diff --git a/etc/apps/paraview3/bashrc b/etc/apps/paraview3/bashrc
index 24bfa9887d..d16446bfe6 100644
--- a/etc/apps/paraview3/bashrc
+++ b/etc/apps/paraview3/bashrc
@@ -48,31 +48,44 @@ done
 
 
 # set VERSION and MAJOR (version) variables if not already set
-# the major version is "<digits>.<digits>"
 [ -z "$ParaView_VERSION" ] && export ParaView_VERSION=3.6.1
-[ -z "$ParaView_MAJOR" ]   && export ParaView_MAJOR=3.6
+
+# if needed, set MAJOR version to correspond to VERSION
+# ParaView_MAJOR is "<digits>.<digits>" from ParaView_VERSION
+case "$ParaView_VERSION" in
+"${ParaView_MAJOR}.*" )
+    # version and major appear to correspond
+    ;;
+
+*)
+    ParaView_MAJOR=$(echo $ParaView_VERSION | \
+        sed -e 's/^\([0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\).*$/\1/')
+    ;;
+esac
+export ParaView_MAJOR
 
 
 export ParaView_INST_DIR=$WM_THIRD_PARTY_DIR/paraview-$ParaView_VERSION
 export ParaView_DIR=$ParaView_INST_DIR/platforms/$WM_ARCH$WM_COMPILER
 
+
 # add in python libraries if required
-ParaView_PYTHON_DIR=$ParaView_DIR/Utilities/VTKPythonWrapping
-if [ -r $ParaView_PYTHON_DIR ]
+paraviewPython=$ParaView_DIR/Utilities/VTKPythonWrapping
+if [ -r $paraviewPython ]
 then
     if [ "$PYTHONPATH" ]
     then
-        export PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH:$ParaView_PYTHON_DIR:$ParaView_DIR/lib/paraview-$ParaView_MAJOR
+        export PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH:$paraviewPython:$ParaView_DIR/lib/paraview-$ParaView_MAJOR
     else
-        export PYTHONPATH=$ParaView_PYTHON_DIR:$ParaView_DIR/lib/paraview-$ParaView_MAJOR
+        export PYTHONPATH=$paraviewPython:$ParaView_DIR/lib/paraview-$ParaView_MAJOR
     fi
 fi
 
 if [ -r $ParaView_DIR ]
 then
     export PATH=$ParaView_DIR/bin:$PATH
-    export PV_PLUGIN_PATH=$FOAM_LIBBIN/paraview
+    export PV_PLUGIN_PATH=$FOAM_LIBBIN/paraview-$ParaView_MAJOR
 fi
 
-unset cmake ParaView_PYTHON_DIR
+unset cmake paraviewPython
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/etc/apps/paraview3/cshrc b/etc/apps/paraview3/cshrc
index 2cbfa0e281..490f432e6c 100644
--- a/etc/apps/paraview3/cshrc
+++ b/etc/apps/paraview3/cshrc
@@ -45,13 +45,27 @@ foreach cmake ( cmake-2.8.0 cmake-2.6.4 cmake-2.6.2 cmake-2.4.6 )
 end
 
 # set VERSION and MAJOR (version) variables if not already set
-# the major version is "<digits>.<digits>"
 if ( ! $?ParaView_VERSION ) setenv ParaView_VERSION 3.6.1
-if ( ! $?ParaView_MAJOR )   setenv ParaView_MAJOR 3.6
+if ( ! $?ParaView_MAJOR )   setenv ParaView_MAJOR unknown
+
+# if needed, set MAJOR version to correspond to VERSION
+# ParaView_MAJOR is "<digits>.<digits>" from ParaView_VERSION
+switch ("$ParaView_VERSION")
+case "${ParaView_MAJOR}.*":
+    # version and major appear to correspond
+    breaksw
+
+default:
+    setenv ParaView_MAJOR `echo ${ParaView_VERSION} | \
+        sed -e 's/^\([0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\).*$/\1/'`
+    breaksw
+endsw
+
 
 setenv ParaView_INST_DIR $WM_THIRD_PARTY_DIR/paraview-$ParaView_VERSION
 setenv ParaView_DIR $ParaView_INST_DIR/platforms/$WM_ARCH$WM_COMPILER
 
+
 # add in python libraries if required
 set paraviewPython=$ParaView_DIR/Utilities/VTKPythonWrapping
 if ( -r $paraviewPython ) then
@@ -64,7 +78,7 @@ endif
 
 if ( -r $ParaView_INST_DIR ) then
     set path=($ParaView_DIR/bin $path)
-    setenv PV_PLUGIN_PATH $FOAM_LIBBIN/paraview
+    setenv PV_PLUGIN_PATH $FOAM_LIBBIN/paraview-${ParaView_MAJOR}
 endif
 
 unset cmake paraviewPython