diff --git a/include/osg/Version b/include/osg/Version
index 8df645df9..35ea800d8 100644
--- a/include/osg/Version
+++ b/include/osg/Version
@@ -21,8 +21,20 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #define OPENSCENEGRAPH_MAJOR_VERSION    2
 #define OPENSCENEGRAPH_MINOR_VERSION    9
-#define OPENSCENEGRAPH_PATCH_VERSION    4
-#define OPENSCENEGRAPH_SOVERSION        59
+#define OPENSCENEGRAPH_PATCH_VERSION    5
+#define OPENSCENEGRAPH_SOVERSION        60
+
+/** convinience macro that can be used to decide whether a feature is present or not i.e.
+  * #if OSG_MIN_VERSION_REQUIRED(2,9,5)
+  *    your code here
+  * #endif
+  */ 
+#define OSG_MIN_VERSION_REQUIRED(MAJOR, MINOR, PATCH) ((OPENSCENEGRAPH_MAJOR_VERSION>MAJOR) || (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MAJOR_VERSION==MAJOR && (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MINOR_VERSION>MINOR || (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MINOR_VERSION==MINOR && OPENSCENEGRAPH_PATCH_VERSION>=PATCH))))
+#define OSG_VERSION_LESS_THAN(MAJOR, MINOR, PATCH) ((OPENSCENEGRAPH_MAJOR_VERSION<MAJOR) || (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MAJOR_VERSION==MAJOR && (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MINOR_VERSION<MINOR || (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MINOR_VERSION==MINOR && OPENSCENEGRAPH_PATCH_VERSION<PATCH))))
+#define OSG_VERSION_LESS_OR_EQUAL(MAJOR, MINOR, PATCH) ((OPENSCENEGRAPH_MAJOR_VERSION<MAJOR) || (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MAJOR_VERSION==MAJOR && (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MINOR_VERSION<MINOR || (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MINOR_VERSION==MINOR && OPENSCENEGRAPH_PATCH_VERSION<=PATCH))))
+#define OSG_VERSION_GREATER_THAN(MAJOR, MINOR, PATCH) ((OPENSCENEGRAPH_MAJOR_VERSION>MAJOR) || (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MAJOR_VERSION==MAJOR && (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MINOR_VERSION>MINOR || (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MINOR_VERSION==MINOR && OPENSCENEGRAPH_PATCH_VERSION>PATCH))))
+#define OSG_VERSION_GREATER_OR_EQUAL(MAJOR, MINOR, PATCH) ((OPENSCENEGRAPH_MAJOR_VERSION>MAJOR) || (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MAJOR_VERSION==MAJOR && (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MINOR_VERSION>MINOR || (OPENSCENEGRAPH_MINOR_VERSION==MINOR && OPENSCENEGRAPH_PATCH_VERSION>=PATCH))))
+
 
 /**
   * osgGetVersion() returns the library version number.