diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9370d0503
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1.3.x
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/controllers/version.coffee b/app/assets/javascripts/app/controllers/version.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..44bad0de8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/controllers/version.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+class Index extends App.ControllerSubContent
+  requiredPermission: 'admin.version'
+  header: 'Version'
+
+  constructor: ->
+    super
+    @load()
+
+  # fetch data, render view
+  load: ->
+    @startLoading()
+    @ajax(
+      id:    'version'
+      type:  'GET'
+      url:   "#{@apiPath}/version"
+      success: (data) =>
+        @stopLoading()
+        @version = data.version
+        @render()
+    )
+
+  render: ->
+
+    @html App.view('version')(
+      version: @version
+    )
+
+App.Config.set('Version', { prio: 3800, name: 'Version', parent: '#system', target: '#system/version', controller: Index, permission: ['admin.version'] }, 'NavBarAdmin' )
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/version.jst.eco b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/version.jst.eco
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..93883b72c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/version.jst.eco
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<div class="page-header-title">
+  <h1><%- @T('Version') %><small></small></h1>
+</div>
+<div class="page-content">
+  <p>
+    <%- @T('This is Zammad version %s', @version) %>
+  </p>
+</div>
diff --git a/app/controllers/version_controller.rb b/app/controllers/version_controller.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..221715f1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/controllers/version_controller.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2012-2017 Zammad Foundation, http://zammad-foundation.org/
+
+class VersionController < ApplicationController
+  before_action { authentication_check(permission: 'admin.version') }
+
+  # GET /api/v1/version
+  def index
+    render json: {
+      version: Version.get
+    }
+  end
+
+end
diff --git a/config/routes/version.rb b/config/routes/version.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ae54d1ae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/routes/version.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Zammad::Application.routes.draw do
+  api_path = Rails.configuration.api_path
+
+  match api_path + '/version',           to: 'version#index',      via: :get
+
+end
diff --git a/lib/version.rb b/lib/version.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..011ba1a3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/version.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2012-2017 Zammad Foundation, http://zammad-foundation.org/
+
+class Version
+
+=begin
+
+Returns version number of application
+
+  version = Version.get
+
+returns
+
+  '1.3.0' # example
+
+=end
+
+  def self.get
+
+    begin
+      version = File.read("#{Rails.root}/VERSION")
+      version.strip!
+    rescue => e
+      message = e.to_s
+      Rails.logger.error "VERSION file could not be read: #{message}"
+
+      version = ''
+    end
+
+    version
+  end
+
+end