diff --git a/src/HAP.cpp b/src/HAP.cpp
index ea031a3..fe6c82e 100644
--- a/src/HAP.cpp
+++ b/src/HAP.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
  *  SOFTWARE.
  *  
  ********************************************************************************/
+
+#include "version.h"
  
 #include <ESPmDNS.h>
 #include <sodium.h>
diff --git a/src/HomeSpan.cpp b/src/HomeSpan.cpp
index d5d7398..413e5ec 100644
--- a/src/HomeSpan.cpp
+++ b/src/HomeSpan.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
  *  SOFTWARE.
  *  
  ********************************************************************************/
+
+#include "version.h"
  
 #include <ESPmDNS.h>
 #include <nvs_flash.h>
diff --git a/src/HomeSpan.h b/src/HomeSpan.h
index 94ad261..333380c 100644
--- a/src/HomeSpan.h
+++ b/src/HomeSpan.h
@@ -27,9 +27,7 @@
  
 #pragma once
 
-#ifndef ARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32
-#error ERROR: HOMESPAN IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR ESP32 MICROCONTROLLERS!
-#endif
+#include "version.h"
 
 #pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wpmf-conversions"                // eliminates warning messages from use of pointers to member functions to detect whether update() and loop() are overridden by user
 #pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wunused-result"                  // eliminates warning message regarded unused result from call to crypto_scalarmult_curve25519()
diff --git a/src/Network.cpp b/src/Network.cpp
index ea024bb..bf9ee39 100644
--- a/src/Network.cpp
+++ b/src/Network.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
  *  SOFTWARE.
  *  
  ********************************************************************************/
+
+#include "version.h" 
  
 #include <DNSServer.h>
 
diff --git a/src/Settings.h b/src/Settings.h
index a94c3c1..56e96a6 100644
--- a/src/Settings.h
+++ b/src/Settings.h
@@ -24,41 +24,9 @@
  *  SOFTWARE.
  *  
  ********************************************************************************/
- 
-// USER-DEFINED SETTINGS AND REFERENCE ENUMERATION CLASSES
-
-#include <esp_arduino_version.h>
 
 #pragma once
 
-//////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//              HomeSpan Version                    //
-
-#define     HS_MAJOR  1
-#define     HS_MINOR  9
-#define     HS_PATCH  1
-
-#define     STRINGIFY(x) _STR(x)
-#define     _STR(x) #x
-
-#define     HOMESPAN_VERSION    STRINGIFY(HS_MAJOR) "." STRINGIFY(HS_MINOR) "." STRINGIFY(HS_PATCH)
-
-#define     VERSION(major,minor,patch) major*10000+minor*100+patch
-
-#ifndef REQUIRED
-  #define REQUIRED 0
-#endif
-
-#if (REQUIRED>VERSION(HS_MAJOR,HS_MINOR,HS_PATCH))
-  #error THIS SKETCH REQUIRES A LATER VERSION OF THE HOMESPAN LIBRARY
-#endif
-
-#define     ARDUINO_ESP_VERSION  STRINGIFY(ESP_ARDUINO_VERSION_MAJOR) "." STRINGIFY(ESP_ARDUINO_VERSION_MINOR) "." STRINGIFY(ESP_ARDUINO_VERSION_PATCH)
-
-#if ESP_ARDUINO_VERSION_MAJOR<2
-  #error HOMESPAN REQUIRES VERSION 2 OF THE ARDUINO ESP32 LIBRARY
-#endif
-
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //                DEFAULT SETTINGS                  //  
 
diff --git a/src/version.h b/src/version.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..953e596
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/version.h
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+/*********************************************************************************
+ *  MIT License
+ *  
+ *  Copyright (c) 2020-2024 Gregg E. Berman
+ *  
+ *  https://github.com/HomeSpan/HomeSpan
+ *  
+ *  Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ *  of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ *  in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ *  to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ *  copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ *  furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *  
+ *  The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+ *  copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *  
+ *  THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ *  IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ *  FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ *  AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ *  LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ *  OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+ *  SOFTWARE.
+ *  
+ ********************************************************************************/
+
+#pragma once
+
+//////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//              HomeSpan Version                    //
+ 
+#define     HS_MAJOR  1
+#define     HS_MINOR  9
+#define     HS_PATCH  1
+
+//////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#ifndef ARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32
+  #error ERROR: HOMESPAN IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR ESP32 MICROCONTROLLERS!
+  #include <FATAL_ERROR>
+#endif
+
+#include <esp_arduino_version.h>
+
+#if ESP_ARDUINO_VERSION_MAJOR!=2
+  #error ERROR: HOMESPAN REQUIRES VERSION 2 OF THE ARDUINO ESP32 LIBRARY.  HOMESPAN IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH VERSION 1 OR VERSION 3
+  #include <FATAL_ERROR>
+#endif
+
+#define     STRINGIFY(x) _STR(x)
+#define     _STR(x) #x
+
+#define     HOMESPAN_VERSION    STRINGIFY(HS_MAJOR) "." STRINGIFY(HS_MINOR) "." STRINGIFY(HS_PATCH)
+
+#define     VERSION(major,minor,patch) major*10000+minor*100+patch
+
+#ifndef REQUIRED
+  #define REQUIRED 0
+#endif
+
+#if (REQUIRED>VERSION(HS_MAJOR,HS_MINOR,HS_PATCH))
+  #error ERROR: THIS SKETCH REQUIRES A LATER VERSION OF THE HOMESPAN LIBRARY
+  #include <FATAL_ERROR>
+#endif
+
+#define     ARDUINO_ESP_VERSION  STRINGIFY(ESP_ARDUINO_VERSION_MAJOR) "." STRINGIFY(ESP_ARDUINO_VERSION_MINOR) "." STRINGIFY(ESP_ARDUINO_VERSION_PATCH)