diff --git includes/database/database.inc includes/database/database.inc
index 5675645..27c00a9 100644
--- includes/database/database.inc
+++ includes/database/database.inc
@@ -1049,6 +1049,11 @@ abstract class DatabaseConnection extends PDO {
   abstract public function driver();
 
   /**
+   * Returns the version of the database server.
+   */
+  abstract public function version();
+
+  /**
    * Determines if this driver supports transactions.
    *
    * @return
@@ -2461,6 +2466,16 @@ function db_driver() {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Returns the version of the database server currently in use.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   The database server version as a string.
+ */
+function db_version() {
+  return Database::getConnection()->version();
+}
+
+/**
  * Closes the active database connection.
  *
  * @param $options
diff --git includes/database/mysql/database.inc includes/database/mysql/database.inc
index 09359c1..3ebfa5d 100644
--- includes/database/mysql/database.inc
+++ includes/database/mysql/database.inc
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ class DatabaseConnection_mysql extends DatabaseConnection {
     return 'mysql';
   }
 
+  public function version() {
+    $data = $this->query("SHOW variables LIKE 'version'")->fetchAssoc();
+    return $data['value'];
+  }
+
   public function databaseType() {
     return 'mysql';
   }
diff --git includes/database/pgsql/database.inc includes/database/pgsql/database.inc
index 0ec0ed9..181d61c 100644
--- includes/database/pgsql/database.inc
+++ includes/database/pgsql/database.inc
@@ -126,6 +126,10 @@ class DatabaseConnection_pgsql extends DatabaseConnection {
     return 'pgsql';
   }
 
+  public function version() {
+    return $this->query('SHOW SERVER_VERSION')->fetchField();
+  }
+
   public function databaseType() {
     return 'pgsql';
   }
diff --git includes/database/sqlite/database.inc includes/database/sqlite/database.inc
index 5e54789..ab6a372 100644
--- includes/database/sqlite/database.inc
+++ includes/database/sqlite/database.inc
@@ -178,6 +178,10 @@ class DatabaseConnection_sqlite extends DatabaseConnection {
     return 'sqlite';
   }
 
+  public function version() {
+    return $this->query('SELECT sqlite_version()')->fetchField();
+  }
+
   public function databaseType() {
     return 'sqlite';
   }