diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 09b7840c..5c1363fc 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ This changelog is used to track all major changes to Mopidy.
 v0.18.0 (UNRELEASED)
 ====================
 
+**Core API**
+
+- Expose :meth:`mopidy.core.Core.get_version` to HTTP clients for managing
+  compatability between API versions. (Fixes: :issue:`597`)
+
 **Pluggable local libraries**
 
 Fixes issues :issue:`44`, partially resolves :issue:`397`, and causes
diff --git a/mopidy/core/actor.py b/mopidy/core/actor.py
index b7eca93c..65228cc4 100644
--- a/mopidy/core/actor.py
+++ b/mopidy/core/actor.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import pykka
 
 from mopidy.audio import AudioListener, PlaybackState
 from mopidy.backends.listener import BackendListener
+from mopidy.utils import versioning
 
 from .library import LibraryController
 from .listener import CoreListener
@@ -75,6 +76,12 @@ class Core(pykka.ThreadingActor, AudioListener, BackendListener):
         # Forward event from backend to frontends
         CoreListener.send('playlists_loaded')
 
+    def get_version(self):
+        return versioning.get_version()
+
+    version = property(get_version)
+    """Version of the Mopidy core API"""
+
 
 class Backends(list):
     def __init__(self, backends):
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/http/ws.py b/mopidy/frontends/http/ws.py
index b46b450e..d773b422 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/http/ws.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/http/ws.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ class WebSocketResource(object):
         inspector = jsonrpc.JsonRpcInspector(
             objects={
                 'core.get_uri_schemes': core.Core.get_uri_schemes,
+                'core.get_version': core.Core.get_version,
                 'core.library': core.LibraryController,
                 'core.playback': core.PlaybackController,
                 'core.playlists': core.PlaylistsController,
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ class WebSocketResource(object):
             objects={
                 'core.describe': inspector.describe,
                 'core.get_uri_schemes': self._core.get_uri_schemes,
+                'core.get_version': self._core.get_version,
                 'core.library': self._core.library,
                 'core.playback': self._core.playback,
                 'core.playlists': self._core.playlists,