diff --git a/documentation/RELEASE_NOTES.html b/documentation/RELEASE_NOTES.html
index c16a3fd91..f5fe169db 100644
--- a/documentation/RELEASE_NOTES.html
+++ b/documentation/RELEASE_NOTES.html
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@
 
 <!-- Insert new items immediately below here ... -->
 
+<h3>Added CA->version function to CA Perl Bindings</h3>
+
+<p>This new function returns the version string from Base. The ca*.pl tools have
+been updated to display this in their help output.</p>
+
 <h3>epicsString.h comparison functions fixed</h3>
 
 <p>The case-independent string comparison functions epicsStrCaseCmp() and
diff --git a/src/cap5/CA.pm b/src/cap5/CA.pm
index ac6542e01..31f09f9fb 100644
--- a/src/cap5/CA.pm
+++ b/src/cap5/CA.pm
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 use strict;
 use warnings;
 
-my $version = '0.4';
+my $version = '0.5';
 
 
 package CA;
@@ -507,6 +507,11 @@ class method syntax, e.g. C<< CA->pend_io(10) >>.
 
 =over 4
 
+=item version
+
+Returns the EPICS_VERSION_STRING from the version of EPICS Base this software
+was built using.
+
 =item flush_io
 
 Flush outstanding IO requests to the server. This routine is useful for users
diff --git a/src/cap5/Cap5.xs b/src/cap5/Cap5.xs
index c3e4d0e50..785041229 100644
--- a/src/cap5/Cap5.xs
+++ b/src/cap5/Cap5.xs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 #include "cadef.h"
 #include "db_access.h"
+#include "epicsVersion.h"
 #include "alarm.h"
 #include "alarmString.h"
 
@@ -1010,6 +1011,12 @@ void CA_flush_io(const char *class) {
 }
 
 
+/* CA::version($class) */
+
+const char * CA_version(const char *class) {
+    return EPICS_VERSION_STRING;
+}
+
 /* CA::add_exception_event($class, \&sub) */
 
 static
@@ -1385,6 +1392,10 @@ void
 CA_flush_io (class)
 	const char *	class
 
+const char *
+CA_version (class)
+	const char *	class
+
 void
 CA_add_exception_event (class, sub)
 	const char *	class
diff --git a/src/cap5/caget.pl b/src/cap5/caget.pl
index df8cb6d25..a3fcbfe85 100644
--- a/src/cap5/caget.pl
+++ b/src/cap5/caget.pl
@@ -148,11 +148,11 @@ sub display {
 }
 
 sub HELP_MESSAGE {
-    print STDERR "\nUsage: caget [options] <PV name> ...\n",
+    print STDERR "\nUsage: caget.pl [options] <PV name> ...\n",
         "\n",
         "  -h: Help: Print this message\n",
         "Channel Access options:\n",
-        "  -w <sec>:  Wait time, specifies longer CA timeout, default is $opt_w second\n",
+        "  -w <sec>:  Wait time, specifies CA timeout, default is $opt_w second\n",
         "Format options:\n",
         "  -t: Terse mode - print only value, without name\n",
         "  -a: Wide mode \"name timestamp value stat sevr\" (read PVs as DBR_TIME_xxx)\n",
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ sub HELP_MESSAGE {
         "  -0b: Print as binary number\n",
         "Set output field separator:\n",
         "  -F <ofs>: Use <ofs> to separate fields on output\n",
-        "\n";
+        "\n",
+        "Base version: ", CA->version, "\n";
     exit 1;
 }
diff --git a/src/cap5/cainfo.pl b/src/cap5/cainfo.pl
index 2196655b1..2c08bcfe6 100644
--- a/src/cap5/cainfo.pl
+++ b/src/cap5/cainfo.pl
@@ -52,13 +52,14 @@ sub display {
 }
 
 sub HELP_MESSAGE {
-    print STDERR "\nUsage: cainfo [options] <PV name> ...\n",
+    print STDERR "\nUsage: cainfo.pl [options] <PV name> ...\n",
         "\n",
         "  -h: Help: Print this message\n",
         "Channel Access options:\n",
         "  -w <sec>:   Wait time, specifies CA timeout, default is $opt_w second\n",
         "\n",
         "Example: cainfo my_channel another_channel\n",
-        "\n";
+        "\n",
+        "Base version: ", CA->version, "\n";
     exit 1;
 }
diff --git a/src/cap5/camonitor.pl b/src/cap5/camonitor.pl
index 4d19272b2..2a933abbe 100644
--- a/src/cap5/camonitor.pl
+++ b/src/cap5/camonitor.pl
@@ -109,11 +109,11 @@ sub display {
 }
 
 sub HELP_MESSAGE {
-    print STDERR "\nUsage: camonitor [options] <PV name> ...\n",
+    print STDERR "\nUsage: camonitor.pl [options] <PV name> ...\n",
         "\n",
         "  -h: Help: Print this message\n",
         "Channel Access options:\n",
-        "  -w <sec>:  Wait time, specifies longer CA timeout, default is $opt_w second\n",
+        "  -w <sec>:  Wait time, specifies CA timeout, default is $opt_w second\n",
         "  -m <mask>: Specify CA event mask to use, with <mask> being any combination of\n",
         "             'v' (value), 'a' (alarm), 'l' (log/archive), 'p' (property)",
         "             Default: '$opt_m'\n",
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ sub HELP_MESSAGE {
         "\n",
         "Example: camonitor -f8 my_channel another_channel\n",
         "  (doubles are printed as %f with 8 decimal digits)\n",
-        "\n";
+        "\n",
+        "Base version: ", CA->version, "\n";
     exit 1;
 }
diff --git a/src/cap5/capr.pl b/src/cap5/capr.pl
index 04f1caa97..cf0c4d397 100644
--- a/src/cap5/capr.pl
+++ b/src/cap5/capr.pl
@@ -401,23 +401,22 @@ sub printRecordList {
 sub HELP_MESSAGE {
     print STDERR "\n",
         "Usage: capr.pl -h\n",
-        "       capr.pl [-d file.dbd] [-w seconds] -r\n",
-        "       capr.pl [-d file.dbd] [-w seconds] -f record_type\n",
-        "       capr.pl [-d file.dbd] [-w seconds] record_name [interest]\n",
-        "Description:\n",
-        "   Attempts to perform a \"dbpr\" record print via channel access for \n",
-        "   record_name at an interest level which defaults to level 0.\n\n",
-        "   The -r or -f options cause it to print record type or field lists.\n",
+        "       capr.pl [options] -r\n",
+        "       capr.pl [options] -f <record type>\n",
+        "       capr.pl [options] <record name> [<interest>]\n",
         "\n",
-        "Options:\n",
-        "   -h Prints this help message.\n",
-        "   -r Lists all record types in the dbd file.\n",
-        "   -f record_type: Lists all fields plus their interest level, data type\n",
-        "      and number base for the given record_type.\n",
-        "   -d file.dbd: The dbd file containing record type definitions.\n",
-        "      This can be set using the EPICS_CAPR_DBD_FILE environment variable.\n",
-        "      Currently ", AbsPath($opt_d), "\n",
-        "   -w seconds: CA connection timeout, currently $opt_w\n",
-        "\n";
+        "  -h Print this help message.\n",
+        "Channel Access options:\n",
+        "  -w <sec>:  Wait time, specifies CA timeout, default is $opt_w second\n",
+        "Database Definitions:\n",
+        "  -d <file.dbd>: The file containing record type definitions.\n",
+        "     This can be set using the EPICS_CAPR_DBD_FILE environment variable.\n",
+        "     Default: ", AbsPath($opt_d), "\n",
+        "Output Options:\n",
+        "  -r Lists all record types in the selected dbd file.\n",
+        "  -f <record type>: Lists all fields with their interest level, data type\n",
+        "     and number base for the given record_type.\n",
+        "\n",
+        "Base version: ", CA->version, "\n";
     exit 1;
 }
diff --git a/src/cap5/caput.pl b/src/cap5/caput.pl
index 8d2e6b4b3..69cd4b638 100644
--- a/src/cap5/caput.pl
+++ b/src/cap5/caput.pl
@@ -151,11 +151,11 @@ sub display {
 }
 
 sub HELP_MESSAGE {
-    print STDERR "\nUsage: caput [options] <PV name> <PV value> ...\n",
+    print STDERR "\nUsage: caput.pl [options] <PV name> <PV value> ...\n",
         "\n",
         "  -h: Help: Print this message\n",
         "Channel Access options:\n",
-        "  -w <sec>:  Wait time, specifies longer CA timeout, default is $opt_w second\n",
+        "  -w <sec>:  Wait time, specifies CA timeout, default is $opt_w second\n",
         "  -c: Use put_callback to wait for completion\n",
         "Format options:\n",
         "  -t: Terse mode - print only sucessfully written value, without name\n",
@@ -180,7 +180,8 @@ sub HELP_MESSAGE {
         "Examples:\n",
         "    caput my_channel 1.2\n",
         "    caput my_waveform 1.2 2.4 3.6 4.8 6.0\n",
-        "\n";
+        "\n",
+        "Base version: ", CA->version, "\n";
     exit 1;
 }