diff --git a/wagtail/utils/version.py b/wagtail/utils/version.py
index 695f0b885..f3991332e 100644
--- a/wagtail/utils/version.py
+++ b/wagtail/utils/version.py
@@ -1,31 +1,25 @@
-# https://raw.githubusercontent.com/django/django/stable/1.6.x/django/utils/version.py
-
+# https://raw.githubusercontent.com/django/django/master/django/utils/version.py
 # This was copied into Wagtail so the get_git_changeset will use a file located in Wagtail instead of Django
 
-# Replace this with version that uses lru cache when we drop Django 1.6 support
-
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 import datetime
 import os
 import subprocess
 
+from django.utils.lru_cache import lru_cache
+
 
 def get_version(version=None):
     "Returns a PEP 386-compliant version number from VERSION."
-    if version is None:
-        from django import VERSION as version
-    else:
-        assert len(version) == 5
-        assert version[3] in ('alpha', 'beta', 'rc', 'final')
+    version = get_complete_version(version)
 
     # Now build the two parts of the version number:
-    # main = X.Y[.Z]
+    # major = X.Y[.Z]
     # sub = .devN - for pre-alpha releases
     #     | {a|b|c}N - for alpha, beta and rc releases
 
-    parts = 2 if version[2] == 0 else 3
-    main = '.'.join(str(x) for x in version[:parts])
+    major = get_major_version(version)
 
     sub = ''
     if version[3] == 'alpha' and version[4] == 0:
@@ -37,9 +31,39 @@ def get_version(version=None):
         mapping = {'alpha': 'a', 'beta': 'b', 'rc': 'c'}
         sub = mapping[version[3]] + str(version[4])
 
-    return str(main + sub)
+    return str(major + sub)
 
 
+def get_major_version(version=None):
+    "Returns major version from VERSION."
+    version = get_complete_version(version)
+    parts = 2 if version[2] == 0 else 3
+    major = '.'.join(str(x) for x in version[:parts])
+    return major
+
+
+def get_complete_version(version=None):
+    """Returns a tuple of the wagtail version. If version argument is non-empty,
+    then checks for correctness of the tuple provided.
+    """
+    if version is None:
+        from wagtail import VERSION as version
+    else:
+        assert len(version) == 5
+        assert version[3] in ('alpha', 'beta', 'rc', 'final')
+
+    return version
+
+
+def get_docs_version(version=None):
+    version = get_complete_version(version)
+    if version[3] != 'final':
+        return 'dev'
+    else:
+        return '%d.%d' % version[:2]
+
+
+@lru_cache()
 def get_git_changeset():
     """Returns a numeric identifier of the latest git changeset.
 
@@ -57,3 +81,4 @@ def get_git_changeset():
     except ValueError:
         return None
     return timestamp.strftime('%Y%m%d%H%M%S')
+