diff --git a/UTILITIES/org-fixup.el b/UTILITIES/org-fixup.el
index f34423b9e..e9483491c 100644
--- a/UTILITIES/org-fixup.el
+++ b/UTILITIES/org-fixup.el
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ the Git work tree)."
 ;;;\#\#\#autoload
 \(defconst org-odt-data-dir \"" odt-dir "\"
   \"The location of ODT styles.\")
+\f\n\(provide 'org-version\)
 \f\n;; Local Variables:\n;; version-control: never
 ;; no-byte-compile: t
 ;; coding: utf-8\n;; End:\n;;; org-version.el ends here\n")
diff --git a/lisp/org-compat.el b/lisp/org-compat.el
index 09a36a20e..51461e8a9 100644
--- a/lisp/org-compat.el
+++ b/lisp/org-compat.el
@@ -443,6 +443,23 @@ With two arguments, return floor and remainder of their quotient."
       'condition-case-unless-debug
     'condition-case-no-debug))
 
+(defmacro org-check-version ()
+  "Try very hard to provide sensible version strings."
+  (let* ((org-dir        (org-find-library-dir "org"))
+	 (org-version.el (concat org-dir "org-version.el"))
+	 (org-fixup.el   (concat org-dir "../UTILITIES/org-fixup.el")))
+    (if (require 'org-version org-version.el 'noerror)
+	'(progn
+	   (autoload 'org-release     "org-version.el")
+	   (autoload 'org-git-version "org-version.el"))
+      (if (require 'org-fixup org-fixup.el 'noerror)
+	  '(org-fixup)
+	;; provide fallback definitions and complain
+	(warn "Could not define org version correctly.  Check installation!")
+	'(progn
+	   (defun org-release () "N/A")
+	   (defun org-git-version () "N/A !!check installation!!"))))))
+
 (provide 'org-compat)
 
 ;;; org-compat.el ends here
diff --git a/lisp/org.el b/lisp/org.el
index 3ad80cb19..4241168d0 100644
--- a/lisp/org.el
+++ b/lisp/org.el
@@ -209,15 +209,7 @@ identifier."
   :group 'org-id)
 
 ;;; Version
-;; fallback definitions if everything goes wrong
-(defun org-release () "N/A")
-(defun org-git-version () "N/A !!check installation!!")
-;; re-define them with something sensible if possible
-(when (eval-when-compile
-	(require 'org-fixup
-		 (concat (org-find-library-dir "org") "../UTILITIES/org-fixup.el")
-		 'noerror))
-  (org-fixup))
+(org-check-version)
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun org-version (&optional here full message)
   "Show the org-mode version in the echo area.