diff --git a/src/engine-assuan.c b/src/engine-assuan.c
index 681be62c..c4a84a39 100644
--- a/src/engine-assuan.c
+++ b/src/engine-assuan.c
@@ -131,14 +131,14 @@ llass_get_home_dir (void)
 static char *
 llass_get_version (const char *file_name)
 {
-  return strdup ("1.0.0");
+  return NULL;
 }
 
 
 static const char *
 llass_get_req_version (void)
 {
-  return "1.0.0";
+  return NULL;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/engine-spawn.c b/src/engine-spawn.c
index c01b50e2..e2ee8ba6 100644
--- a/src/engine-spawn.c
+++ b/src/engine-spawn.c
@@ -312,14 +312,14 @@ static char *
 engspawn_get_version (const char *file_name)
 {
   (void)file_name;
-  return strdup ("1.0.0");
+  return NULL;
 }
 
 
 static const char *
 engspawn_get_req_version (void)
 {
-  return "1.0.0";
+  return NULL;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/engine-uiserver.c b/src/engine-uiserver.c
index 1869ff3f..de12f2b1 100644
--- a/src/engine-uiserver.c
+++ b/src/engine-uiserver.c
@@ -123,14 +123,15 @@ static void uiserver_io_event (void *engine,
 static char *
 uiserver_get_version (const char *file_name)
 {
-  return strdup ("1.0.0");
+  (void)file_name;
+  return NULL;
 }
 
 
 static const char *
 uiserver_get_req_version (void)
 {
-  return "1.0.0";
+  return NULL;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/engine.c b/src/engine.c
index 4e59adad..a7c016f0 100644
--- a/src/engine.c
+++ b/src/engine.c
@@ -93,7 +93,8 @@ engine_get_home_dir (gpgme_protocol_t proto)
 
 
 /* Get a malloced string containing the version number of the engine
-   for PROTOCOL.  */
+ * for PROTOCOL.  If this function returns NULL for a valid protocol,
+ * it should be assumed that the engine is a pseudo engine. */
 static char *
 engine_get_version (gpgme_protocol_t proto, const char *file_name)
 {
@@ -107,7 +108,8 @@ engine_get_version (gpgme_protocol_t proto, const char *file_name)
 }
 
 
-/* Get the required version number of the engine for PROTOCOL.  */
+/* Get the required version number of the engine for PROTOCOL.  This
+ * may be NULL. */
 static const char *
 engine_get_req_version (gpgme_protocol_t proto)
 {
@@ -164,8 +166,8 @@ _gpgme_engine_info_release (gpgme_engine_info_t info)
     {
       gpgme_engine_info_t next_info = info->next;
 
-      assert (info->file_name);
-      free (info->file_name);
+      if (info->file_name)
+        free (info->file_name);
       if (info->home_dir)
 	free (info->home_dir);
       if (info->version)
@@ -203,6 +205,7 @@ gpgme_get_engine_info (gpgme_engine_info_t *info)
 	{
 	  const char *ofile_name = engine_get_file_name (proto_list[proto]);
 	  const char *ohome_dir  = engine_get_home_dir (proto_list[proto]);
+          char *version = engine_get_version (proto_list[proto], NULL);
 	  char *file_name;
 	  char *home_dir;
 
@@ -222,10 +225,18 @@ gpgme_get_engine_info (gpgme_engine_info_t *info)
           else
             home_dir = NULL;
 
-	  *lastp = malloc (sizeof (*engine_info));
+	  *lastp = calloc (1, sizeof (*engine_info));
           if (!*lastp && !err)
             err = gpg_error_from_syserror ();
 
+          /* Now set the dummy version for pseudo engines.  */
+          if (!err && !version)
+            {
+              version = strdup ("1.0.0");
+              if (!version)
+                err = gpg_error_from_syserror ();
+            }
+
 	  if (err)
 	    {
 	      _gpgme_engine_info_release (engine_info);
@@ -235,6 +246,8 @@ gpgme_get_engine_info (gpgme_engine_info_t *info)
 		free (file_name);
 	      if (home_dir)
 		free (home_dir);
+	      if (version)
+		free (version);
 
 	      UNLOCK (engine_info_lock);
 	      return err;
@@ -243,8 +256,10 @@ gpgme_get_engine_info (gpgme_engine_info_t *info)
 	  (*lastp)->protocol = proto_list[proto];
 	  (*lastp)->file_name = file_name;
 	  (*lastp)->home_dir = home_dir;
-	  (*lastp)->version = engine_get_version (proto_list[proto], NULL);
+	  (*lastp)->version = version;
 	  (*lastp)->req_version = engine_get_req_version (proto_list[proto]);
+	  if (!(*lastp)->req_version)
+            (*lastp)->req_version = "1.0.0"; /* Dummy for pseudo engines. */
 	  (*lastp)->next = NULL;
 	  lastp = &(*lastp)->next;
 	}
@@ -353,6 +368,7 @@ _gpgme_set_engine_info (gpgme_engine_info_t info, gpgme_protocol_t proto,
 {
   char *new_file_name;
   char *new_home_dir;
+  char *new_version;
 
   /* FIXME: Use some PROTO_MAX definition.  */
   if (proto > DIM (engine_ops))
@@ -401,6 +417,17 @@ _gpgme_set_engine_info (gpgme_engine_info_t info, gpgme_protocol_t proto,
         new_home_dir = NULL;
     }
 
+  new_version = engine_get_version (proto, new_file_name);
+  if (!new_version)
+    {
+      new_version = strdup ("1.0.0"); /* Fake one for dummy entries.  */
+      if (!new_version)
+        {
+          free (new_file_name);
+          free (new_home_dir);
+        }
+    }
+
   /* Remove the old members.  */
   assert (info->file_name);
   free (info->file_name);
@@ -412,7 +439,7 @@ _gpgme_set_engine_info (gpgme_engine_info_t info, gpgme_protocol_t proto,
   /* Install the new members.  */
   info->file_name = new_file_name;
   info->home_dir = new_home_dir;
-  info->version = engine_get_version (proto, new_file_name);
+  info->version = new_version;
 
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 15e5aeec..e2f1c353 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ parse_version_number (const char *str, int *number)
 /* Parse the version string STR in the format MAJOR.MINOR.MICRO (for
    example, 9.3.2) and return the components in MAJOR, MINOR and MICRO
    as integers.  The function returns the tail of the string that
-   follows the version number.  This might be te empty string if there
+   follows the version number.  This might be the empty string if there
    is nothing following the version number, or a patchlevel.  The
    function returns NULL if the version string is not valid.  */
 static const char *