diff --git a/bulk_export/bulk_export.info b/bulk_export/bulk_export.info
index 62077dc11fd3681c5363d1547777c803911aa295..2740a3b59579e264571265714ae09f4f63234463 100644
--- a/bulk_export/bulk_export.info
+++ b/bulk_export/bulk_export.info
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@ description = Performs bulk exporting of data objects known about by Chaos tools
 core = 7.x
 dependencies[] = ctools
 package = Chaos tool suite
+version = CTOOLS_MODULE_VERSION
+
diff --git a/ctools.info b/ctools.info
index 045b083c1966ca74db59443180ef447dda51ca11..11590ba6256f7e6312ba31a8aaaad6921982001e 100644
--- a/ctools.info
+++ b/ctools.info
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ name = Chaos tools
 description = A library of helpful tools by Merlin of Chaos.
 core = 7.x
 package = Chaos tool suite
+version = CTOOLS_MODULE_VERSION
 files[] = includes/context.inc
 files[] = includes/css-cache.inc
 files[] = includes/math-expr.inc
diff --git a/ctools.module b/ctools.module
index 3d582071dfc074e604d13e1947868a63eb91c2f3..932942c1ef80a4c54288622ad80dc23a9cf2bba4 100644
--- a/ctools.module
+++ b/ctools.module
@@ -12,6 +12,14 @@
 define('CTOOLS_API_VERSION', '2.0.8');
 
 /**
+ * The current working ctools version.
+ * In a release, it should be 1.x, which should match what drush make will create
+ * In a dev format, it should be 1.(x+1)-dev, which will allow modules depending on new
+ *   features in ctools to depend on ctools > 1.x
+ */
+define('CTOOLS_MODULE_VERSION', '1.6-dev');
+
+/**
  * Test the CTools API version.
  *
  * This function can always be used to safely test if CTools has the minimum
diff --git a/ctools_access_ruleset/ctools_access_ruleset.info b/ctools_access_ruleset/ctools_access_ruleset.info
index 4d1d99452c5aca850370c4f7a5d76631c1037c56..ae34d62400e4ce3160d7b1bf5809848754274877 100644
--- a/ctools_access_ruleset/ctools_access_ruleset.info
+++ b/ctools_access_ruleset/ctools_access_ruleset.info
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@ name = Custom rulesets
 description = Create custom, exportable, reusable access rulesets for applications like Panels.
 core = 7.x
 package = Chaos tool suite
+version = CTOOLS_MODULE_VERSION
 dependencies[] = ctools
diff --git a/ctools_ajax_sample/ctools_ajax_sample.info b/ctools_ajax_sample/ctools_ajax_sample.info
index 1361f4f3fa531ebe6b41d2c5dc1c624aedb9f921..e9056916e19952183b4808e4f483ff1c2836ea18 100644
--- a/ctools_ajax_sample/ctools_ajax_sample.info
+++ b/ctools_ajax_sample/ctools_ajax_sample.info
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name = Chaos Tools (CTools) AJAX Example
 description = Shows how to use the power of Chaos AJAX.
 package = Chaos tool suite
+version = CTOOLS_MODULE_VERSION
 dependencies[] = ctools
 core = 7.x
diff --git a/ctools_custom_content/ctools_custom_content.info b/ctools_custom_content/ctools_custom_content.info
index a3f6665bb02fce04995bdda9a46003b1a36eb69e..27ac40095c0e8e307c8f2542f06bf8e6d427c219 100644
--- a/ctools_custom_content/ctools_custom_content.info
+++ b/ctools_custom_content/ctools_custom_content.info
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@ name = Custom content panes
 description = Create custom, exportable, reusable content panes for applications like Panels.
 core = 7.x
 package = Chaos tool suite
+version = CTOOLS_MODULE_VERSION
 dependencies[] = ctools
diff --git a/ctools_plugin_example/ctools_plugin_example.info b/ctools_plugin_example/ctools_plugin_example.info
index d710125eb47aac9b4c2af150596ee6ee18696c49..7584d4cecfeea1ae00b82e815ad48581e6d94343 100644
--- a/ctools_plugin_example/ctools_plugin_example.info
+++ b/ctools_plugin_example/ctools_plugin_example.info
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 name = Chaos Tools (CTools) Plugin Example
 description = Shows how an external module can provide ctools plugins (for Panels, etc.).
 package = Chaos tool suite
+version = CTOOLS_MODULE_VERSION
 dependencies[] = ctools
 dependencies[] = panels
 dependencies[] = page_manager
diff --git a/page_manager/page_manager.info b/page_manager/page_manager.info
index 4398f5c72e22b29c6b6c3806cbd8d700eff98e44..1dd3b30510a2609a4e63e9689a51ab8f68cd46de 100644
--- a/page_manager/page_manager.info
+++ b/page_manager/page_manager.info
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ description = Provides a UI and API to manage pages within the site.
 core = 7.x
 dependencies[] = ctools
 package = Chaos tool suite
+version = CTOOLS_MODULE_VERSION
diff --git a/stylizer/stylizer.info b/stylizer/stylizer.info
index 2cf5da207bb3793dd1582248420d05cfa69adcc0..94b7b95781e405a51bf6e9e54b3f144bff1f94f1 100644
--- a/stylizer/stylizer.info
+++ b/stylizer/stylizer.info
@@ -2,5 +2,6 @@ name = Stylizer
 description = Create custom styles for applications such as Panels.
 core = 7.x
 package = Chaos tool suite
+version = CTOOLS_MODULE_VERSION
 dependencies[] = ctools
 dependencies[] = color
diff --git a/term_depth/term_depth.info b/term_depth/term_depth.info
index 465566fea71fefad1f310d0a28a0dbe68ec14c1a..b9f5f13985756cad7f54770857d464c1e5e3df1c 100644
--- a/term_depth/term_depth.info
+++ b/term_depth/term_depth.info
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@ name = Term Depth access
 description = Controls access to context based upon term depth
 core = 7.x
 dependencies[] = ctools
-package = Chaos tool suite
\ No newline at end of file
+package = Chaos tool suite
+version = CTOOLS_MODULE_VERSION
diff --git a/tests/ctools_export_test/ctools_export_test.info b/tests/ctools_export_test/ctools_export_test.info
index ecb1c9a6bee476e210231cf274926b31fd912695..b523797194ab67ca404d0caf0dd162c6fc7c3b2d 100644
--- a/tests/ctools_export_test/ctools_export_test.info
+++ b/tests/ctools_export_test/ctools_export_test.info
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ name = CTools export test
 description = CTools export test module
 core = 7.x
 package = Chaos tool suite
+version = CTOOLS_MODULE_VERSION
 dependencies[] = ctools
 hidden = TRUE
 
diff --git a/tests/ctools_plugin_test.info b/tests/ctools_plugin_test.info
index f50a7476019cf8ce56e1f49b5a3acf17c908651a..ca02e263b6d3be126b0da71f7191eaad6f6ee971 100644
--- a/tests/ctools_plugin_test.info
+++ b/tests/ctools_plugin_test.info
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 name = Chaos tools plugins test
 description = Provides hooks for testing ctools plugins.
 package = Chaos tool suite
+version = CTOOLS_MODULE_VERSION
 core = 7.x
 dependencies[] = ctools
 files[] = ctools.plugins.test
diff --git a/views_content/views_content.info b/views_content/views_content.info
index 3f6c8fc31725d34c40bb57fbb8042dc47c82908d..b52f340441a515c2095fa2fdcb2796f44aa27d9f 100644
--- a/views_content/views_content.info
+++ b/views_content/views_content.info
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ dependencies[] = ctools
 dependencies[] = views
 core = 7.x
 package = Chaos tool suite
+version = CTOOLS_MODULE_VERSION
 files[] = plugins/views/views_content_plugin_display_ctools_context.inc
 files[] = plugins/views/views_content_plugin_display_panel_pane.inc
 files[] = plugins/views/views_content_plugin_style_ctools_context.inc
