diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 0d34f81586..b0370a9a33 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ set(PROJECT_MINOR_VERSION 5)
 set(PROJECT_PATCH_VERSION 0)
 set(PROJECT_BUILD_VERSION ${GIT_REVISION})
 set(PROJECT_VERSION_EXTENSION "")
+set(PROJECT_RELEASE_VERSION "${PROJECT_MAJOR_VERSION}.${PROJECT_MINOR_VERSION}")
 
 if(DEFINED ENV{WIRESHARK_VERSION_EXTRA})
 	set(PROJECT_VERSION_EXTENSION "$ENV{WIRESHARK_VERSION_EXTRA}")
@@ -1360,7 +1361,7 @@ if(LIBSSH_FOUND)
 endif()
 
 # Directory where plugins and Lua dissectors can be found.
-set(PLUGIN_VERSION_DIR "plugins/${PROJECT_MAJOR_VERSION}.${PROJECT_MINOR_VERSION}")
+set(PLUGIN_VERSION_DIR "plugins/${PROJECT_RELEASE_VERSION}")
 set(PLUGIN_INSTALL_LIBDIR "${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/${CPACK_PACKAGE_NAME}/${PLUGIN_VERSION_DIR}")
 # Used by the WiresharkConfig.cmake.in module
 if (WIN32)
@@ -1410,7 +1411,7 @@ else()
 endif()
 
 if(ENABLE_APPLICATION_BUNDLE)
-	set(_plugin_dir "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/run/Wireshark.app/Contents/PlugIns/wireshark/${PROJECT_MAJOR_VERSION}.${PROJECT_MINOR_VERSION}")
+	set(_plugin_dir "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/run/Wireshark.app/Contents/PlugIns/wireshark/${PROJECT_RELEASE_VERSION}")
 else()
 	get_target_property(_libwireshark_location epan LOCATION)
 	get_filename_component(_plugin_dir "${_libwireshark_location}" PATH)
diff --git a/cmakeconfig.h.in b/cmakeconfig.h.in
index 628ea2c067..66d6c25d37 100644
--- a/cmakeconfig.h.in
+++ b/cmakeconfig.h.in
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #define VERSION_MINOR ${PROJECT_MINOR_VERSION}
 #define VERSION_MICRO ${PROJECT_PATCH_VERSION}
 
+#define VERSION_RELEASE "${PROJECT_RELEASE_VERSION}"
 #define VERSION_FLAVOR "${VERSION_FLAVOR}"
 
 /* FIXME: Move the path stuff to the CMakeInstallDirs.cmake file */
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f71c7c7ed6..78f9375423 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ AC_INIT(Wireshark, [version_major.version_minor.version_micro_extra], http://bug
 CONFIG_ARGS="$*"
 AC_SUBST(CONFIG_ARGS)
 
+VERSION_RELEASE="version_major.version_minor"
+AC_SUBST(VERSION_RELEASE)
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([VERSION_RELEASE], ["$VERSION_RELEASE"], [Wireshark feature release version (X.Y)])
+
 # Minimum autoconf version we require.
 AC_PREREQ(2.64)
 # Variable expansion doesn't work in AC_PREREQ()
@@ -2596,7 +2600,7 @@ dnl check whether plugins should be enabled and, if they should be,
 dnl check for plugins directory - stolen from Amanda's configure.ac
 dnl
 dnl we don't wish to expand ${libdir} yet
-plugindir="\${libdir}/wireshark/plugins/version_major.version_minor"
+plugindir="\${libdir}/wireshark/plugins/$VERSION_RELEASE"
 AC_ARG_WITH(plugins,
   AC_HELP_STRING( [--with-plugins@<:@=DIR@:>@],
 		  [support plugins (installed in DIR, if supplied) @<:@default=yes, if possible@:>@]),
diff --git a/doc/plugins.example/Makefile.am b/doc/plugins.example/Makefile.am
index 1b9b5b0d27..b477e13933 100644
--- a/doc/plugins.example/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/plugins.example/Makefile.am
@@ -23,17 +23,21 @@ WARNFLAGS = -Wall -Wextra
 
 plugindir := $(shell PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$(PKG_CONFIG_PATH) $(PKG_CONFIG) --define-variable=libdir=$(libdir) --variable plugindir wireshark)
 
+release_version := $(notdir $(plugindir))
+
 plugin_LTLIBRARIES = hello.la
 
 hello_la_SOURCES = hello.c
 
+hello_la_CPPFLAGS = -DVERSION_RELEASE=\"$(release_version)\"
+
 hello_la_CFLAGS = $(WIRESHARK_CFLAGS) -fvisibility=hidden $(WARNFLAGS)
 
 hello_la_LDFLAGS = -module -avoid-version -shared
 
 hello_la_LIBADD = $(WIRESHARK_LIBS)
 
-homedir = $${HOME}/.local/lib/wireshark/plugins/$(notdir $(plugindir))
+homedir = $${HOME}/.local/lib/wireshark/plugins/$(release_version)
 
 install-home:
 	$(MKDIR_P) $(homedir) || exit 1; \
diff --git a/doc/plugins.example/hello.c b/doc/plugins.example/hello.c
index af78239e3a..8493d12ad0 100644
--- a/doc/plugins.example/hello.c
+++ b/doc/plugins.example/hello.c
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@
 
 #define DLL_PUBLIC __attribute__((__visibility__("default")))
 
-DLL_PUBLIC const gchar version[] = VERSION;
+DLL_PUBLIC const gchar plugin_version[] = VERSION;
+DLL_PUBLIC const gchar plugin_release[] = VERSION_RELEASE;
 
 DLL_PUBLIC void plugin_register(void);
 
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ static dissector_handle_t handle_hello;
 static int
 dissect_hello(tvbuff_t *tvb, packet_info *pinfo _U_, proto_tree *tree, void *data _U_)
 {
-    proto_tree_add_protocol_format(tree, proto_hello, tvb, 0, -1, "This is Hello version %s, a Wireshark postdissector plugin prototype", version);
+    proto_tree_add_protocol_format(tree, proto_hello, tvb, 0, -1, "This is Hello version %s, a Wireshark postdissector plugin prototype", plugin_version);
     return tvb_captured_length(tvb);
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/stats_tree/stats_tree_plugin.c b/plugins/stats_tree/stats_tree_plugin.c
index 2c91d62e86..da08bba51e 100644
--- a/plugins/stats_tree/stats_tree_plugin.c
+++ b/plugins/stats_tree/stats_tree_plugin.c
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@
 
 #include "pinfo_stats_tree.h"
 
-WS_DLL_PUBLIC_DEF const gchar version[] = "0.0.1";
+WS_DLL_PUBLIC_DEF const gchar plugin_version[] = "0.0.1";
+WS_DLL_PUBLIC_DEF const gchar plugin_release[] = VERSION_RELEASE;
 
 WS_DLL_PUBLIC_DEF void plugin_register_tap_listener(void)
 {
diff --git a/tools/make-dissector-reg.py b/tools/make-dissector-reg.py
index 7eb035489f..5d59f886bb 100755
--- a/tools/make-dissector-reg.py
+++ b/tools/make-dissector-reg.py
@@ -202,8 +202,8 @@ if registertype == "plugin" or registertype == "plugin_wtap":
 #include "ws_symbol_export.h"
 
 #ifndef ENABLE_STATIC
-WS_DLL_PUBLIC_DEF void plugin_register (void);
-WS_DLL_PUBLIC_DEF const gchar version[] = VERSION;
+WS_DLL_PUBLIC_DEF const gchar plugin_version[] = VERSION;
+WS_DLL_PUBLIC_DEF const gchar plugin_release[] = VERSION_RELEASE;
 
 """
 else:
diff --git a/wsutil/filesystem.c b/wsutil/filesystem.c
index ce1eca773b..8f0a3ead2d 100644
--- a/wsutil/filesystem.c
+++ b/wsutil/filesystem.c
@@ -1066,8 +1066,7 @@ get_plugins_dir_with_version(void)
     if (!plugin_dir)
         init_plugin_dir();
     if (plugin_dir && !plugin_dir_with_version)
-        plugin_dir_with_version = g_strdup_printf("%s" G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S "%d.%d",
-                                        plugin_dir, VERSION_MAJOR, VERSION_MINOR);
+        plugin_dir_with_version = g_build_filename(plugin_dir, VERSION_RELEASE, (gchar *)NULL);
     return plugin_dir_with_version;
 }
 
@@ -1086,8 +1085,7 @@ get_plugins_pers_dir_with_version(void)
     if (!plugin_pers_dir)
         init_plugin_pers_dir();
     if (plugin_pers_dir && !plugin_pers_dir_with_version)
-        plugin_pers_dir_with_version = g_strdup_printf("%s" G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S "%d.%d",
-                                        plugin_pers_dir, VERSION_MAJOR, VERSION_MINOR);
+        plugin_pers_dir_with_version = g_build_filename(plugin_pers_dir, VERSION_RELEASE, (gchar *)NULL);
     return plugin_pers_dir_with_version;
 }
 
diff --git a/wsutil/plugins.c b/wsutil/plugins.c
index 62ddf997fd..cde504a24e 100644
--- a/wsutil/plugins.c
+++ b/wsutil/plugins.c
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ plugins_scan_dir(const char *dirname, plugin_load_failure_mode mode)
     gchar         *filename;        /* current file name */
     GModule       *handle;          /* handle returned by g_module_open */
     gpointer       symbol;
+    const char    *plug_version, *plug_release;
     plugin        *new_plug;
     gchar         *dot;
 
@@ -182,9 +183,23 @@ plugins_scan_dir(const char *dirname, plugin_load_failure_mode mode)
                 continue;
             }
 
-            if (!g_module_symbol(handle, "version", &symbol))
+            if (!g_module_symbol(handle, "plugin_version", &symbol))
             {
-                report_failure("The plugin '%s' has no \"version\" symbol", name);
+                report_failure("The plugin '%s' has no \"plugin_version\" symbol", name);
+                g_module_close(handle);
+                continue;
+            }
+            plug_version = (const char *)symbol;
+
+            if (!g_module_symbol(handle, "plugin_release", &symbol))
+            {
+                report_failure("The plugin '%s' has no \"plugin_release\" symbol", name);
+                g_module_close(handle);
+                continue;
+            }
+            plug_release = (const char *)symbol;
+            if (strcmp(plug_release, VERSION_RELEASE) != 0) {
+                report_failure("The plugin '%s' was compiled for Wireshark version %s", name, plug_release);
                 g_module_close(handle);
                 continue;
             }
@@ -192,7 +207,7 @@ plugins_scan_dir(const char *dirname, plugin_load_failure_mode mode)
             new_plug = (plugin *)g_malloc(sizeof(plugin));
             new_plug->handle = handle;
             new_plug->name = g_strdup(name);
-            new_plug->version = (char *)symbol;
+            new_plug->version = plug_version;
             new_plug->types = g_string_new(NULL);
 
             /*