diff --git a/components/codetools/extractproctool.pas b/components/codetools/extractproctool.pas
index b27ccdf126..704b047ae6 100644
--- a/components/codetools/extractproctool.pas
+++ b/components/codetools/extractproctool.pas
@@ -1711,7 +1711,7 @@ function TExtractProcTool.UpdateComponentInit(const aClassName, AccessClass,
 
 begin
   Result:=false;
-  {$IFDEF VerbosePasStream}
+  {$IFDEF VerboseCompWriterPas}
   debugln(['TExtractProcTool.UpdateComponentInit START ',MainFilename,' aClassName="'+aClassName+'" AccessClass="'+AccessClass+'" StartSignature={'+DbgStr(StartSignature)+'} EndSignature={'+dbgstr(EndSignature)+'} InitSrc={'+InitSrc+'}']);
   {$ENDIF}
   if aClassName='' then
diff --git a/components/codetools/tests/testcompreaderwriterpas.pas b/components/codetools/tests/testcompreaderwriterpas.pas
index cb2ea00962..d7fc5af34b 100644
--- a/components/codetools/tests/testcompreaderwriterpas.pas
+++ b/components/codetools/tests/testcompreaderwriterpas.pas
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@
      ./runtests --format=plain --suite=TTestCompReaderWriterPas.TestBaseTypesMaxValues
 
 ToDo:
-- enum: add unit, avoid nameclash with-do
-- custom integer TColor, add unit, avoid nameclash with-do
-- method, avoid nameclash with-do
+- enum: add unit
+- enum: avoid nameclash with-do
+- custom integer TColor: add unit
+- custom integer: avoid nameclash with-do
+- method: avoid nameclash with-do
 - insert/update code and helper class into unit/program
   - find call init proc
   - find old init code
@@ -936,10 +938,12 @@ var
   Actual, ExpS, s: String;
 begin
   Actual:=WriteDescendant(Component,Ancestor);
-  ExpS:=CSPDefaultSignature+LineEnding
-    +'Name:='''+Component.Name+''';'+LineEnding;
+  ExpS:=CSPDefaultSignatureBegin+LineEnding;
+  ExpS:=ExpS+Writer.GetVersionStatement+LineEnding;
+  ExpS:=ExpS+'Name:='''+Component.Name+''';'+LineEnding;
   for s in Expected do
     ExpS:=ExpS+s+LineEnding;
+  ExpS:=ExpS+CSPDefaultSignatureEnd+LineEnding;
   CheckDiff(Msg,ExpS,Actual);
   AssertEquals(Msg+' NeedAccessClass',NeedAccessClass,Writer.NeedAccessClass);
 end;
diff --git a/components/lazutils/compwriterpas.pas b/components/lazutils/compwriterpas.pas
index 3c792b64ab..47010a5c2f 100644
--- a/components/lazutils/compwriterpas.pas
+++ b/components/lazutils/compwriterpas.pas
@@ -44,11 +44,11 @@ unit CompWriterPas;
 interface
 
 uses
-  Classes, SysUtils, typinfo, RtlConsts, contnrs, LazLoggerBase, LazUTF8,
-  LazMethodList;
+  Classes, SysUtils, typinfo, RtlConsts, contnrs, LazLoggerBase, LazUTF8;
 
 const
   // Component serialized as Pascal
+  CSPVersion = 1;
   CSPDefaultSignature = '// Component serialized as Pascal';
   CSPDefaultSignatureBegin = CSPDefaultSignature+' - Begin';
   CSPDefaultSignatureEnd = CSPDefaultSignature+' - End';
@@ -112,7 +112,8 @@ type
     FPropPath: string;
     FRoot: TComponent;
     FRootAncestor: TComponent;
-    FSignature: String;
+    FSignatureBegin: String;
+    FSignatureEnd: String;
     FStream: TStream;
     procedure AddToAncestorList(Component: TComponent);
     procedure DetermineAncestor(Component: TComponent);
@@ -128,10 +129,11 @@ type
   public
     constructor Create(AStream: TStream);
     destructor Destroy; override;
+    // stream a component:
+    procedure WriteDescendant(ARoot: TComponent; AAncestor: TComponent = nil);
+    // utility functions:
     procedure WriteComponentCreate(Component: TComponent);
     procedure WriteComponent(Component: TComponent);
-    procedure WriteDescendant(ARoot: TComponent; AAncestor: TComponent = nil);
-    procedure WriteSignature;
     procedure WriteIndent;
     procedure Write(const s: string);
     procedure WriteLn;
@@ -147,6 +149,7 @@ type
     function GetCurrencyLiteral(const c: currency): string;
     function GetEnumExpr(TypeInfo: PTypeInfo; Value: integer;
       AllowOutOfRange: boolean): string;
+    function GetVersionStatement: string;
     function CreatedByAncestor(Component: TComponent): boolean;
     procedure AddNeededUnit(const AnUnitName: string);
     procedure Indent;
@@ -174,7 +177,8 @@ type
     // code snippets
     property LineEnding: string read FLineEnding write FLineEnding;
     property AssignOp: String read FAssignOp write FAssignOp;
-    property Signature: String read FSignature write FSignature;
+    property SignatureBegin: String read FSignatureBegin write FSignatureBegin;
+    property SignatureEnd: String read FSignatureEnd write FSignatureEnd;
     property AccessClass: string read FAccessClass
       write FAccessClass; // classname used to access protected TComponent members like SetChildOrder
     property NeedAccessClass: boolean read FNeedAccessClass write FNeedAccessClass; // some property needed AccessClass
@@ -1388,6 +1392,11 @@ begin
     raise EWriteError.Create('enum '+IntToStr(Value)+' is out of range of type "'+TypeInfo^.Name+'"');
 end;
 
+function TCompWriterPas.GetVersionStatement: string;
+begin
+  Result:='// Format version '+IntToStr(CSPVersion);
+end;
+
 constructor TCompWriterPas.Create(AStream: TStream);
 var
   C: TAccessComp;
@@ -1396,7 +1405,8 @@ begin
   FStream:=AStream;
   FLineEnding:=system.LineEnding;
   FAssignOp:=':=';
-  FSignature:=CSPDefaultSignature;
+  FSignatureBegin:=CSPDefaultSignatureBegin;
+  FSignatureEnd:=CSPDefaultSignatureEnd;
   FMaxColumn:=CSPDefaultMaxColumn;
   FExecCustomProc:=CSPDefaultExecCustomProc;
   FExecCustomProcUnit:=CSPDefaultExecCustomProcUnit;
@@ -1478,13 +1488,11 @@ begin
   FLookupRoot := ARoot;
   FNeedAccessClass := false;
   if not (cwpoNoSignature in Options) then
-    WriteSignature;
+    WriteStatement(SignatureBegin);
+  WriteStatement(GetVersionStatement);
   WriteComponent(ARoot);
-end;
-
-procedure TCompWriterPas.WriteSignature;
-begin
-  WriteStatement(Signature);
+  if not (cwpoNoSignature in Options) then
+    WriteStatement(SignatureEnd);
 end;
 
 procedure TCompWriterPas.WriteIndent;
diff --git a/ide/startlazarus.res b/ide/startlazarus.res
index 310a9a6851..81e18b4a1c 100644
Binary files a/ide/startlazarus.res and b/ide/startlazarus.res differ