--- a/libpcap/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libpcap/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -552,11 +552,11 @@ option(YYDEBUG "Build parser debugging code" OFF)
 #   Versioning
 ###################################################################
 
-# Get, parse, format and set pcap's version string from [pcap_root]/VERSION
+# Get, parse, format and set pcap's version string from [pcap_root]/VERSION.txt
 # for later use.
 
 # Get MAJOR, MINOR, PATCH & SUFFIX
-file(STRINGS ${pcap_SOURCE_DIR}/VERSION
+file(STRINGS ${pcap_SOURCE_DIR}/VERSION.txt
     PACKAGE_VERSION
     LIMIT_COUNT 1 # Read only the first line
 )
--- a/libpcap/INSTALL.md
+++ b/libpcap/INSTALL.md
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ in `/usr/include/sys/dlpi.h`, and find the corresponding value.
 	doc/README.sita	    - notes on using libpcap to capture on SITA devices
 	doc/README.solaris.md - notes on using libpcap on Solaris
 	doc/README.windows.md - notes on using libpcap on Windows systems (with Npcap)
-	VERSION		    - version of this release
+	VERSION.txt		    - version of this release
 	aclocal.m4	    - autoconf macros
 	arcnet.h	    - ARCNET definitions
 	atmuni31.h	    - ATM Q.2931 definitions
--- a/libpcap/Makefile.in
+++ b/libpcap/Makefile.in
@@ -160,8 +160,8 @@ GENHDR = \
 TAGFILES = \
 	$(SRC) $(HDR)
 
-CLEANFILES = $(OBJ) libpcap.a libpcap.so.`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION` \
-	$(PROG)-`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION`.tar.gz \
+CLEANFILES = $(OBJ) libpcap.a libpcap.so.`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt` \
+	$(PROG)-`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`.tar.gz \
 	lex.yy.c pcap-config libpcap.pc libpcap.$(DYEXT)
 
 MAN1 = pcap-config.1
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	doc/README.windows.md \
 	CONTRIBUTING.md \
 	TODO \
-	VERSION \
+	VERSION.txt \
 	aclocal.m4 \
 	autogen.sh \
 	charconv.c \
@@ -437,8 +437,8 @@ shared: libpcap.$(DYEXT)
 
 libpcap.so: $(OBJ)
 	@rm -f $@
-	VER=`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION`; \
-	MAJOR_VER=`sed 's/\([0-9][0-9]*\)\..*/\1/' $(srcdir)/VERSION`; \
+	VER=`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`; \
+	MAJOR_VER=`sed 's/\([0-9][0-9]*\)\..*/\1/' $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`; \
 	@V_SHLIB_CMD@ $(LDFLAGS) @V_SHLIB_OPT@ @V_SONAME_OPT@$@.$$MAJOR_VER \
 	    -o $@.$$VER $(OBJ) $(ADDLOBJS) $(LIBS)
 
@@ -453,17 +453,17 @@ libpcap.so: $(OBJ)
 # but not in the older version.
 #
 # We also use "A" as the major version, and 1 as the compatibility version,
-# but set the current version to the value in VERSION, with any non-numeric
+# but set the current version to the value in VERSION.txt, with any non-numeric
 # stuff stripped off (the compatibility and current version must be of the
 # form X[.Y[.Z]], with Y and Z possibly absent, and with all components
 # numeric).
 #
 libpcap.dylib: $(OBJ)
 	rm -f libpcap*.dylib
-	VER=`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION`; \
+	VER=`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`; \
 	MAJOR_VER=A; \
 	COMPAT_VER=1; \
-	CURRENT_VER=`sed 's/[^0-9.].*$$//' $(srcdir)/VERSION`; \
+	CURRENT_VER=`sed 's/[^0-9.].*$$//' $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`; \
 	$(CC) -dynamiclib -undefined error $(LDFLAGS) @V_LIB_LDFLAGS_FAT@ \
 	    -o libpcap.$$VER.dylib $(OBJ) $(ADDLOBJS) $(LIBS) \
 	    -install_name $(libdir)/libpcap.$$MAJOR_VER.dylib \
@@ -483,9 +483,9 @@ libpcap.dylib: $(OBJ)
 # linker, even with GCC.
 #
 libpcap.sl: $(OBJ)
-	@MAJOR_VER=`sed 's/\([0-9][0-9]*\)\..*/\1/' $(srcdir)/VERSION`; \
+	@MAJOR_VER=`sed 's/\([0-9][0-9]*\)\..*/\1/' $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`; \
 	rm -f libpcap.$$MAJOR_VER
-	MAJOR_VER=`sed 's/\([0-9][0-9]*\)\..*/\1/' $(srcdir)/VERSION`; \
+	MAJOR_VER=`sed 's/\([0-9][0-9]*\)\..*/\1/' $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`; \
 	ld -b $(LDFLAGS) -o libpcap.$$MAJOR_VER +h libpcap.$$MAJOR_VER \
 	    $(OBJ) $(ADDLOBJS) $(LIBS)
 
@@ -676,15 +676,15 @@ install-shared: install-shared-$(DYEXT)
 install-shared-so: libpcap.so
 	[ -d $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) ] || \
 	    (mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(libdir); chmod 755 $(DESTDIR)$(libdir))
-	VER=`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION`; \
-	MAJOR_VER=`sed 's/\([0-9][0-9]*\)\..*/\1/' $(srcdir)/VERSION`; \
+	VER=`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`; \
+	MAJOR_VER=`sed 's/\([0-9][0-9]*\)\..*/\1/' $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`; \
 	$(INSTALL_PROGRAM) libpcap.so.$$VER $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libpcap.so.$$VER; \
 	ln -sf libpcap.so.$$VER $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libpcap.so.$$MAJOR_VER; \
 	ln -sf libpcap.so.$$MAJOR_VER $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libpcap.so
 install-shared-dylib: libpcap.dylib
 	[ -d $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) ] || \
 	    (mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(libdir); chmod 755 $(DESTDIR)$(libdir))
-	VER=`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION`; \
+	VER=`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`; \
 	MAJOR_VER=A; \
 	$(INSTALL_PROGRAM) libpcap.$$VER.dylib $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libpcap.$$VER.dylib; \
 	ln -sf libpcap.$$VER.dylib $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libpcap.$$MAJOR_VER.dylib; \
@@ -692,7 +692,7 @@ install-shared-dylib: libpcap.dylib
 install-shared-sl: libpcap.sl
 	[ -d $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) ] || \
 	    (mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(libdir); chmod 755 $(DESTDIR)$(libdir))
-	MAJOR_VER=`sed 's/\([0-9][0-9]*\)\..*/\1/' $(srcdir)/VERSION`; \
+	MAJOR_VER=`sed 's/\([0-9][0-9]*\)\..*/\1/' $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`; \
 	$(INSTALL_PROGRAM) libpcap.$$MAJOR_VER $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)
 	ln -sf libpcap.$$MAJOR_VER $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libpcap.sl
 #
@@ -759,19 +759,19 @@ uninstall: uninstall-shared uninstall-rpcapd
 
 uninstall-shared: uninstall-shared-$(DYEXT)
 uninstall-shared-so:
-	VER=`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION`; \
-	MAJOR_VER=`sed 's/\([0-9][0-9]*\)\..*/\1/' $(srcdir)/VERSION`; \
+	VER=`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`; \
+	MAJOR_VER=`sed 's/\([0-9][0-9]*\)\..*/\1/' $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`; \
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libpcap.so.$$VER; \
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libpcap.so.$$MAJOR_VER; \
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libpcap.so
 uninstall-shared-dylib:
-	VER=`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION`; \
+	VER=`cat $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`; \
 	MAJOR_VER=A; \
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libpcap.$$VER.dylib; \
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libpcap.$$MAJOR_VER.dylib; \
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libpcap.dylib
 uninstall-shared-sl:
-	MAJOR_VER=`sed 's/\([0-9][0-9]*\)\..*/\1/' $(srcdir)/VERSION`; \
+	MAJOR_VER=`sed 's/\([0-9][0-9]*\)\..*/\1/' $(srcdir)/VERSION.txt`; \
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libpcap.$$MAJOR_VER; \
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libpcap.sl
 uninstall-shared-shareda:
@@ -818,7 +818,7 @@ tags: $(TAGFILES)
 # git archive doesn't write one.)
 #
 releasetar:
-	@TAG=$(PROG)-`cat VERSION` && \
+	@TAG=$(PROG)-`cat VERSION.txt` && \
 	if [ ! -d .git ]; then echo 'Not in a git clone, stop.'; exit 1; fi && \
 	TMPTESTFILE=`mktemp -t tmptestfile_XXXXXXXX` && \
 	rm -f "$$TMPTESTFILE" && \
@@ -844,7 +844,7 @@ releasetar:
 	rm -rf "$$AUTORECONF_DIR"
 
 releasecheck: releasetar
-	@TAG=$(PROG)-`cat VERSION` && \
+	@TAG=$(PROG)-`cat VERSION.txt` && \
 	INSTALL_DIR=/tmp/install_"$$TAG"_$$$$ && \
 	DIR=`pwd` && \
 	cd /tmp && \
--- a/libpcap/configure.ac
+++ b/libpcap/configure.ac
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ dnl
 
 AC_PREREQ(2.69)
 
-AC_INIT(pcap, m4_esyscmd_s([cat VERSION]))
+AC_INIT(pcap, m4_esyscmd_s([cat VERSION.txt]))
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR(pcap.c)
 AC_SUBST(PACKAGE_NAME)
 
--- a/libpcap/msdos/makefile.dj
+++ b/libpcap/msdos/makefile.dj
@@ -86,9 +86,9 @@ grammar.c tokdefs.h: grammar.y
 	mv -f y.tab.c grammar.c
 	mv -f y.tab.h tokdefs.h
 
-version.h: ./VERSION
-	@echo '/* Generated from VERSION. Do not edit */' > $@
-	sed -e 's/.*/static char pcap_version_string[] = "libpcap (&)";/' ./VERSION >> $@
+version.h: ./VERSION.txt
+	@echo '/* Generated from VERSION.txt. Do not edit */' > $@
+	sed -e 's/.*/static char pcap_version_string[] = "libpcap (&)";/' ./VERSION.txt >> $@
 
 scanner.c: scanner.l
 	$(LEX) -Ppcap_ -7 -t $^ > $@
--- a/libpcap/pcap-config.1
+++ b/libpcap/pcap-config.1
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ Produce a help message and exit.
 .TP
 .B \-\-version
 Produce libpcap version and exit.  The version is the contents of
-.I VERSION
+.I VERSION.txt
 file in libpcap source tree rather than the result of
 .BR \%pcap_lib_version (3PCAP).