diff --git a/include/maxscale/service.h b/include/maxscale/service.h
index d8192b494..81464e1fa 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/service.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/service.h
@@ -374,10 +374,9 @@ typedef enum service_version_which_t
  *
  * @param service  The service.
  * @param which    Which version.
- * @param version  On output contains the version of the service.
+ *
+ * @return The version of the service.
  */
-void service_get_version(const SERVICE *service,
-                         service_version_which_t which,
-                         uint64_t* version);
+uint64_t service_get_version(const SERVICE *service, service_version_which_t which);
 
 MXS_END_DECLS
diff --git a/server/core/service.cc b/server/core/service.cc
index aa5266def..29d2bf49a 100644
--- a/server/core/service.cc
+++ b/server/core/service.cc
@@ -2674,10 +2674,10 @@ json_t* service_relations_to_server(const SERVER* server, const char* host)
     return rel;
 }
 
-void service_get_version(const SERVICE *service,
-                         service_version_which_t which,
-                         uint64_t* version)
+uint64_t service_get_version(const SERVICE *service, service_version_which_t which)
 {
+    uint64_t version = 0;
+
     if (which == SERVICE_VERSION_ANY)
     {
         SERVER_REF* sref = service->dbref;
@@ -2689,11 +2689,7 @@ void service_get_version(const SERVICE *service,
 
         if (sref)
         {
-            *version = server_get_version(sref->server);
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            *version = 0;
+            version = server_get_version(sref->server);
         }
     }
     else
@@ -2750,6 +2746,8 @@ void service_get_version(const SERVICE *service,
             v = 0;
         }
 
-        *version = v;
+        version = v;
     }
+
+    return version;
 }