diff --git a/doc/configuration.txt b/doc/configuration.txt
index 370b96022..beae7db87 100644
--- a/doc/configuration.txt
+++ b/doc/configuration.txt
@@ -778,6 +778,10 @@ file, or could be inherited by a program (See 3.7. Programs):
 * HAPROXY_MASTER_CLI: In master-worker mode, listeners addresses of the master
   CLI, separated by semicolons.
 
+* HAPROXY_STARTUP_VERSION: contains the version used to start, in master-worker
+  mode this is the version which was used to start the master, even after
+  updating the binary and reloading.
+
 In addition, some pseudo-variables are internally resolved and may be used as
 regular variables. Pseudo-variables always start with a dot ('.'), and are the
 only ones where the dot is permitted. The current list of pseudo-variables is:
diff --git a/src/haproxy.c b/src/haproxy.c
index 3025d5afe..308f41873 100644
--- a/src/haproxy.c
+++ b/src/haproxy.c
@@ -1490,6 +1490,8 @@ static void init_early(int argc, char **argv)
 	char *tmp;
 	int len;
 
+	setenv("HAPROXY_STARTUP_VERSION", HAPROXY_VERSION, 0);
+
 	/* First, let's initialize most global variables */
 	totalconn = actconn = listeners = stopping = 0;
 	killed = pid = 0;