diff --git a/include/slibtool/slibtool.h b/include/slibtool/slibtool.h
index dbc6897..cfad114 100644
--- a/include/slibtool/slibtool.h
+++ b/include/slibtool/slibtool.h
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ struct slbt_version_info {
 	int				minor;
 	int				revision;
 	const char *			verinfo;
+	const char *			vernumber;
 };
 
 struct slbt_host_params {
diff --git a/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c b/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c
index 726bb12..29aff8b 100644
--- a/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c
+++ b/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c
@@ -243,6 +243,10 @@ static int slbt_split_argv(
 			*targv++ = argv[i++];
 			*targv++ = argv[i];
 
+		} else if (!(strcmp("version-number",&argv[i][1]))) {
+			*targv++ = argv[i++];
+			*targv++ = argv[i];
+
 		} else {
 			for (option=options; option->long_name; option++)
 				if (!(strcmp(option->long_name,&argv[i][1])))
@@ -432,6 +436,14 @@ static int slbt_init_version_info(
 	int	revision;
 	int	age;
 
+	if (verinfo->vernumber) {
+		sscanf(verinfo->vernumber,"%d:%d:%d",
+			&verinfo->major,
+			&verinfo->minor,
+			&verinfo->revision);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	sscanf(verinfo->verinfo,"%d:%d:%d",
 		&current,&revision,&age);
 
@@ -691,6 +703,10 @@ int slbt_get_driver_ctx(
 					cctx.verinfo.verinfo = entry->arg;
 					break;
 
+				case TAG_VERSION_NUMBER:
+					cctx.verinfo.vernumber = entry->arg;
+					break;
+
 				case TAG_TARGET:
 					cctx.target = entry->arg;
 					break;
diff --git a/src/internal/slibtool_driver_impl.h b/src/internal/slibtool_driver_impl.h
index fbb6d3b..5e7edad 100644
--- a/src/internal/slibtool_driver_impl.h
+++ b/src/internal/slibtool_driver_impl.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ enum app_tags {
 	TAG_RPATH,
 	TAG_RELEASE,
 	TAG_VERSION_INFO,
+	TAG_VERSION_NUMBER,
 	TAG_NO_SUPPRESS,
 	TAG_PREFER_PIC,
 	TAG_PREFER_NON_PIC,
diff --git a/src/skin/slbt_skin_default.c b/src/skin/slbt_skin_default.c
index 7c421f6..26588c4 100644
--- a/src/skin/slbt_skin_default.c
+++ b/src/skin/slbt_skin_default.c
@@ -95,6 +95,11 @@ const struct argv_option slbt_default_options[] = {
 				"<current>[:<revision>[:<age>]]",
 				"specify version information"},
 
+	{"version-number",	0,TAG_VERSION_NUMBER,ARGV_OPTARG_REQUIRED,
+				ARGV_OPTION_HYBRID_ONLY|ARGV_OPTION_HYBRID_SPACE,0,
+				"<major>[:<minor>[:<revision>]]",
+				"specify version information"},
+
 	{"no-suppress",		0,TAG_NO_SUPPRESS,ARGV_OPTARG_NONE,
 				ARGV_OPTION_HYBRID_ONLY,0,0,
 				"transparently forward all "