diff --git a/docs/capi.rst b/docs/capi.rst
index 646a5994..f5da3dab 100644
--- a/docs/capi.rst
+++ b/docs/capi.rst
@@ -510,6 +510,19 @@ Functions
   success another error code in case of error. The list of possible return
   codes vary according to the modules compiled into YARA.
 
+.. c:function:: void yr_get_version(int* major, int* minor, int* micro)
+
+  Get the version of the library loaded at runtime. The
+  :c:macro:`YR_MAJOR_VERSION`, :c:macro:`YR_MINOR_VERSION` and
+  :c:macro:`YR_MICRO_VERSION` macros are fixed when your program is compiled,
+  so a program linked against a shared ``libyara`` cannot use them to tell
+  which version it actually got. This function reports that.
+
+  Any argument may be ``NULL`` if you do not need that component. Unlike the
+  rest of the API, this may be called before :c:func:`yr_initialize`.
+
+  .. versionadded:: 4.6.0
+
 .. c:function:: int yr_compiler_create(YR_COMPILER** compiler)
 
   Create a YARA compiler. You must pass the address of a pointer to a
diff --git a/libyara/include/yara/libyara.h b/libyara/include/yara/libyara.h
index 1dad7fb6..334e71bf 100644
--- a/libyara/include/yara/libyara.h
+++ b/libyara/include/yara/libyara.h
@@ -87,6 +87,12 @@ YR_API int yr_initialize(void);
 
 YR_API int yr_finalize(void);
 
+// Returns the version of the library actually loaded at runtime, which is not
+// necessarily the one the caller was compiled against. Any of the arguments
+// may be NULL if that component is not needed. Unlike the rest of the API this
+// can be called before yr_initialize.
+YR_API void yr_get_version(int* major, int* minor, int* micro);
+
 YR_API int yr_set_configuration(YR_CONFIG_NAME, void*);
 YR_API int yr_set_configuration_uint32(YR_CONFIG_NAME, uint32_t);
 YR_API int yr_set_configuration_uint64(YR_CONFIG_NAME, uint64_t);
diff --git a/libyara/libyara.c b/libyara/libyara.c
index f8331f20..7379e133 100644
--- a/libyara/libyara.c
+++ b/libyara/libyara.c
@@ -546,4 +546,28 @@ YR_API int yr_get_configuration_uint64(YR_CONFIG_NAME name, uint64_t *value)
   default:
     return ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// Get the version of the library loaded at runtime.
+//
+// The YR_MAJOR_VERSION, YR_MINOR_VERSION and YR_MICRO_VERSION macros are fixed
+// at compile time, so a program linked against libyara.so cannot use them to
+// tell which version it ended up with. This function reports the version of
+// the library that is actually loaded.
+//
+// Any argument may be NULL if the caller does not need that component. This
+// function does not depend on any global state, so unlike the rest of the API
+// it can be called before yr_initialize.
+//
+YR_API void yr_get_version(int *major, int *minor, int *micro)
+{
+  if (major != NULL)
+    *major = YR_MAJOR_VERSION;
+
+  if (minor != NULL)
+    *minor = YR_MINOR_VERSION;
+
+  if (micro != NULL)
+    *micro = YR_MICRO_VERSION;
+}
diff --git a/tests/test-version.c b/tests/test-version.c
index 70b56a51..df6dbcaa 100644
--- a/tests/test-version.c
+++ b/tests/test-version.c
@@ -42,6 +42,28 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
   int result = strcmp(PACKAGE_VERSION, YR_VERSION);
 
+  // yr_get_version must report the same version the macros carry, and must
+  // work before yr_initialize and with any argument omitted.
+
+  int major = -1, minor = -1, micro = -1;
+
+  yr_get_version(&major, &minor, &micro);
+
+  if (major != YR_MAJOR_VERSION || minor != YR_MINOR_VERSION ||
+      micro != YR_MICRO_VERSION)
+    result = 1;
+
+  major = minor = micro = -1;
+
+  yr_get_version(&major, NULL, NULL);
+  yr_get_version(NULL, &minor, NULL);
+  yr_get_version(NULL, NULL, &micro);
+  yr_get_version(NULL, NULL, NULL);
+
+  if (major != YR_MAJOR_VERSION || minor != YR_MINOR_VERSION ||
+      micro != YR_MICRO_VERSION)
+    result = 1;
+
   YR_DEBUG_FPRINTF(
       1, stderr, "} = %d // %s() in %s\n", result, __FUNCTION__, argv[0]);