD (vffi->dwFileVersionMS),
+                           LOWORD (vffi->dwFileVersionMS),
+                           HIWORD (vffi->dwFileVersionLS),
+                           LOWORD (vffi->dwFileVersionLS));
+        }
+    }
+
+    juce_free (buffer);
+    return result;
+}
+
 const File File::getLinkedTarget() const throw()
 {
     File result (*this);
@@ -254599,6 +254626,11 @@ bool File::setAsCurrentWorkingDirectory() const throw()
     return chdir (getFullPathName().toUTF8()) == 0;
 }
 
+const String File::getVersion() const throw()
+{
+    return String::empty; // xxx not yet implemented
+}
+
 const File File::getLinkedTarget() const throw()
 {
     char buffer [4096];
@@ -264629,6 +264661,29 @@ bool File::setAsCurrentWorkingDirectory() const throw()
     return chdir (getFullPathName().toUTF8()) == 0;
 }
 
+const String File::getVersion() const throw()
+{
+    const ScopedAutoReleasePool pool;
+    String result;
+
+    NSBundle* bundle = [NSBundle bundleWithPath: juceStringToNS (getFullPathName())];
+
+    if (bundle != 0)
+    {
+        NSDictionary* info = [bundle infoDictionary];
+
+        if (info != 0)
+        {
+            NSString* name = [info valueForKey: @"CFBundleShortVersionString"];
+
+            if (name != nil)
+                result = nsStringToJuce (name);
+        }
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
+
 const File File::getLinkedTarget() const throw()
 {
     FSRef ref;
diff --git a/juce_amalgamated.h b/juce_amalgamated.h
index 59e3d10434..d9063beae5 100644
--- a/juce_amalgamated.h
+++ b/juce_amalgamated.h
@@ -6405,6 +6405,14 @@ public:
     */
     bool setCreationTime (const Time& newTime) const throw();
 
+    /** If possible, this will try to create a version string for the given file.
+
+        The OS may be able to look at the file and give a version for it - e.g. with
+        executables, bundles, dlls, etc. If no version is available, this will
+        return an empty string.
+    */
+    const String getVersion() const throw();
+
     /** Creates an empty file if it doesn't already exist.
 
         If the file that this object refers to doesn't exist, this will create a file
diff --git a/src/juce_core/io/files/juce_File.h b/src/juce_core/io/files/juce_File.h
index 5953f77128..b80e7878f1 100644
--- a/src/juce_core/io/files/juce_File.h
+++ b/src/juce_core/io/files/juce_File.h
@@ -404,6 +404,14 @@ public:
     */
     bool setCreationTime (const Time& newTime) const throw();
 
+    /** If possible, this will try to create a version string for the given file.
+
+        The OS may be able to look at the file and give a version for it - e.g. with
+        executables, bundles, dlls, etc. If no version is available, this will
+        return an empty string.
+    */
+    const String getVersion() const throw();
+
     //==============================================================================
     /** Creates an empty file if it doesn't already exist.