diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a6a7f7ebb9..e64353c578 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -648,6 +648,9 @@ endif()
 
     # Salome SMESH sources are under src/3rdParty now
     IF(BUILD_SMESH)
+        # set the internal smesh version:
+        set(SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR 5)  # in src/3rdParty it says smesh is version 5.*, is this true?
+
         #if we use smesh we definitely also need vtk, no matter of external or internal smesh
         set (VTK_COMPONENTS
             vtkCommonCore
@@ -734,13 +737,14 @@ endif()
             endif()
             find_package(MEDFile REQUIRED)
             set(SMESH_INCLUDE_DIR ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/3rdParty/salomesmesh/inc)
+
         else(NOT FREECAD_USE_EXTERNAL_SMESH)
             find_package(SMESH CONFIG REQUIRED)
             include_directories(${SMESH_INCLUDE_DIR})
             link_directories(${SMESH_LIB_PATH})
             SET(EXTERNAL_SMESH_LIBS ${SMESH_LIBRARIES})
             add_definitions(-DHAVE_NETGEN)
-            add_definitions(-DEXTERNAL_SMESH)
+            add_definitions(-DSMESH_VERSION_MAJOR=${SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR})
             if(NOT SMESH_FOUND)
                 message(ERROR "================\n"
                               "SMESH not found.\n"
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/AppFem.cpp b/src/Mod/Fem/App/AppFem.cpp
index 7b33c0479c..297d79428a 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/AppFem.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/AppFem.cpp
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ PyMOD_INIT_FUNC(Fem)
     Fem::StdMeshers_SegmentAroundVertex_0DPy    ::init_type(femModule);
     Fem::StdMeshers_SegmentLengthAroundVertexPy ::init_type(femModule);
     Fem::StdMeshers_StartEndLengthPy            ::init_type(femModule);
-#ifndef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR < 7
     Fem::StdMeshers_TrianglePreferencePy        ::init_type(femModule);
 #endif
     Fem::StdMeshers_Hexa_3DPy                   ::init_type(femModule);
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/AppFemPy.cpp b/src/Mod/Fem/App/AppFemPy.cpp
index d1880b680a..7a05bcec35 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/AppFemPy.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/AppFemPy.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 #include <StdMeshers_LocalLength.hxx>
 #include <StdMeshers_NumberOfSegments.hxx>
 #include <StdMeshers_AutomaticLength.hxx>
-#ifndef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR < 7
     #include <StdMeshers_TrianglePreference.hxx>
 #endif
 #include <StdMeshers_MEFISTO_2D.hxx>
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.cpp b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.cpp
index 1086cfc7da..3ff5bb36dc 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.cpp
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ using namespace Base;
 using namespace boost;
 
 static int StatCount = 0;
-#ifdef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR >= 7
     SMESH_Gen* FemMesh::_mesh_gen = 0;
 #endif
 
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ SMESH_Mesh* FemMesh::getSMesh()
 
 SMESH_Gen * FemMesh::getGenerator()
 {
-#ifndef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR < 7
     return SMESH_Gen::get();
 #else
     if (! FemMesh::_mesh_gen)
@@ -1165,7 +1165,7 @@ void FemMesh::read(const char *FileName)
         // read brep-file
         myMesh->STLToMesh(File.filePath().c_str());
     }
-#ifndef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR < 7
     else if (File.hasExtension("dat") ) {
         // read brep-file
     // vejmarie disable
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.h b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.h
index 4eb17869df..e335e9c867 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.h
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMesh.h
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ private:
     SMESH_Mesh *myMesh;
 
     std::list<SMESH_HypothesisPtr> hypoth;
-#ifdef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR >= 7
     static SMESH_Gen *_mesh_gen;
 #endif
 };
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshPyImp.cpp b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshPyImp.cpp
index 5c4a37e3b1..70fc732c5e 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshPyImp.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshPyImp.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 #include <SMDSAbs_ElementType.hxx>
 #include <SMDS_MeshElement.hxx>
 #include <SMDS_VolumeTool.hxx>
-#ifdef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR >= 7
     #include <SMESHDS_Mesh.hxx>
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshShapeNetgenObject.cpp b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshShapeNetgenObject.cpp
index 4c70a7108c..a30b677852 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshShapeNetgenObject.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshShapeNetgenObject.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 #include <Base/Console.h>
 
 #include <SMESH_Gen.hxx>
-#ifdef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR >= 7
     #include <SMESHDS_Mesh.hxx>
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshShapeObject.cpp b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshShapeObject.cpp
index df75a20026..a2c690f101 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshShapeObject.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemMeshShapeObject.cpp
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
 #include <StdMeshers_QuadraticMesh.hxx>
 #include <StdMeshers_RadialPrism_3D.hxx>
 #include <StdMeshers_SegmentAroundVertex_0D.hxx>
-#ifndef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR < 7
     #include <StdMeshers_TrianglePreference.hxx>
 #endif
 #include <StdMeshers_ProjectionSource1D.hxx>
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemVTKTools.cpp b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemVTKTools.cpp
index 73f615d0cd..1e8286eebe 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemVTKTools.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/FemVTKTools.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 #include <SMESH_Mesh.hxx>
 #include <SMDS_PolyhedralVolumeOfNodes.hxx>
 #include <SMDS_VolumeTool.hxx>
-#ifdef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR >= 7
     #include <SMESHDS_Mesh.hxx>
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/HypothesisPy.cpp b/src/Mod/Fem/App/HypothesisPy.cpp
index 14006a18b7..99f90cd34a 100755
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/HypothesisPy.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/HypothesisPy.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 #include <StdMeshers_QuadraticMesh.hxx>
 #include <StdMeshers_RadialPrism_3D.hxx>
 #include <StdMeshers_SegmentAroundVertex_0D.hxx>
-#ifndef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR < 7
     #include <StdMeshers_TrianglePreference.hxx>
 #endif
 #include <StdMeshers_ProjectionSource1D.hxx>
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ void SMESH_HypothesisPy<T>::init_type(PyObject* module)
 
     SMESH_HypothesisPy::add_varargs_method("setLibName", &SMESH_HypothesisPy<T>::setLibName, "setLibName(String)");
     SMESH_HypothesisPy::add_varargs_method("getLibName", &SMESH_HypothesisPy<T>::getLibName, "String getLibName()");
-#ifndef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR < 7
     SMESH_HypothesisPy::add_varargs_method("setParameters", &SMESH_HypothesisPy<T>::setParameters, "setParameters(String)");
     SMESH_HypothesisPy::add_varargs_method("getParameters", &SMESH_HypothesisPy<T>::getParameters, "String getParameters()");
     SMESH_HypothesisPy::add_varargs_method("setLastParameters", &SMESH_HypothesisPy<T>::setLastParameters, "setLastParameters(String)");
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ Py::Object SMESH_HypothesisPy<T>::getLibName(const Py::Tuple& args)
 }
 
 
-#ifndef EXTERNAL_SMESH //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR < 7 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 template<class T>
 Py::Object SMESH_HypothesisPy<T>::setParameters(const Py::Tuple& args)
 {
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ StdMeshers_Hexa_3DPy::~StdMeshers_Hexa_3DPy()
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-#ifndef EXTERNAL_SMESH ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR < 7 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void StdMeshers_TrianglePreferencePy::init_type(PyObject* module)
 {
     behaviors().name("StdMeshers_TrianglePreference");
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/App/HypothesisPy.h b/src/Mod/Fem/App/HypothesisPy.h
index be0f5947bd..ed8db84ca2 100755
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/App/HypothesisPy.h
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/App/HypothesisPy.h
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ public:
     StdMeshers_Hexa_3DPy(int hypId, int studyId, SMESH_Gen* gen);
     ~StdMeshers_Hexa_3DPy();
 };
-#ifndef EXTERNAL_SMESH ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR < 7 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 class StdMeshers_TrianglePreferencePy : public SMESH_HypothesisPy<StdMeshers_TrianglePreferencePy>
 {
 public:
diff --git a/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/Mesher.cpp b/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/Mesher.cpp
index b488b2f70e..a8bdbfa732 100644
--- a/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/Mesher.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/Mesher.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 #include <SMESH_Gen.hxx>
 #include <StdMeshers_MaxLength.hxx>
 
-#ifdef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR >= 7
     #include <SMESH_Mesh.hxx>
     #include <SMESHDS_Mesh.hxx>
 #else
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
 
 using namespace MeshPart;
 
-#ifdef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR >= 7
     SMESH_Gen* Mesher::_mesh_gen = 0;
 #endif
 
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ Mesh::MeshObject* Mesher::createMesh() const
 #else
     std::list<SMESH_Hypothesis*> hypoth;
 
-#ifndef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR < 7
     SMESH_Gen* meshgen = SMESH_Gen::get();
 #else
     if (! Mesher::_mesh_gen)
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ Mesh::MeshObject* Mesher::createMesh() const
             StdMeshers_Regular_1D* hyp1d = new StdMeshers_Regular_1D(hyp++,0,meshgen);
             hypoth.push_back(hyp1d);
         }
-#ifndef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR < 7
         StdMeshers_TrianglePreference* hyp2d_1 = new StdMeshers_TrianglePreference(hyp++,0,meshgen);
         hypoth.push_back(hyp2d_1);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/Mesher.h b/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/Mesher.h
index c3c1822381..079454a080 100644
--- a/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/Mesher.h
+++ b/src/Mod/MeshPart/App/Mesher.h
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ private:
     std::vector<uint32_t> colors;
     struct Vertex;
 
-#ifdef EXTERNAL_SMESH
+#if SMESH_VERSION_MAJOR >= 7
     static SMESH_Gen *_mesh_gen;
 #endif
 };