diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 2d584aa..5934340 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ export(getActiveDocumentContext)
 export(getActiveProject)
 export(getConsoleEditorContext)
 export(getDelegatedAzureToken)
+export(getMode)
 export(getPersistentValue)
 export(getRStudioPackageDependencies)
 export(getSourceEditorContext)
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 77d8d4b..0cb57d2 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 
 # rstudioapi (under development)
 
+* Added `getMode()`, which can be used to differentiate between Desktop
+  and Server installations of RStudio. (#280)
+
 # rstudioapi 0.16.0
 
 * `restartSession()` gains the `clean` argument, for RStudio 2024.04
diff --git a/R/code.R b/R/code.R
index d1c59dd..ec1f7e7 100644
--- a/R/code.R
+++ b/R/code.R
@@ -1,25 +1,25 @@
 #' Check if RStudio is running
-#' 
+#'
 #' Check if RStudio is running.
-#' 
+#'
 #' @aliases isAvailable verifyAvailable
-#' 
+#'
 #' @param version_needed An optional version specification. If supplied, ensures
 #'   that RStudio is at least that version.
-#'   
+#'
 #' @param child_ok Boolean; check if the current R process is a child process of
 #'   the main RStudio session? This can be useful for e.g. RStudio Jobs, where
 #'   you'd like to communicate back with the main R session from a child process
 #'   through \code{rstudioapi}.
-#'   
+#'
 #' @return \code{isAvailable} a boolean; \code{verifyAvailable} an error message
 #'   if RStudio is not running
-#'   
+#'
 #' @examples
-#' 
+#'
 #' rstudioapi::isAvailable()
 #' \dontrun{rstudioapi::verifyAvailable()}
-#' 
+#'
 #' @export
 isAvailable <- function(version_needed = NULL, child_ok = FALSE) {
 
@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@ isAvailable <- function(version_needed = NULL, child_ok = FALSE) {
     return(callRemote(sys.call(), parent.frame()))
 
   identical(.Platform$GUI, "RStudio") && version_ok(version_needed)
-  
+
 }
 
 version_ok <- function(version = NULL) {
   if (is.null(version)) return(TRUE)
-  
+
   getVersion() >= version
 }
 
@@ -41,87 +41,96 @@ version_ok <- function(version = NULL) {
 verifyAvailable <- function(version_needed = NULL) {
   if (!isAvailable()) stop("RStudio not running", call. = FALSE)
   if (!version_ok(version_needed)) {
-    stop("Need at least version ", version_needed, " of RStudio. ", 
+    stop("Need at least version ", version_needed, " of RStudio. ",
       "Currently running ", getVersion(), call. = FALSE)
   }
-  invisible(TRUE)  
+  invisible(TRUE)
 }
 
 
 
-#' Return the current version of the RStudio API
+#' Determine the version of RStudio
+#'
+#' Use `getVersion()` to determine the current version of RStudio.
+#' This can be useful for \R packages which need to gate certain functionality
+#' based on the version of RStudio currently available.
+#'
+#' @returns A `"numeric_version"` object, giving the version of RStudio in use.
 #' 
-#' Return the current version of the RStudio API
-#' 
-#' 
-#' @return A \code{\link{numeric_version}} which you can compare to a string
-#' and get correct results.
-#' @examples
-#' 
-#' \dontrun{
-#' if (rstudioapi::getVersion() < "0.98.100") {
-#'   message("Your version of RStudio is quite old")
-#' }
-#' }
-#' 
-#' @export getVersion
+#' @export
 getVersion <- function() {
   verifyAvailable()
-  callFun("versionInfo")$version
+  
+  base <- .BaseNamespaceEnv
+  version <- base$.Call("rs_rstudioVersion", PACKAGE = "(embedding)")
+  package_version(version)
 }
 
-
+#' Report whether RStudio Desktop or RStudio Server is in use
+#' 
+#' Use `getMode()` if you need to differentiate between server
+#' and desktop installations of RStudio.
+#' 
+#' @returns "desktop" for RStudio Desktop installations, and
+#'   "server" for RStudio Server / RStudio Workbench installations.
+#'   
+#' @export
+getMode <- function() {
+  verifyAvailable()
+  rstudio <- as.environment("tools:rstudio")
+  if (rstudio$.rs.isDesktop()) "desktop" else "server"
+}
 
 
 #' Call an RStudio API function
-#' 
+#'
 #' This function will return an error if RStudio is not running, or the
 #' function is not available. If you want to fall back to different behavior,
 #' use \code{\link{hasFun}}.
-#' 
-#' 
+#'
+#'
 #' @param fname name of the RStudio function to call.
 #' @param ... Other arguments passed on to the function
 #' @examples
-#' 
+#'
 #' if (rstudioapi::isAvailable()) {
 #'   rstudioapi::callFun("versionInfo")
 #' }
-#' 
+#'
 #' @export callFun
 callFun <- function(fname, ...) {
-  
+
   if (isJob())
     return(callRemote(sys.call(), parent.frame()))
-  
+
   verifyAvailable()
-  
+
   # get reference to RStudio function
   f <- tryCatch(findFun(fname, mode = "function"), error = identity)
   if (inherits(f, "error"))
     stop("Function ", fname, " not found in RStudio", call. = FALSE)
-  
+
   # drop arguments that aren't accepted by RStudio
   # (ensure backwards-compatibility with older versions of RStudio)
   args <- list(...)
   if (!"..." %in% names(formals(f)))
     if (length(args) > length(formals(f)))
       length(args) <- length(formals(f))
-  
+
   # invoke the function
   do.call(f, args)
-  
+
 }
 
 
 
 #' Exists/get for RStudio functions
-#' 
+#'
 #' These are specialized versions of \code{\link[base]{get}} and
 #' \code{\link[base]{exists}} that look in the rstudio package namespace. If
 #' RStudio is not running, \code{hasFun} will return \code{FALSE}.
-#' 
-#' 
+#'
+#'
 #' @aliases hasFun findFun
 #' @param name name of object to look for
 #' @param version_needed An optional version specification. If supplied,
@@ -130,20 +139,20 @@ callFun <- function(fname, ...) {
 #' @param ... other arguments passed on to \code{\link[base]{exists}} and
 #' \code{\link[base]{get}}
 #' @examples
-#' 
+#'
 #' rstudioapi::hasFun("viewer")
-#' 
+#'
 #' @export hasFun
 hasFun <- function(name, version_needed = NULL, ...) {
-  
+
   if (!isAvailable(version_needed))
     return(FALSE)
-  
+
   if (usingTools())
     return(exists(toolsName(name), toolsEnv(), ...))
-  
+
   exists(name, envir = asNamespace("rstudio"), ...)
-  
+
 }
 
 #' @export
diff --git a/man/getMode.Rd b/man/getMode.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f04dc30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/getMode.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/code.R
+\name{getMode}
+\alias{getMode}
+\title{Report whether RStudio Desktop or RStudio Server is in use}
+\usage{
+getMode()
+}
+\value{
+"desktop" for RStudio Desktop installations, and
+"server" for RStudio Server / RStudio Workbench installations.
+}
+\description{
+Use \code{getMode()} if you need to differentiate between server
+and desktop installations of RStudio.
+}
diff --git a/man/getVersion.Rd b/man/getVersion.Rd
index cb01efe..fcbd88c 100644
--- a/man/getVersion.Rd
+++ b/man/getVersion.Rd
@@ -2,23 +2,15 @@
 % Please edit documentation in R/code.R
 \name{getVersion}
 \alias{getVersion}
-\title{Return the current version of the RStudio API}
+\title{Determine the version of RStudio}
 \usage{
 getVersion()
 }
 \value{
-A \code{\link{numeric_version}} which you can compare to a string
-and get correct results.
+A \code{"numeric_version"} object, giving the version of RStudio in use.
 }
 \description{
-Return the current version of the RStudio API
-}
-\examples{
-
-\dontrun{
-if (rstudioapi::getVersion() < "0.98.100") {
-  message("Your version of RStudio is quite old")
-}
-}
-
+Use \code{getVersion()} to determine the current version of RStudio.
+This can be useful for \R packages which need to gate certain functionality
+based on the version of RStudio currently available.
 }