diff --git a/Tests/test_file_webp.py b/Tests/test_file_webp.py
index 8e91fdd1f..d81abb85c 100644
--- a/Tests/test_file_webp.py
+++ b/Tests/test_file_webp.py
@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@ except:
     skip('webp support not installed')
 
 
+def test_version():
+	assert_no_exception(lambda: _webp.WebPDecoderVersion())
+
+def test_good_alpha():
+	assert_equal(_webp.WebPDecoderBuggyAlpha(), 0)
+	
+
 def test_read_rgb():
      
     file_path = "Images/lena.webp"
@@ -24,23 +31,6 @@ def test_read_rgb():
     assert_image_equal(image, target)
     
 
-def test_read_rgba():
-    # Generated with `cwebp transparent.png -o transparent.webp`
-    file_path = "Images/transparent.webp"
-    image = Image.open(file_path)
-
-    assert_equal(image.mode, "RGBA")
-    assert_equal(image.size, (200, 150))
-    assert_equal(image.format, "WEBP")
-    assert_no_exception(lambda: image.load())
-    assert_no_exception(lambda: image.getdata())
-
-    orig_bytes  = image.tobytes()
-
-    target = Image.open('Images/transparent.png')
-    assert_image_similar(image, target, 20.0)
-    
-
 def test_write_rgb():
     """
     Can we write a RGB mode file to webp without error. Does it have the bits we
@@ -98,3 +88,23 @@ def test_write_rgba():
     assert_no_exception(image.getdata)
  
     assert_image_similar(image, pil_image, 1.0)
+
+if _webp.WebPDecoderBuggyAlpha():
+	skip("Buggy early version of webp installed, not testing transparency")
+
+def test_read_rgba():
+	# Generated with `cwebp transparent.png -o transparent.webp`
+	file_path = "Images/transparent.webp"
+	image = Image.open(file_path)
+	
+	assert_equal(image.mode, "RGBA")
+	assert_equal(image.size, (200, 150))
+	assert_equal(image.format, "WEBP")
+	assert_no_exception(lambda: image.load())
+	assert_no_exception(lambda: image.getdata())
+	
+	orig_bytes  = image.tobytes()
+	
+	target = Image.open('Images/transparent.png')
+	assert_image_similar(image, target, 20.0)
+    
diff --git a/_webp.c b/_webp.c
index b3fb73a00..a1048f718 100644
--- a/_webp.c
+++ b/_webp.c
@@ -148,34 +148,34 @@ PyObject* WebPDecode_wrapper(PyObject* self, PyObject* args)
 	}	
 	
 	if (config.output.colorspace < MODE_YUV) {
-		bytes = PyBytes_FromStringAndSize((char *)config.output.u.RGBA.rgba, config.output.u.RGBA.size);
+		bytes = PyBytes_FromStringAndSize((char *)config.output.u.RGBA.rgba, 
+										  config.output.u.RGBA.size);
 	} else {
-		// Skipping YUV for now. 
-		bytes = PyBytes_FromStringAndSize((char *)config.output.u.YUVA.y, config.output.u.YUVA.y_size);
-	}
-	switch(config.output.colorspace) {
-		// UNDONE, alternate orderings
-	case MODE_RGB:
-		mode = "RGB";
-		break;
-	case MODE_RGBA:
-		mode = "RGBA";
-		break;
-	default:
-		mode = "ERR";
+		// Skipping YUV for now. Need Test Images.
+		// UNDONE -- unclear if we'll ever get here if we set mode_rgb*
+		bytes = PyBytes_FromStringAndSize((char *)config.output.u.YUVA.y, 
+										  config.output.u.YUVA.y_size);
 	}
 
-	height = config.output.height;
-	width = config.output.width;
-
-
-	ret = Py_BuildValue("SiiS", bytes, width, height, PyBytes_FromString(mode));
+	ret = Py_BuildValue("SiiS", bytes, config.output.width, 
+						config.output.height, PyBytes_FromString(mode));
 	WebPFreeDecBuffer(&config.output);
 	return ret;
 }
 
+// Return the decoder's version number, packed in hexadecimal using 8bits for
+// each of major/minor/revision. E.g: v2.5.7 is 0x020507.
+PyObject* WebPDecoderVersion_wrapper(PyObject* self, PyObject* args){
+	return Py_BuildValue("i", WebPGetDecoderVersion());
+}
 
-
+/*
+ * The version of webp that ships with (0.1.2) Ubuntu 12.04 doesn't handle alpha well.
+ * Files that are valid with 0.3 are reported as being invalid. 
+ */
+PyObject* WebPDecoderBuggyAlpha_wrapper(PyObject* self, PyObject* args){
+	return Py_BuildValue("i", WebPGetDecoderVersion()==0x0102);
+}
 
 static PyMethodDef webpMethods[] =
 {
@@ -183,6 +183,8 @@ static PyMethodDef webpMethods[] =
     {"WebPEncodeRGB", WebPEncodeRGB_wrapper, METH_VARARGS, "WebPEncodeRGB"},
     {"WebPEncodeRGBA", WebPEncodeRGBA_wrapper, METH_VARARGS, "WebPEncodeRGBA"},
     {"WebPDecode", WebPDecode_wrapper, METH_VARARGS, "WebPDecode"},
+    {"WebPDecoderVersion", WebPDecoderVersion_wrapper, METH_VARARGS, "WebPVersion"},
+    {"WebPDecoderBuggyAlpha", WebPDecoderBuggyAlpha_wrapper, METH_VARARGS, "WebPDecoderBuggyAlpha"},
     {NULL, NULL}
 };