diff --git a/zstd/src/main/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/NativeCall.java b/zstd/src/main/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/NativeCall.java
index 71181b8..463e0a9 100644
--- a/zstd/src/main/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/NativeCall.java
+++ b/zstd/src/main/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/NativeCall.java
@@ -59,12 +59,11 @@ private static String errorName(long code) {
     /// Guards a zero-copy entry point: the segment handed to zstd must be backed
     /// by native (off-heap) memory, since its address is dereferenced in C. Fails
     /// fast with a clear message instead of the FFM linker's cryptic error.
-    static MemorySegment requireNative(MemorySegment seg, String name) {
+    static void requireNative(MemorySegment seg, String name) {
         if (!seg.isNative()) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                     name + " must be a native (off-heap) MemorySegment; got a heap segment");
         }
-        return seg;
     }
 
     /// Rethrows any `Throwable` as if unchecked, laundering the checked
diff --git a/zstd/src/main/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/Zstd.java b/zstd/src/main/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/Zstd.java
index 5020e6f..5385de7 100644
--- a/zstd/src/main/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/Zstd.java
+++ b/zstd/src/main/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/Zstd.java
@@ -227,6 +227,18 @@ public static String version() {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Runtime zstd version as a single number for programmatic comparison,
+    /// encoded `MAJOR * 10000 + MINOR * 100 + PATCH` — e.g. `10507` for `1.5.7`.
+    ///
+    /// @return the linked zstd library version number
+    public static int versionNumber() {
+        try {
+            return (int) Bindings.VERSION_NUMBER.invokeExact();
+        } catch (Throwable t) {
+            throw NativeCall.rethrow(t);
+        }
+    }
+
     // --- package-private helpers shared with the context classes ---
     // Native-call status checking and segment guards live in NativeCall.
 
diff --git a/zstd/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/ZstdTest.java b/zstd/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/ZstdTest.java
index 1a81f6a..d46e27f 100644
--- a/zstd/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/ZstdTest.java
+++ b/zstd/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/ZstdTest.java
@@ -135,5 +135,20 @@ void reportsSemanticVersion() {
             // When the runtime version is read / Then it is an x.y.z string
             assertThat(Zstd.version()).matches("\\d+\\.\\d+\\.\\d+");
         }
+
+        @Test
+        void reportsVersionNumberConsistentWithTheString() {
+            // Given the x.y.z version string split into its parts
+            String[] parts = Zstd.version().split("\\.");
+            int expected = Integer.parseInt(parts[0]) * 10000
+                    + Integer.parseInt(parts[1]) * 100
+                    + Integer.parseInt(parts[2]);
+
+            // When the numeric version is read
+            int number = Zstd.versionNumber();
+
+            // Then it encodes MAJOR * 10000 + MINOR * 100 + PATCH
+            assertThat(number).isEqualTo(expected);
+        }
     }
 }