diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 0cb22aff9..e0bb52ad1 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+2008-06-18  Badlop  <badlop@process-one.net>
+
+	* src/ejabberd.app: The ejabberd version number is defined in the
+	OTP application resource file, in the key 'vsn' (EJAB-657)
+	* src/ejabberd.hrl: The macro VERSION now consults the ejabberd
+	application key vsn
+	* src/configure.erl: Load the ejabberd application description
+	* doc/Makefile: Read ejabberd version from ejabberd.app vsn
+	* doc/api/Makefile: Likewise
+
 2008-06-18  Christophe Romain  <christophe.romain@process-one.net>
 
 	* src/mod_pubsub/mod_pubsub.erl: get_default bugfix (EJAB-656)
diff --git a/doc/Makefile b/doc/Makefile
index bab623dcf..c1f35fdff 100644
--- a/doc/Makefile
+++ b/doc/Makefile
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ release:
 	@echo "Press any key to continue"
 	@read foo
 	@echo "% ejabberd version (automatically generated)." > version.tex
-	@echo "\newcommand{\version}{"`sed '/VERSION/!d;s/\(.*\)"\(.*\)"\(.*\)/\2/' ../src/ejabberd.hrl`"}" >> version.tex
+	@echo "\newcommand{\version}{"`sed '/vsn/!d;s/\(.*\)"\(.*\)"\(.*\)/\2/' ../src/ejabberd.app`"}" >> version.tex
 	@echo -n "% Contributed modules (automatically generated)."  > contributed_modules.tex
 	@echo -e "$(CONTRIBUTED_MODULES)" >> contributed_modules.tex
 
diff --git a/doc/api/Makefile b/doc/api/Makefile
index a4c8dbb7c..de356ef20 100644
--- a/doc/api/Makefile
+++ b/doc/api/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 APPNAME = ejabberd
-VSN = $(shell sed '/VERSION/!d;s/\(.*\)"\(.*\)"\(.*\)/\2/' ../../src/ejabberd.hrl)
+VSN = $(shell sed '/vsn/!d;s/\(.*\)"\(.*\)"\(.*\)/\2/' ../../src/ejabberd.app)
 
 DOCDIR=.
 SRCDIR=../../src
diff --git a/src/configure.erl b/src/configure.erl
index f39305b31..b9447c28d 100644
--- a/src/configure.erl
+++ b/src/configure.erl
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ start() ->
     EVersion = "ERLANG_VERSION = " ++ erlang:system_info(version) ++ "\n",
     EIDirS   = "EI_DIR = " ++ code:lib_dir("erl_interface") ++ "\n",
     RootDirS = "ERLANG_DIR = " ++ code:root_dir() ++ "\n",
+    %% Load the ejabberd application description so that ?VERSION can read the vsn key
+    application:load(ejabberd),
     Version  = "EJABBERD_VERSION = " ++ ?VERSION ++ "\n",
     ExpatDir = "EXPAT_DIR = c:\\sdk\\Expat-2.0.0\n",
     OpenSSLDir = "OPENSSL_DIR = c:\\sdk\\OpenSSL\n",
diff --git a/src/ejabberd.app b/src/ejabberd.app
index ce527086c..1ff41ec46 100644
--- a/src/ejabberd.app
+++ b/src/ejabberd.app
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 {application, ejabberd,
  [{description, "ejabberd"},
-  {vsn, "2.0.0"},
+  {vsn, "2.1.0-alpha"},
   {modules, [acl,
 	     adhoc,
 	     configure,
diff --git a/src/ejabberd.hrl b/src/ejabberd.hrl
index 1c199b6fc..d7b16f1e2 100644
--- a/src/ejabberd.hrl
+++ b/src/ejabberd.hrl
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@
 %%%
 %%%----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
--define(VERSION, "2.1.0-alpha").
+%% This macro returns a string of the ejabberd version running, e.g. "2.3.4"
+%% If the ejabberd application description isn't loaded, returns atom: undefined
+-define(VERSION, element(2, application:get_key(ejabberd,vsn))).
 
 -define(MYHOSTS, ejabberd_config:get_global_option(hosts)).
 -define(MYNAME, hd(ejabberd_config:get_global_option(hosts))).