diff --git a/legacy/evas/src/lib/Evas.h b/legacy/evas/src/lib/Evas.h
index fcac8eecd8..4f24344e00 100644
--- a/legacy/evas/src/lib/Evas.h
+++ b/legacy/evas/src/lib/Evas.h
@@ -95,9 +95,12 @@ struct _Evas_Rectangle /** A rectangle */
    int h; /**< height of rectangle */
 };
 
+#define EVAS_SMART_CLASS_VERSION 1 /** the version you have to put into the version field in the smart class struct */
 struct _Evas_Smart_Class /** a smart object class */
 {
    const char *name; /** the string name of the class */
+   
+   int version;
 
    void  (*add)         (Evas_Object *o);
    void  (*del)         (Evas_Object *o);
diff --git a/legacy/evas/src/lib/canvas/evas_smart.c b/legacy/evas/src/lib/canvas/evas_smart.c
index f49930c357..b3a0c5f7b2 100644
--- a/legacy/evas/src/lib/canvas/evas_smart.c
+++ b/legacy/evas/src/lib/canvas/evas_smart.c
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ evas_smart_class_new(Evas_Smart_Class *sc)
 
    if (!sc) return NULL;
 
+   /* api does not match abi! for now refuse as we only have 1 version */
+   if (sc->version != EVAS_SMART_CLASS_VERSION) return NULL;
+   
    s = evas_mem_calloc(sizeof(Evas_Smart));
    if (!s) return NULL;