diff --git a/hdt-lib/include/HDTVersion.hpp b/hdt-lib/include/HDTVersion.hpp
index dca46b08..3ce7fa88 100644
--- a/hdt-lib/include/HDTVersion.hpp
+++ b/hdt-lib/include/HDTVersion.hpp
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@
  * The total version number is: v<HDT_version>.<INDEX_VERSION>.<RELEASE_VERSION>
  */
 
+ #ifndef HDT_HDTVERSION_HPP_
+ #define HDT_HDTVERSION_HPP_
+
 // Version of the actual HDT file that is generated or read.
 // Software must be backwards compatible with all HDT files with the same number.
 #define HDT_VERSION "1"
@@ -37,3 +40,14 @@
 
 // Subreleases that are backwards compatible with both HDT and index file
 #define RELEASE_VERSION "1"
+
+#include <string>
+
+namespace hdt {
+namespace HDTVersion {
+    inline std::string get_version_string(std::string delimiter) {
+      return std::string("v") + HDT_VERSION + delimiter + INDEX_VERSION + delimiter + RELEASE_VERSION;
+    };
+}
+}
+#endif /* HDT_HDTVERSION_HPP_ */
diff --git a/hdt-lib/include/HDTVocabulary.hpp b/hdt-lib/include/HDTVocabulary.hpp
index 86f0d583..ed196169 100644
--- a/hdt-lib/include/HDTVocabulary.hpp
+++ b/hdt-lib/include/HDTVocabulary.hpp
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ namespace hdt {
 namespace HDTVocabulary {
 	// Base
 	const std::string HDT_BASE = "<http://purl.org/HDT/hdt#";
-	const std::string HDT_CONTAINER = HDT_BASE+"HDTv"+HDT_VERSION+">";
+	const std::string HDT_CONTAINER = HDT_BASE+"HDTv" + HDTVersion::get_version_string("-") + ">";
+	const std::string HDT_CONTAINER_BASE = HDT_BASE+"HDTv" + HDT_VERSION;
 	const std::string HDT_HEADER = HDT_BASE+"header";
 	const std::string HDT_DICTIONARY_BASE = HDT_BASE+"dictionary";
 	const std::string HDT_DICTIONARY = HDT_DICTIONARY_BASE+">";
diff --git a/hdt-lib/src/hdt/BasicHDT.cpp b/hdt-lib/src/hdt/BasicHDT.cpp
index 7a25e39f..d51403bc 100644
--- a/hdt-lib/src/hdt/BasicHDT.cpp
+++ b/hdt-lib/src/hdt/BasicHDT.cpp
@@ -656,8 +656,9 @@ void BasicHDT::loadFromHDT(std::istream & input, ProgressListener *listener)
 	// Load Global ControlInformation.
 	controlInformation.load(input);
 	std::string hdtFormat = controlInformation.getFormat();
-	if(hdtFormat!=HDTVocabulary::HDT_CONTAINER) {
-		throw std::runtime_error("This software cannot open this version of HDT File (" + hdtFormat + " =/= " + HDTVocabulary::HDT_CONTAINER + ")");
+	//if(hdtFormat!=HDTVocabulary::HDT_CONTAINER) {
+	if (hdtFormat.find(HDTVocabulary::HDT_CONTAINER_BASE) == std::string::npos) {
+		throw std::runtime_error("This software (v" + std::string(HDT_VERSION) + ".x.x) cannot open this version of HDT File (" + hdtFormat + ")");
 	}
 
 	// Load header
@@ -742,8 +743,9 @@ size_t BasicHDT::loadMMap(unsigned char *ptr, unsigned char *ptrMax, ProgressLis
     // Load Global ControlInformation
     count+=controlInformation.load(&ptr[count], ptrMax);
     std::string hdtFormat = controlInformation.getFormat();
-    if(hdtFormat!=HDTVocabulary::HDT_CONTAINER) {
-    	throw std::runtime_error("This software cannot open this version of HDT File (" + hdtFormat + " =/= " + HDTVocabulary::HDT_CONTAINER + ")");
+		//if(hdtFormat!=HDTVocabulary::HDT_CONTAINER) {
+		if (hdtFormat.find(HDTVocabulary::HDT_CONTAINER_BASE) == std::string::npos) {
+    	throw std::runtime_error("This software (v" + std::string(HDT_VERSION) + ".x.x) cannot open this version of HDT File (" + hdtFormat + ")");
     }
 
     // Load Header
diff --git a/hdt-lib/tools/hdt2rdf.cpp b/hdt-lib/tools/hdt2rdf.cpp
index ffc7f2a3..7da86828 100644
--- a/hdt-lib/tools/hdt2rdf.cpp
+++ b/hdt-lib/tools/hdt2rdf.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 			cout << "Format: " << rdfFormat << endl;
 			break;
 		case 'V':
-			cout << "v" << HDT_VERSION << "." << INDEX_VERSION << "." << RELEASE_VERSION << endl;
+			cout << HDTVersion::get_version_string(".") << endl;
 			return 0;
 		default:
 			cout << "ERROR: Unknown option" << endl;
diff --git a/hdt-lib/tools/hdtInfo.cpp b/hdt-lib/tools/hdtInfo.cpp
index 2c56386c..de40449a 100644
--- a/hdt-lib/tools/hdtInfo.cpp
+++ b/hdt-lib/tools/hdtInfo.cpp
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 			outputFile = optarg;
 			break;
 		case 'V':
-			cout << "v" << HDT_VERSION << "." << INDEX_VERSION << "." << RELEASE_VERSION << endl;
+			cout << HDTVersion::get_version_string(".") << endl;
 			return 0;
 		default:
 			cout << "ERROR: Unknown option" << endl;
diff --git a/hdt-lib/tools/hdtSearch.cpp b/hdt-lib/tools/hdtSearch.cpp
index ffc73b47..049e8f84 100644
--- a/hdt-lib/tools/hdtSearch.cpp
+++ b/hdt-lib/tools/hdtSearch.cpp
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 			measure = true;
 			break;
 		case 'V':
-			cout << "v" << HDT_VERSION << "." << INDEX_VERSION << "." << RELEASE_VERSION << endl;
+			cout << HDTVersion::get_version_string(".") << endl;
 			return 0;
 		default:
 			cout << "ERROR: Unknown option" << endl;
diff --git a/hdt-lib/tools/rdf2hdt.cpp b/hdt-lib/tools/rdf2hdt.cpp
index 997655e5..7bf7992c 100644
--- a/hdt-lib/tools/rdf2hdt.cpp
+++ b/hdt-lib/tools/rdf2hdt.cpp
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 			generateIndex=true;
 			break;
 		case 'V':
-			cout << "v" << HDT_VERSION << "." << INDEX_VERSION << "." << RELEASE_VERSION << endl;
+			cout << HDTVersion::get_version_string(".") << endl;
 			return 0;
 		default:
 			cout << "ERROR: Unknown option" << endl;