diff --git a/lib/Makefile.am b/lib/Makefile.am
index 6848763d4..145a9ba27 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/Makefile.am
@@ -11,6 +11,36 @@ lib_LTLIBRARIES = libcurl.la
 
 INCLUDES = -I$(top_srcdir)/include
 
+
+libcurl_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info 1:0:0
+# This flag accepts an argument of the form current[:revision[:age]]. So,
+# passing -version-info 3:12:1 sets current to 3, revision to 12, and age to
+# 1.
+#
+# If either revision or age are omitted, they default to 0. Also note that age
+# must be less than or equal to the current interface number.
+#
+# Here are a set of rules to help you update your library version information: 
+#
+# 1.Start with version information of 0:0:0 for each libtool library.
+#
+# 2.Update the version information only immediately before a public release of
+# your software. More frequent updates are unnecessary, and only guarantee
+# that the current interface number gets larger faster.
+#
+# 3.If the library source code has changed at all since the last update, then
+# increment revision (c:r:a becomes c:r+1:a).
+#
+# 4.If any interfaces have been added, removed, or changed since the last
+# update, increment current, and set revision to 0.
+#
+# 5.If any interfaces have been added since the last public release, then
+# increment age.
+#
+# 6.If any interfaces have been removed since the last public release, then
+# set age to 0.
+#
+
 libcurl_la_SOURCES = \
 arpa_telnet.h  file.c         getpass.h      netrc.h        timeval.c \
 base64.c       file.h         hostip.c       progress.c     timeval.h \