diff --git a/src/client/libdistren_request.c b/src/client/libdistren_request.c
--- a/src/client/libdistren_request.c
+++ b/src/client/libdistren_request.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 #include "common/request.h"
 
 static void handle_ping(struct remoteio *rem, struct distren_request *req, void *req_data);
-static void handle_version(struct remoteio *rem, struct distren_request *req, void *req_data);
+static void handle_version(distren_t distren, struct distren_request *req, void *req_data);
 static void handle_disconnect(distren_t distren, struct remoteio *rem, struct distren_request *req, void *req_data);
 
 size_t libdistren_remoteio_read_handle(struct remoteio *rem, void *garbage, void *buf, size_t len, distren_t distren)
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ size_t libdistren_remoteio_read_handle(s
 	  break;
 
 	case DISTREN_REQUEST_VERSION:
-	  handle_version(rem, req, req_data);
+	  handle_version(distren, req, req_data);
 	  break;
 
 	case DISTREN_REQUEST_DISCONNECT:
@@ -118,18 +118,34 @@ static void handle_ping(struct remoteio 
   distren_request_free_with_data(pong_req, pong_req_data);
 }
 
-static void handle_version(struct remoteio *rem, struct distren_request *req, void *req_data)
+static void handle_version(distren_t distren, struct distren_request *req, void *req_data)
 {
-  static const char *package_string = PACKAGE_STRING;
-
-  size_t counter;
+  struct distren_request_version version;
+  int tmp;
 
-  fprintf(stderr, "info: connected to a server running ");
-  for(counter = 0; counter < req->len; counter ++)
-    putc(((char *)req_data)[counter], stderr);
-  putc('\n', stderr);
+  tmp = distren_request_parse_version(req, req_data, &version);
+  if(tmp)
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "error: Invalid DISTREN_REQUEST_VERSION, disconnecting from server\n");
+      /*
+       * our remoteio_close handler sets distren->rem to NULL, thus we
+       * don't need to return an error code.
+       */
+      remoteio_close(distren->rem);
+      return;
+    }
+  distren->servertype = version.servertype;
+  distren->state = DISTREN_STATE_AUTH;
 
-  /* am I supposed to respond here? ;-) */
+  fprintf(stderr, "info: connected to a server running %s\n", version.package_string);
+  if(version.servertype & DISTREN_SERVERTYPE_CLIENT)
+    fprintf(stderr, "\tis a client\n");
+  if(version.servertype & DISTREN_SERVERTYPE_SUBMIT)
+    fprintf(stderr, "\taccepts frame submissions\n");
+  if(version.servertype & DISTREN_SERVERTYPE_RENDER)
+    fprintf(stderr, "\trenders frames\n");
+  if(version.servertype & DISTREN_SERVERTYPE_DISTRIBUTE)
+    fprintf(stderr, "\thandles file distribution\n");
 }
 
 static void handle_disconnect(distren_t distren, struct remoteio *rem, struct distren_request *req, void *req_data)