diff --git a/core/server/config/overrides.json b/core/server/config/overrides.json
index 320a436b90..63a493d2d4 100644
--- a/core/server/config/overrides.json
+++ b/core/server/config/overrides.json
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@
     },
     "api": {
         "versions": {
+            "all": ["v0.1", "v2"],
             "active": "v2",
             "stable": "",
             "deprecated": "v0.1",
diff --git a/core/server/services/themes/active.js b/core/server/services/themes/active.js
index e0ed02292a..0883aa5b4b 100644
--- a/core/server/services/themes/active.js
+++ b/core/server/services/themes/active.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 var join = require('path').join,
     _ = require('lodash'),
     themeConfig = require('./config'),
+    themeEngines = require('./engines'),
     config = require('../../config'),
     engine = require('./engine'),
     // Current instance of ActiveTheme
@@ -45,6 +46,9 @@ class ActiveTheme {
 
         // Create a theme config object
         this._config = themeConfig.create(this._packageInfo);
+
+        // Create a theme engines object
+        this._engines = themeEngines.create(this._packageInfo);
     }
 
     get name() {
@@ -83,6 +87,10 @@ class ActiveTheme {
         return this._config[key];
     }
 
+    engine(key) {
+        return this._engines[key];
+    }
+
     mount(siteApp) {
         // reset the asset hash
         // @TODO: set this on the theme instead of globally, or use proper file-based hash
diff --git a/core/server/services/themes/engines/create.js b/core/server/services/themes/engines/create.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d8d2bcdac5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/server/services/themes/engines/create.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+const _ = require('lodash');
+const semver = require('semver');
+const config = require('../../../config');
+const DEFAULTS = require('./defaults');
+const allowedKeys = ['ghost-api'];
+
+/**
+ * Valid definitions for "ghost-api":
+ *
+ * ^0.1
+ * ^2
+ * ^0.1.0
+ * ^2.0.0
+ * 2.0.0
+ * v2
+ * v0.1
+ *
+ * Goal: Extract major version from input.
+ *
+ * @param packageJson
+ * @returns {*}
+ */
+module.exports = (packageJson) => {
+    let themeEngines = _.cloneDeep(DEFAULTS);
+
+    if (packageJson && packageJson.hasOwnProperty('engines')) {
+        // CASE: validate
+        if (packageJson.engines['ghost-api']) {
+            const availableApiVersions = {};
+
+            config.get('api:versions:all').forEach((version) => {
+                availableApiVersions[semver(semver.coerce(version).version).major] = version;
+            });
+
+            const apiVersion = packageJson.engines['ghost-api'];
+            const apiVersionMajor = semver(semver.coerce(apiVersion).version).major;
+
+            if (availableApiVersions[apiVersionMajor]) {
+                packageJson.engines['ghost-api'] = availableApiVersions[apiVersionMajor];
+            } else {
+                packageJson.engines['ghost-api'] = 'v0.1';
+            }
+        }
+
+        themeEngines = _.assign(themeEngines, _.pick(packageJson.engines, allowedKeys));
+    }
+
+    return themeEngines;
+};
diff --git a/core/server/services/themes/engines/defaults.json b/core/server/services/themes/engines/defaults.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b91acae5cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/server/services/themes/engines/defaults.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+    "ghost-api": "v0.1"
+}
diff --git a/core/server/services/themes/engines/index.js b/core/server/services/themes/engines/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7ab24dbedd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/server/services/themes/engines/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+module.exports = {
+    get create() {
+        return require('./create');
+    }
+};
diff --git a/core/test/unit/services/themes/engines/create_spec.js b/core/test/unit/services/themes/engines/create_spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..03c20dd3fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/test/unit/services/themes/engines/create_spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+const should = require('should');
+const sinon = require('sinon');
+const themeEngines = require('../../../../../server/services/themes/engines');
+const sandbox = sinon.sandbox.create();
+
+describe('Themes: engines', function () {
+    afterEach(function () {
+        sandbox.restore();
+    });
+
+    it('no engines', function () {
+        const engines = themeEngines.create();
+        engines.should.eql({
+            'ghost-api': 'v0.1'
+        });
+    });
+
+    describe('ghost-api', function () {
+        it('v2', function () {
+            const engines = themeEngines.create({
+                engines: {
+                    'ghost-api': 'v2'
+                }
+            });
+
+            engines.should.eql({
+                'ghost-api': 'v2'
+            });
+        });
+
+        it('v10', function () {
+            const engines = themeEngines.create({
+                engines: {
+                    'ghost-api': 'v10'
+                }
+            });
+
+            engines.should.eql({
+                'ghost-api': 'v0.1'
+            });
+        });
+
+        it('^0.1', function () {
+            const engines = themeEngines.create({
+                engines: {
+                    'ghost-api': '^0.1'
+                }
+            });
+
+            engines.should.eql({
+                'ghost-api': 'v0.1'
+            });
+        });
+
+        it('^2', function () {
+            const engines = themeEngines.create({
+                engines: {
+                    'ghost-api': '^2'
+                }
+            });
+
+            engines.should.eql({
+                'ghost-api': 'v2'
+            });
+        });
+
+        it('2.0.0', function () {
+            const engines = themeEngines.create({
+                engines: {
+                    'ghost-api': '2.0.0'
+                }
+            });
+
+            engines.should.eql({
+                'ghost-api': 'v2'
+            });
+        });
+
+        it('2.17.0', function () {
+            const engines = themeEngines.create({
+                engines: {
+                    'ghost-api': '2.17.0'
+                }
+            });
+
+            engines.should.eql({
+                'ghost-api': 'v2'
+            });
+        });
+
+        it('3', function () {
+            const engines = themeEngines.create({
+                engines: {
+                    'ghost-api': '3'
+                }
+            });
+
+            engines.should.eql({
+                'ghost-api': 'v0.1'
+            });
+        });
+    });
+});