diff --git a/python/obitools3/obidms/_obidms.pyx b/python/obitools3/obidms/_obidms.pyx
index 5e352e8..9758e2b 100644
--- a/python/obitools3/obidms/_obidms.pyx
+++ b/python/obitools3/obidms/_obidms.pyx
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ cdef class OBIDMS :
                 column_name = entry.stem
                 column_name_b = str2bytes(column_name)
                 dms[column_name] = {}
-                header = obi_column_get_header_from_name(self.pointer, column_name_b)
+                header = obi_column_get_header_from_name(self.pointer, column_name_b, -1)
                 data_type = bytes2str(name_data_type(header.data_type))
                 line_count = header.line_count
                 creation_date = bytes2str(obi_column_format_date(header.creation_date))
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ cdef class OBIDMS :
         # Get the header of the latest version of the column if 
         # some needed informations are not provided
         if ((not data_type or not nb_elements_per_line) and not create) :
-            header = obi_column_get_header_from_name(self.pointer, column_name_b)
+            header = obi_column_get_header_from_name(self.pointer, column_name_b, version_number)
             
         # Get the data type if not provided
         if not data_type :
diff --git a/python/obitools3/obidms/capi/obidmscolumn.pxd b/python/obitools3/obidms/capi/obidmscolumn.pxd
index 497e03a..d08a2c2 100644
--- a/python/obitools3/obidms/capi/obidmscolumn.pxd
+++ b/python/obitools3/obidms/capi/obidmscolumn.pxd
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ cdef extern from "obidmscolumn.h" nogil:
                                                          const_char_p column_name)
         
     OBIDMS_column_header_p obi_column_get_header_from_name(OBIDMS_p dms, 
-                                                           const_char_p column_name)
+                                                           const_char_p column_name,
+                                                           obiversion_t version_number)
     
     int obi_unmap_header(OBIDMS_column_header_p header)
         
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn.c b/src/obidmscolumn.c
index ec5d93b..711869e 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn.c
@@ -1185,14 +1185,13 @@ void obi_ini_to_NA_values(OBIDMS_column_p column,
 }
 
 
-OBIDMS_column_header_p obi_column_get_header_from_name(OBIDMS_p dms, const char* column_name)	// TODO ADD VERSION ARGUMENT
+OBIDMS_column_header_p obi_column_get_header_from_name(OBIDMS_p dms, const char* column_name, obiversion_t version_number)
 {
 	OBIDMS_column_header_p 		header;
 	OBIDMS_column_directory_p	column_directory;
 	char* 						column_file_name;
 	int 						column_file_descriptor;
 	size_t 						header_size;
-	obiversion_t	   			version_number;
 
 	// Get the column directory structure associated to the column
 	column_directory = obi_open_column_directory(dms, column_name);
@@ -1202,12 +1201,15 @@ OBIDMS_column_header_p obi_column_get_header_from_name(OBIDMS_p dms, const char*
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	// Get the latest version number
-	version_number = obi_get_latest_version_number(column_directory);
+	// Get the latest version number if not provided
 	if (version_number < 0)
 	{
-		obidebug(1, "\nError getting the latest version number in a column directory");
-		return NULL;
+		version_number = obi_get_latest_version_number(column_directory);
+		if (version_number < 0)
+		{
+			obidebug(1, "\nError getting the latest version number in a column directory");
+			return NULL;
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Get the column file name
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn.h b/src/obidmscolumn.h
index 64d89ae..7df6d90 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn.h
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn.h
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ size_t obi_get_platform_header_size();
  * @param nb_elements_per_line The number of elements per line.
  * @param elements_names The names of the elements with ';' as separator.
  * @param array_name The name of the array if there is one associated with the column.
+ * @param comments Optional comments associated with the column.
  *
  * @returns A pointer on the newly created column structure.
  * @retval NULL if an error occurred.
@@ -287,7 +288,7 @@ int obi_truncate_and_close_column(OBIDMS_column_p column);
  * @since August 2015
  * @author Celine Mercier (celine.mercier@metabarcoding.org)
  */
-void obi_ini_to_NA_values(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t first_line_nb, index_t nb_lines);	// TO make private?
+void obi_ini_to_NA_values(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t first_line_nb, index_t nb_lines);	// TODO make private?
 
 
 /**
@@ -297,6 +298,8 @@ void obi_ini_to_NA_values(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t first_line_nb, index_t
  *
  * @param dms A pointer on an OBIDMS.
  * @param column_name The name of an OBIDMS column.
+ * @param version_number The version of the column from which the header should be
+ *        retrieved (-1: latest version).
  *
  * @returns A pointer on the mmapped header of the column.
  * @retval NULL if an error occurred.
@@ -304,7 +307,7 @@ void obi_ini_to_NA_values(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t first_line_nb, index_t
  * @since October 2015
  * @author Celine Mercier (celine.mercier@metabarcoding.org)
  */
-OBIDMS_column_header_p obi_column_get_header_from_name(OBIDMS_p dms, const char* column_name);
+OBIDMS_column_header_p obi_column_get_header_from_name(OBIDMS_p dms, const char* column_name, obiversion_t version_number);
 
 
 /**