diff --git a/data/core/init.lua b/data/core/init.lua
index 45de4f42..8d4d84c3 100644
--- a/data/core/init.lua
+++ b/data/core/init.lua
@@ -589,18 +589,6 @@ function core.restart()
 end
 
 
-local function version_components(version)
-  local a, b, c = version:match('(%d+)%.(%d+)%.(%d+)')
-  if a then
-    return tonumber(a), tonumber(b), tonumber(c)
-  end
-  a, b = version:match('(%d+)%.(%d+)')
-  if a then
-    return tonumber(a), tonumber(b)
-  end
-end
-
-
 local function check_plugin_version(filename)
   local info = system.get_file_info(filename)
   if info ~= nil and info.type == "dir" then
@@ -612,12 +600,19 @@ local function check_plugin_version(filename)
   if not f then return false end
   local version_match = false
   for line in f:lines() do
-    local version = line:match('%-%-%s*lite%-xl%s*(%d+%.%d+)%s*$')
-    if not version then break end
-    local ver_major, ver_minor = version_components(version)
-    local ref_major, ref_minor = version_components(VERSION)
-    version_match = (ver_major == ref_major and ver_minor == ref_minor)
-    break
+    local mod_version = line:match('%-%-.*%f[%a]mod%-version%s*:%s*(%d+)')
+    if mod_version then
+      version_match = (mod_version == MOD_VERSION)
+      break
+    end
+    -- The following pattern is used for backward compatibility only
+    -- Future versions will look only at the mod-version tag.
+    local version = line:match('%-%-%s*lite%-xl%s*(%d+%.%d+)$')
+    if version then
+      -- we consider the version tag 1.16 equivalent to mod-version:1
+      version_match = (version == '1.16' and MOD_VERSION == "1")
+      break
+    end
   end
   f:close()
   return version_match
diff --git a/data/core/start.lua b/data/core/start.lua
index e8c650e7..c79e7908 100644
--- a/data/core/start.lua
+++ b/data/core/start.lua
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 -- this file is used by lite-xl to setup the Lua environment
 -- when starting
-VERSION = "1.16.7"
+VERSION = "1.16.8"
+MOD_VERSION = "1"
 
 SCALE = tonumber(os.getenv("LITE_SCALE")) or SCALE
 PATHSEP = package.config:sub(1, 1)
diff --git a/data/plugins/autocomplete.lua b/data/plugins/autocomplete.lua
index c0a3d36a..c76eed02 100644
--- a/data/plugins/autocomplete.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/autocomplete.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local core = require "core"
 local common = require "core.common"
 local config = require "core.config"
diff --git a/data/plugins/autoreload.lua b/data/plugins/autoreload.lua
index cbef8a21..f84d87d6 100644
--- a/data/plugins/autoreload.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/autoreload.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local core = require "core"
 local config = require "core.config"
 local Doc = require "core.doc"
diff --git a/data/plugins/detectindent.lua b/data/plugins/detectindent.lua
index 9ee171e9..681dce26 100644
--- a/data/plugins/detectindent.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/detectindent.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local core = require "core"
 local command = require "core.command"
 local common = require "core.common"
diff --git a/data/plugins/language_c.lua b/data/plugins/language_c.lua
index 9bb074bf..1445d067 100644
--- a/data/plugins/language_c.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/language_c.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local syntax = require "core.syntax"
 
 syntax.add {
diff --git a/data/plugins/language_css.lua b/data/plugins/language_css.lua
index acd01398..08a256f9 100644
--- a/data/plugins/language_css.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/language_css.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local syntax = require "core.syntax"
 
 syntax.add {
diff --git a/data/plugins/language_html.lua b/data/plugins/language_html.lua
index 549a2b12..c45b43a3 100644
--- a/data/plugins/language_html.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/language_html.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local syntax = require "core.syntax"
 
 syntax.add {
diff --git a/data/plugins/language_js.lua b/data/plugins/language_js.lua
index 9f877ef0..a258bb3c 100644
--- a/data/plugins/language_js.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/language_js.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local syntax = require "core.syntax"
 
 syntax.add {
diff --git a/data/plugins/language_lua.lua b/data/plugins/language_lua.lua
index 64b7847f..168ea0ce 100644
--- a/data/plugins/language_lua.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/language_lua.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local syntax = require "core.syntax"
 
 syntax.add {
diff --git a/data/plugins/language_md.lua b/data/plugins/language_md.lua
index 0998c11e..ab2a7d8b 100644
--- a/data/plugins/language_md.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/language_md.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local syntax = require "core.syntax"
 
 syntax.add {
diff --git a/data/plugins/language_python.lua b/data/plugins/language_python.lua
index b9c07e4e..849bafc1 100644
--- a/data/plugins/language_python.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/language_python.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local syntax = require "core.syntax"
 
 syntax.add {
diff --git a/data/plugins/language_xml.lua b/data/plugins/language_xml.lua
index b87fcc56..d97fa9a8 100644
--- a/data/plugins/language_xml.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/language_xml.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local syntax = require "core.syntax"
 
 syntax.add {
diff --git a/data/plugins/macro.lua b/data/plugins/macro.lua
index c8873102..15d8a75e 100644
--- a/data/plugins/macro.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/macro.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local core = require "core"
 local command = require "core.command"
 local keymap = require "core.keymap"
diff --git a/data/plugins/projectsearch.lua b/data/plugins/projectsearch.lua
index c4499339..4c1fca6d 100644
--- a/data/plugins/projectsearch.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/projectsearch.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local core = require "core"
 local common = require "core.common"
 local keymap = require "core.keymap"
diff --git a/data/plugins/quote.lua b/data/plugins/quote.lua
index bca0797b..85a5874c 100644
--- a/data/plugins/quote.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/quote.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local core = require "core"
 local command = require "core.command"
 local keymap = require "core.keymap"
diff --git a/data/plugins/reflow.lua b/data/plugins/reflow.lua
index 621c361c..f0051c12 100644
--- a/data/plugins/reflow.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/reflow.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local core = require "core"
 local config = require "core.config"
 local command = require "core.command"
diff --git a/data/plugins/tabularize.lua b/data/plugins/tabularize.lua
index 31821525..2fa06d69 100644
--- a/data/plugins/tabularize.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/tabularize.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local core = require "core"
 local command = require "core.command"
 local translate = require "core.doc.translate"
diff --git a/data/plugins/toolbarview.lua b/data/plugins/toolbarview.lua
index 2edfa8bc..93102df2 100644
--- a/data/plugins/toolbarview.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/toolbarview.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local core = require "core"
 local common = require "core.common"
 local command = require "core.command"
diff --git a/data/plugins/treeview.lua b/data/plugins/treeview.lua
index 44422b77..73f4708c 100644
--- a/data/plugins/treeview.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/treeview.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local core = require "core"
 local common = require "core.common"
 local command = require "core.command"
diff --git a/data/plugins/trimwhitespace.lua b/data/plugins/trimwhitespace.lua
index 5a43653b..a6d3d140 100644
--- a/data/plugins/trimwhitespace.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/trimwhitespace.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local core = require "core"
 local command = require "core.command"
 local Doc = require "core.doc"
diff --git a/data/plugins/workspace.lua b/data/plugins/workspace.lua
index c24358c2..25c7f672 100644
--- a/data/plugins/workspace.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/workspace.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--- lite-xl 1.16
+-- mod-version:1 -- lite-xl 1.16
 local core = require "core"
 local common = require "core.common"
 local DocView = require "core.docview"