diff --git a/context.c b/context.c
index 36d321563..fc91d494e 100644
--- a/context.c
+++ b/context.c
@@ -366,6 +366,9 @@ int iio_context_get_version(const struct iio_context *ctx,
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	if (ctx->ops->get_version)
+		return ctx->ops->get_version(ctx, major, minor, git_tag);
+
 	iio_library_get_version(major, minor, git_tag);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/iio-backend.h b/iio-backend.h
index 6bff4d6aa..582132456 100644
--- a/iio-backend.h
+++ b/iio-backend.h
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ struct iio_backend_ops {
 
 	char * (*get_description)(const struct iio_context *ctx);
 
+	int (*get_version)(const struct iio_context *ctx, unsigned int *major,
+			unsigned int *minor, char git_tag[8]);
+
 	int (*set_timeout)(struct iio_context *ctx, unsigned int timeout);
 };
 
diff --git a/iiod-client.c b/iiod-client.c
index 9b938aa76..e14ec079c 100644
--- a/iiod-client.c
+++ b/iiod-client.c
@@ -177,6 +177,58 @@ void iiod_client_destroy(struct iiod_client *client)
 	free(client);
 }
 
+int iiod_client_get_version(struct iiod_client *client,
+			    struct iiod_client_pdata *desc,
+			    unsigned int *major, unsigned int *minor,
+			    char *git_tag)
+{
+	struct iio_context_pdata *pdata = client->pdata;
+	const struct iiod_client_ops *ops = client->ops;
+	char buf[256], *ptr = buf, *end;
+	long maj, min;
+	int ret;
+
+	iio_mutex_lock(client->lock);
+
+	ret = (int) ops->write(pdata, desc, "VERSION\r\n", sizeof("VERSION\r\n") - 1);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		iio_mutex_unlock(client->lock);
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	ret = (int) ops->read_line(pdata, desc, buf, sizeof(buf));
+	iio_mutex_unlock(client->lock);
+
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
+
+	errno = 0;
+	maj = strtol(ptr, &end, 10);
+	if (ptr == end || errno == ERANGE)
+		return -EIO;
+
+	ptr = end + 1;
+	errno = 0;
+	min = strtol(ptr, &end, 10);
+	if (ptr == end || errno == ERANGE)
+		return -EIO;
+
+	ptr = end + 1;
+	if (buf + ret < ptr + 8)
+		return -EIO;
+
+	/* Strip the \n */
+	ptr[buf + ret - ptr - 1] = '\0';
+
+	if (major)
+		*major = (unsigned int) maj;
+	if (minor)
+		*minor = (unsigned int) min;
+	if (git_tag)
+		iio_strlcpy(git_tag, ptr, 8);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int iiod_client_get_trigger(struct iiod_client *client,
 			    struct iiod_client_pdata *desc,
 			    const struct iio_device *dev,
diff --git a/iiod-client.h b/iiod-client.h
index 1183602a8..be29abe15 100644
--- a/iiod-client.h
+++ b/iiod-client.h
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ struct iiod_client * iiod_client_new(struct iio_context_pdata *pdata,
 				     const struct iiod_client_ops *ops);
 void iiod_client_destroy(struct iiod_client *client);
 
+int iiod_client_get_version(struct iiod_client *client,
+			    struct iiod_client_pdata *desc,
+			    unsigned int *major, unsigned int *minor,
+			    char *git_tag);
+
 int iiod_client_get_trigger(struct iiod_client *client,
 			    struct iiod_client_pdata *desc,
 			    const struct iio_device *dev,
diff --git a/network.c b/network.c
index 32ba08da1..3b39c89ec 100644
--- a/network.c
+++ b/network.c
@@ -856,6 +856,15 @@ static void network_shutdown(struct iio_context *ctx)
 	freeaddrinfo(pdata->addrinfo);
 }
 
+static int network_get_version(const struct iio_context *ctx,
+		unsigned int *major, unsigned int *minor, char git_tag[8])
+{
+	struct iio_context_pdata *pdata = iio_context_get_pdata(ctx);
+
+	return iiod_client_get_version(pdata->iiod_client,
+			&pdata->io_ctx, major, minor, git_tag);
+}
+
 static unsigned int calculate_remote_timeout(unsigned int timeout)
 {
 	/* XXX(pcercuei): We currently hardcode timeout / 2 for the backend used
@@ -918,6 +927,7 @@ static const struct iio_backend_ops network_ops = {
 	.set_trigger = network_set_trigger,
 	.shutdown = network_shutdown,
 	.get_description = network_get_description,
+	.get_version = network_get_version,
 	.set_timeout = network_set_timeout,
 	.set_kernel_buffers_count = network_set_kernel_buffers_count,
 
diff --git a/serial.c b/serial.c
index 34a2a3a46..451b03f03 100644
--- a/serial.c
+++ b/serial.c
@@ -96,6 +96,15 @@ static inline int libserialport_to_errno(enum sp_return ret)
 	}
 }
 
+static int serial_get_version(const struct iio_context *ctx,
+		unsigned int *major, unsigned int *minor, char git_tag[8])
+{
+	struct iio_context_pdata *pdata = iio_context_get_pdata(ctx);
+
+	return iiod_client_get_version(pdata->iiod_client, NULL,
+			major, minor, git_tag);
+}
+
 static char * __serial_get_description(struct sp_port *port)
 {
 	char *description, *name, *desc;
@@ -347,6 +356,7 @@ static int serial_set_timeout(struct iio_context *ctx, unsigned int timeout)
 }
 
 static const struct iio_backend_ops serial_ops = {
+	.get_version = serial_get_version,
 	.open = serial_open,
 	.close = serial_close,
 	.read = serial_read,
diff --git a/usb.c b/usb.c
index cd6521f59..b2042e9c4 100644
--- a/usb.c
+++ b/usb.c
@@ -119,6 +119,15 @@ static void usb_io_context_exit(struct iiod_client_pdata *io_ctx)
 	}
 }
 
+static int usb_get_version(const struct iio_context *ctx,
+		unsigned int *major, unsigned int *minor, char git_tag[8])
+{
+	struct iio_context_pdata *pdata = iio_context_get_pdata(ctx);
+
+	return iiod_client_get_version(pdata->iiod_client,
+			&pdata->io_ctx, major, minor, git_tag);
+}
+
 static unsigned int usb_calculate_remote_timeout(unsigned int timeout)
 {
 	/* XXX(pcercuei): We currently hardcode timeout / 2 for the backend used
@@ -530,6 +539,7 @@ static void usb_cancel(const struct iio_device *dev)
 }
 
 static const struct iio_backend_ops usb_ops = {
+	.get_version = usb_get_version,
 	.open = usb_open,
 	.close = usb_close,
 	.read = usb_read,