diff --git a/include/openPMD/version.hpp b/include/openPMD/version.hpp
index e9748b3939..b976da1c91 100644
--- a/include/openPMD/version.hpp
+++ b/include/openPMD/version.hpp
@@ -86,7 +86,10 @@ std::string getVersion();
  *
  * @return std::string openPMD standard version (dot separated)
  */
-std::string getStandard();
+[[deprecated(
+    "Deprecated due to unclear semantics. Use one of getStandardMinimum, "
+    "getStandardMaximum() or getStandardDefault instead.")]] std::string
+getStandard();
 
 /** Return the default used version of the openPMD standard (read & write,
  * run-time)
@@ -102,6 +105,13 @@ std::string getStandardDefault();
  */
 std::string getStandardMinimum();
 
+/** Return the minimum supported version of the openPMD standard (read,
+ * run-time)
+ *
+ * @return std::string minimum openPMD standard version (dot separated)
+ */
+std::string getStandardMaximum();
+
 /** Return the feature variants of the openPMD-api library (run-time)
  *
  * @return std::map< std::string, bool > with variants such as backends
diff --git a/src/version.cpp b/src/version.cpp
index 1f89156695..78f09ca733 100644
--- a/src/version.cpp
+++ b/src/version.cpp
@@ -35,10 +35,7 @@ std::string openPMD::getVersion()
 
 std::string openPMD::getStandard()
 {
-    std::stringstream standard;
-    standard << OPENPMD_STANDARD_MAJOR << "." << OPENPMD_STANDARD_MINOR << "."
-             << OPENPMD_STANDARD_PATCH;
-    return standard.str();
+    return getStandardMaximum();
 }
 
 std::string openPMD::getStandardDefault()
@@ -58,3 +55,11 @@ std::string openPMD::getStandardMinimum()
                 << OPENPMD_STANDARD_MIN_PATCH;
     return standardMin.str();
 }
+
+std::string openPMD::getStandardMaximum()
+{
+    std::stringstream standard;
+    standard << OPENPMD_STANDARD_MAJOR << "." << OPENPMD_STANDARD_MINOR << "."
+             << OPENPMD_STANDARD_PATCH;
+    return standard.str();
+}
diff --git a/test/CoreTest.cpp b/test/CoreTest.cpp
index 7c119ca0b6..d27d68a8c5 100644
--- a/test/CoreTest.cpp
+++ b/test/CoreTest.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 // expose private and protected members for invasive testing
-#include "openPMD/Datatype.hpp"
-#include "openPMD/Error.hpp"
 #if openPMD_USE_INVASIVE_TESTS
 #define OPENPMD_private public:
 #define OPENPMD_protected public:
@@ -39,7 +37,7 @@ TEST_CASE("versions_test", "[core]")
     auto const standardDefault = getStandardDefault();
     REQUIRE(standardDefault == "1.1.0");
 
-    auto const standard = getStandard();
+    auto const standard = getStandardMaximum();
     REQUIRE(standard == "2.0.0");
 
     auto const standardMin = getStandardMinimum();