diff --git a/Modules/FindGIF.cmake b/Modules/FindGIF.cmake
index 8e2e43e32..41e909805 100644
--- a/Modules/FindGIF.cmake
+++ b/Modules/FindGIF.cmake
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
-# This module defines
+# This module searches giflib and defines
 # GIF_LIBRARIES - libraries to link to in order to use GIF
 # GIF_FOUND, if false, do not try to link
 # GIF_INCLUDE_DIR, where to find the headers
+# GIF_VERSION, reports either version 4 or 3 (for everything before version 4)
+#
+# The minimum required version of giflib can be specified using the
+# standard syntax, e.g. FIND_PACKAGE(GIF 4)
 #
 # $GIF_DIR is an environment variable that would
 # correspond to the ./configure --prefix=$GIF_DIR
@@ -47,9 +51,30 @@ FIND_LIBRARY(GIF_LIBRARY
 # see readme.txt
 SET(GIF_LIBRARIES ${GIF_LIBRARY})
 
+# Very basic version detection.
+# The GIF_LIB_VERSION string in gif_lib.h seems to be unreliable, since it seems
+# to be always " Version 2.0, " in versions 3.x of giflib.
+# In version 4 the member UserData was added to GifFileType, so we check for this
+# one.
+# http://giflib.sourcearchive.com/documentation/4.1.4/files.html
+IF(GIF_INCLUDE_DIR)
+  INCLUDE(CMakePushCheckState)
+  INCLUDE(CheckStructHasMember)
+  CMAKE_PUSH_CHECK_STATE()
+  SET(GIF_VERSION 3)
+  SET(CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES "${GIF_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+  CHECK_STRUCT_HAS_MEMBER(GifFileType UserData gif_lib.h GIF_GifFileType_UserData )
+  IF(GIF_GifFileType_UserData)
+    SET(GIF_VERSION 4)
+  ENDIF()
+  CMAKE_POP_CHECK_STATE()
+ENDIF()
+
+
 # handle the QUIETLY and REQUIRED arguments and set GIF_FOUND to TRUE if
 # all listed variables are TRUE
 INCLUDE(${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/FindPackageHandleStandardArgs.cmake)
-FIND_PACKAGE_HANDLE_STANDARD_ARGS(GIF  DEFAULT_MSG  GIF_LIBRARY  GIF_INCLUDE_DIR)
+FIND_PACKAGE_HANDLE_STANDARD_ARGS(GIF  REQUIRED_VARS  GIF_LIBRARY  GIF_INCLUDE_DIR
+                                       VERSION_VAR GIF_VERSION )
 
 MARK_AS_ADVANCED(GIF_INCLUDE_DIR GIF_LIBRARY)