diff --git a/docs/markdown/snippets/find_program-version.md b/docs/markdown/snippets/find_program-version.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fe3a9a6cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/markdown/snippets/find_program-version.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+## found programs now have a version method
+
+The return value of [[find_program]] can now check the exact version of the
+found program, independent of the minimum version requirement. This can be used
+e.g. to perform different actions depending on the exact version detected.
diff --git a/docs/yaml/objects/external_program.yaml b/docs/yaml/objects/external_program.yaml
index 02bf48f6b..f4064771d 100644
--- a/docs/yaml/objects/external_program.yaml
+++ b/docs/yaml/objects/external_program.yaml
@@ -24,6 +24,14 @@ methods:
     run_command(find_program('foo'), 'arg1', 'arg2')
     ```
 
+- name: version
+  returns: str
+  since: 0.62.0
+  description: |
+    The version number as a string, for example `1.2.8`.
+
+    `unknown` if the program cannot determine the version via a `--version` argument.
+
 - name: full_path
   returns: str
   since: 0.55.0
diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreterobjects.py b/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreterobjects.py
index c7ddb382b..90607ee74 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreterobjects.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreterobjects.py
@@ -516,6 +516,7 @@ class ExternalProgramHolder(ObjectHolder[ExternalProgram]):
         super().__init__(ep, interpreter)
         self.methods.update({'found': self.found_method,
                              'path': self.path_method,
+                             'version': self.version_method,
                              'full_path': self.full_path_method})
 
     @noPosargs
@@ -543,6 +544,17 @@ class ExternalProgramHolder(ObjectHolder[ExternalProgram]):
         assert path is not None
         return path
 
+    @noPosargs
+    @noKwargs
+    @FeatureNew('ExternalProgram.version', '0.62.0')
+    def version_method(self, args: T.List[TYPE_var], kwargs: TYPE_kwargs) -> str:
+        if not self.found():
+            raise InterpreterException('Unable to get the version of a not-found external program')
+        try:
+            return self.held_object.get_version(self.interpreter)
+        except MesonException:
+            return 'unknown'
+
     def found(self) -> bool:
         return self.held_object.found()
 
diff --git a/test cases/common/26 find program/meson.build b/test cases/common/26 find program/meson.build
index 3b59caa93..a083d69a3 100644
--- a/test cases/common/26 find program/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/26 find program/meson.build	
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ assert(not prog.found(), 'Version should be too old')
 prog = find_program('print-version.py', version : '>=1.0')
 assert(prog.found(), 'Program version should match')
 
+prog = find_program('print-version.py')
+assert(prog.version() == '1.0', 'Program version should be detectable')
+
 prog = find_program('print-version-with-prefix.py', version : '>=1.0')
 assert(prog.found(), 'Program version should match')