diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml
index c592edac60a..868de184184 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml
@@ -3670,6 +3670,21 @@ bar
         </listitem>
       </varlistentry>
 
+      <varlistentry>
+        <term><varname>SERVER_VERSION_NAME</varname></term>
+        <term><varname>SERVER_VERSION_NUM</varname></term>
+        <listitem>
+        <para>
+        The server's version number as a string, for
+        example <literal>9.6.2</>, <literal>10.1</> or <literal>11beta1</>,
+        and in numeric form, for
+        example <literal>90602</> or <literal>100001</>.
+        These are set every time you connect to a database
+        (including program start-up), but can be changed or unset.
+        </para>
+        </listitem>
+      </varlistentry>
+
       <varlistentry>
         <term><varname>SHOW_CONTEXT</varname></term>
         <listitem>
@@ -3733,10 +3748,15 @@ bar
 
       <varlistentry>
         <term><varname>VERSION</varname></term>
+        <term><varname>VERSION_NAME</varname></term>
+        <term><varname>VERSION_NUM</varname></term>
         <listitem>
         <para>
-        This variable is set at program start-up to
-        reflect <application>psql</>'s version.  It can be changed or unset.
+        These variables are set at program start-up to reflect
+        <application>psql</>'s version, respectively as a verbose string,
+        a short string (e.g., <literal>9.6.2</>, <literal>10.1</>,
+        or <literal>11beta1</>), and a number (e.g., <literal>90602</>
+        or <literal>100001</>).  They can be changed or unset.
         </para>
         </listitem>
       </varlistentry>
diff --git a/src/bin/psql/command.c b/src/bin/psql/command.c
index 4e04459d45e..d4274887484 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/command.c
+++ b/src/bin/psql/command.c
@@ -3337,6 +3337,9 @@ checkWin32Codepage(void)
 void
 SyncVariables(void)
 {
+	char		vbuf[32];
+	const char *server_version;
+
 	/* get stuff from connection */
 	pset.encoding = PQclientEncoding(pset.db);
 	pset.popt.topt.encoding = pset.encoding;
@@ -3348,6 +3351,20 @@ SyncVariables(void)
 	SetVariable(pset.vars, "PORT", PQport(pset.db));
 	SetVariable(pset.vars, "ENCODING", pg_encoding_to_char(pset.encoding));
 
+	/* this bit should match connection_warnings(): */
+	/* Try to get full text form of version, might include "devel" etc */
+	server_version = PQparameterStatus(pset.db, "server_version");
+	/* Otherwise fall back on pset.sversion */
+	if (!server_version)
+	{
+		formatPGVersionNumber(pset.sversion, true, vbuf, sizeof(vbuf));
+		server_version = vbuf;
+	}
+	SetVariable(pset.vars, "SERVER_VERSION_NAME", server_version);
+
+	snprintf(vbuf, sizeof(vbuf), "%d", pset.sversion);
+	SetVariable(pset.vars, "SERVER_VERSION_NUM", vbuf);
+
 	/* send stuff to it, too */
 	PQsetErrorVerbosity(pset.db, pset.verbosity);
 	PQsetErrorContextVisibility(pset.db, pset.show_context);
@@ -3366,6 +3383,8 @@ UnsyncVariables(void)
 	SetVariable(pset.vars, "HOST", NULL);
 	SetVariable(pset.vars, "PORT", NULL);
 	SetVariable(pset.vars, "ENCODING", NULL);
+	SetVariable(pset.vars, "SERVER_VERSION_NAME", NULL);
+	SetVariable(pset.vars, "SERVER_VERSION_NUM", NULL);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/bin/psql/help.c b/src/bin/psql/help.c
index 57b826af166..c163d35df04 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/help.c
+++ b/src/bin/psql/help.c
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ helpVariables(unsigned short int pager)
 	 * Windows builds currently print one more line than non-Windows builds.
 	 * Using the larger number is fine.
 	 */
-	output = PageOutput(88, pager ? &(pset.popt.topt) : NULL);
+	output = PageOutput(93, pager ? &(pset.popt.topt) : NULL);
 
 	fprintf(output, _("List of specially treated variables\n\n"));
 
@@ -368,11 +368,16 @@ helpVariables(unsigned short int pager)
 	fprintf(output, _("  PROMPT2            specifies the prompt used when a statement continues from a previous line\n"));
 	fprintf(output, _("  PROMPT3            specifies the prompt used during COPY ... FROM STDIN\n"));
 	fprintf(output, _("  QUIET              run quietly (same as -q option)\n"));
+	fprintf(output, _("  SERVER_VERSION_NAME  server's version (short string)\n"));
+	fprintf(output, _("  SERVER_VERSION_NUM   server's version (numeric format)\n"));
 	fprintf(output, _("  SHOW_CONTEXT       controls display of message context fields [never, errors, always]\n"));
 	fprintf(output, _("  SINGLELINE         end of line terminates SQL command mode (same as -S option)\n"));
 	fprintf(output, _("  SINGLESTEP         single-step mode (same as -s option)\n"));
 	fprintf(output, _("  USER               the currently connected database user\n"));
 	fprintf(output, _("  VERBOSITY          controls verbosity of error reports [default, verbose, terse]\n"));
+	fprintf(output, _("  VERSION            psql's version (verbose string)\n"));
+	fprintf(output, _("  VERSION_NAME       psql's version (short string)\n"));
+	fprintf(output, _("  VERSION_NUM        psql's version (numeric format)\n"));
 
 	fprintf(output, _("\nDisplay settings:\n"));
 	fprintf(output, _("Usage:\n"));
diff --git a/src/bin/psql/startup.c b/src/bin/psql/startup.c
index 7f767976a5b..1e48f4ad5ad 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/startup.c
+++ b/src/bin/psql/startup.c
@@ -160,7 +160,10 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	EstablishVariableSpace();
 
+	/* Create variables showing psql version number */
 	SetVariable(pset.vars, "VERSION", PG_VERSION_STR);
+	SetVariable(pset.vars, "VERSION_NAME", PG_VERSION);
+	SetVariable(pset.vars, "VERSION_NUM", CppAsString2(PG_VERSION_NUM));
 
 	/* Default values for variables (that don't match the result of \unset) */
 	SetVariableBool(pset.vars, "AUTOCOMMIT");