Index: Makefile.in
==================================================================
--- Makefile.in
+++ Makefile.in
@@ -763,36 +763,45 @@
 	$(MPTEST1) --journalmode PERSIST
 	$(MPTEST2) --journalmode TRUNCATE
 	$(MPTEST1) --journalmode TRUNCATE
 	$(MPTEST2) --journalmode DELETE
 
+
+has_tclsh84:
+	sh $(TOP)/tool/cktclsh.sh 8.4 $(TCLSH_CMD)
+	touch has_tclsh84
+
+has_tclsh85:
+	sh $(TOP)/tool/cktclsh.sh 8.5 $(TCLSH_CMD)
+	touch has_tclsh85
+
 
 # This target creates a directory named "tsrc" and fills it with
 # copies of all of the C source code and header files needed to
 # build on the target system.  Some of the C source code and header
 # files are automatically generated.  This target takes care of
 # all that automatic generation.
 #
-.target_source:	$(SRC) $(TOP)/tool/vdbe-compress.tcl fts5.c
+.target_source:	$(SRC) $(TOP)/tool/vdbe-compress.tcl has_tclsh84 fts5.c
 	rm -rf tsrc
 	mkdir tsrc
 	cp -f $(SRC) tsrc
 	rm tsrc/sqlite.h.in tsrc/parse.y
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/tool/vdbe-compress.tcl $(OPTS) <tsrc/vdbe.c >vdbe.new
 	mv vdbe.new tsrc/vdbe.c
 	cp fts5.c fts5.h tsrc
 	touch .target_source
 
-sqlite3.c:	.target_source $(TOP)/tool/mksqlite3c.tcl src-verify
+sqlite3.c:	.target_source $(TOP)/tool/mksqlite3c.tcl src-verify has_tclsh84
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/tool/mksqlite3c.tcl $(AMALGAMATION_LINE_MACROS)
 	cp tsrc/sqlite3ext.h .
 	cp $(TOP)/ext/session/sqlite3session.h .
 
-sqlite3r.h: sqlite3.h
+sqlite3r.h: sqlite3.h has_tclsh84
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/tool/mksqlite3h.tcl $(TOP) --enable-recover >sqlite3r.h
 
-sqlite3r.c: sqlite3.c sqlite3r.h
+sqlite3r.c: sqlite3.c sqlite3r.h has_tclsh84
 	cp $(TOP)/ext/recover/sqlite3recover.c tsrc/
 	cp $(TOP)/ext/recover/sqlite3recover.h tsrc/
 	cp $(TOP)/ext/recover/dbdata.c tsrc/
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/tool/mksqlite3c.tcl --enable-recover $(AMALGAMATION_LINE_MACROS)
 
@@ -803,11 +812,11 @@
 	echo '#ifndef USE_SYSTEM_SQLITE' >tclsqlite3.c
 	cat sqlite3.c >>tclsqlite3.c
 	echo '#endif /* USE_SYSTEM_SQLITE */' >>tclsqlite3.c
 	cat $(TOP)/src/tclsqlite.c >>tclsqlite3.c
 
-sqlite3-all.c:	sqlite3.c $(TOP)/tool/split-sqlite3c.tcl
+sqlite3-all.c:	sqlite3.c $(TOP)/tool/split-sqlite3c.tcl has_tclsh84
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/tool/split-sqlite3c.tcl
 
 # Rule to build the amalgamation
 #
 sqlite3.lo:	sqlite3.c
@@ -1091,14 +1100,14 @@
 	$(LTLINK) -o $@ tclsqlite-shell.lo \
 		 libsqlite3.la $(LIBTCL)
 
 # Rules to build opcodes.c and opcodes.h
 #
-opcodes.c:	opcodes.h $(TOP)/tool/mkopcodec.tcl
+opcodes.c:	opcodes.h $(TOP)/tool/mkopcodec.tcl has_tclsh84
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/tool/mkopcodec.tcl opcodes.h >opcodes.c
 
-opcodes.h:	parse.h $(TOP)/src/vdbe.c $(TOP)/tool/mkopcodeh.tcl
+opcodes.h:	parse.h $(TOP)/src/vdbe.c $(TOP)/tool/mkopcodeh.tcl has_tclsh84
 	cat parse.h $(TOP)/src/vdbe.c | $(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/tool/mkopcodeh.tcl >opcodes.h
 
 # Rules to build parse.c and parse.h - the outputs of lemon.
 #
 parse.h:	parse.c
@@ -1105,14 +1114,14 @@
 
 parse.c:	$(TOP)/src/parse.y lemon$(BEXE)
 	cp $(TOP)/src/parse.y .
 	./lemon$(BEXE) $(OPT_FEATURE_FLAGS) $(OPTS) -S parse.y
 
-sqlite3.h:	$(TOP)/src/sqlite.h.in $(TOP)/manifest mksourceid$(BEXE) $(TOP)/VERSION
+sqlite3.h:	$(TOP)/src/sqlite.h.in $(TOP)/manifest mksourceid$(BEXE) $(TOP)/VERSION has_tclsh84
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/tool/mksqlite3h.tcl $(TOP) >sqlite3.h
 
-sqlite3rc.h:	$(TOP)/src/sqlite3.rc $(TOP)/VERSION
+sqlite3rc.h:	$(TOP)/src/sqlite3.rc $(TOP)/VERSION has_tclsh84
 	echo '#ifndef SQLITE_RESOURCE_VERSION' >$@
 	echo -n '#define SQLITE_RESOURCE_VERSION ' >>$@
 	cat $(TOP)/VERSION | $(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/tool/replace.tcl exact . , >>$@
 	echo '#endif' >>sqlite3rc.h
 
@@ -1144,11 +1153,11 @@
 	$(TOP)/ext/recover/dbdata.c \
 	$(TOP)/ext/recover/sqlite3recover.c \
 	$(TOP)/ext/recover/sqlite3recover.h \
         $(TOP)/src/test_windirent.c
 
-shell.c:	$(SHELL_SRC) $(TOP)/tool/mkshellc.tcl
+shell.c:	$(SHELL_SRC) $(TOP)/tool/mkshellc.tcl has_tclsh84
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/tool/mkshellc.tcl >shell.c
 
 
 
 
@@ -1232,11 +1241,11 @@
 	rm -f fts5parse.h
 	./lemon$(BEXE) $(OPTS) -S fts5parse.y
 
 fts5parse.h: fts5parse.c
 
-fts5.c: $(FTS5_SRC)
+fts5.c: $(FTS5_SRC) has_tclsh84
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/ext/fts5/tool/mkfts5c.tcl
 	cp $(TOP)/ext/fts5/fts5.h .
 
 fts5.lo:	fts5.c $(HDR) $(EXTHDR)
 	$(LTCOMPILE) -DSQLITE_CORE -c fts5.c
@@ -1266,11 +1275,11 @@
 TESTFIXTURE_SRC0 = $(TESTSRC2) libsqlite3.la
 TESTFIXTURE_SRC1 = sqlite3.c
 TESTFIXTURE_SRC = $(TESTSRC) $(TOP)/src/tclsqlite.c
 TESTFIXTURE_SRC += $(TESTFIXTURE_SRC$(USE_AMALGAMATION))
 
-testfixture$(TEXE):	$(TESTFIXTURE_SRC)
+testfixture$(TEXE):	has_tclsh85 $(TESTFIXTURE_SRC)
 	$(LTLINK) -DSQLITE_NO_SYNC=1 $(TEMP_STORE) $(TESTFIXTURE_FLAGS) \
 		-o $@ $(TESTFIXTURE_SRC) $(LIBTCL) $(TLIBS)
 
 coretestprogs:	$(TESTPROGS)
 
@@ -1319,14 +1328,14 @@
 
 # Runs both fuzztest and testrunner, consecutively.
 #
 devtest:	testfixture$(TEXE) fuzztest testrunner
 
-mdevtest:
+mdevtest: has_tclsh85
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/test/testrunner.tcl mdevtest
 
-sdevtest:
+sdevtest: has_tclsh85
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/test/testrunner.tcl sdevtest
 
 # Testing for a release
 #
 releasetest: testfixture$(TEXE)
@@ -1356,17 +1365,17 @@
 	./testfixture$(TEXE) $(TOP)/test/main.test $(TESTOPTS)
 
 shelltest: $(TESTPROGS)
 	./testfixture$(TEXT) $(TOP)/test/permutations.test shell
 
-sqlite3_analyzer.c: sqlite3.c $(TOP)/src/tclsqlite.c $(TOP)/tool/spaceanal.tcl $(TOP)/tool/mkccode.tcl $(TOP)/tool/sqlite3_analyzer.c.in
+sqlite3_analyzer.c: sqlite3.c $(TOP)/src/tclsqlite.c $(TOP)/tool/spaceanal.tcl $(TOP)/tool/mkccode.tcl $(TOP)/tool/sqlite3_analyzer.c.in has_tclsh85
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/tool/mkccode.tcl $(TOP)/tool/sqlite3_analyzer.c.in >sqlite3_analyzer.c
 
 sqlite3_analyzer$(TEXE): sqlite3_analyzer.c
 	$(LTLINK) sqlite3_analyzer.c -o $@ $(LIBTCL) $(TLIBS)
 
-sqltclsh.c: sqlite3.c $(TOP)/src/tclsqlite.c $(TOP)/tool/sqltclsh.tcl $(TOP)/ext/misc/appendvfs.c $(TOP)/tool/mkccode.tcl $(TOP)/tool/sqltclsh.c.in
+sqltclsh.c: sqlite3.c $(TOP)/src/tclsqlite.c $(TOP)/tool/sqltclsh.tcl $(TOP)/ext/misc/appendvfs.c $(TOP)/tool/mkccode.tcl $(TOP)/tool/sqltclsh.c.in has_tclsh85
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/tool/mkccode.tcl $(TOP)/tool/sqltclsh.c.in >sqltclsh.c
 
 sqltclsh$(TEXE): sqltclsh.c
 	$(LTLINK) sqltclsh.c -o $@ $(LIBTCL) $(TLIBS)
 
@@ -1381,11 +1390,11 @@
   $(TOP)/ext/repair/checkindex.c \
   $(TOP)/ext/repair/checkfreelist.c \
   $(TOP)/ext/misc/btreeinfo.c \
   $(TOP)/ext/repair/sqlite3_checker.c.in
 
-sqlite3_checker.c:	$(CHECKER_DEPS)
+sqlite3_checker.c:	$(CHECKER_DEPS) has_tclsh85
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) $(TOP)/tool/mkccode.tcl $(TOP)/ext/repair/sqlite3_checker.c.in >$@
 
 sqlite3_checker$(TEXE):	sqlite3_checker.c
 	$(LTLINK) sqlite3_checker.c -o $@ $(LIBTCL) $(TLIBS)
 
@@ -1547,10 +1556,11 @@
 	rm -f dbhash dbhash.exe
 	rm -f fts5.* fts5parse.*
 	rm -f threadtest5
 	rm -f src-verify
 	rm -f custom.rws
+	rm -f has_tclsh84 has_tclsh85
 
 distclean:	clean
 	rm -f sqlite_cfg.h config.log config.status libtool Makefile sqlite3.pc \
 		$(TESTPROGS)
 
@@ -1591,14 +1601,14 @@
 #
 ./custom.rws: ./tool/custom.txt
 	@echo 'Updating custom dictionary from tool/custom.txt'
 	aspell --lang=en create master ./custom.rws < $<
 
-misspell: ./custom.rws
+misspell: ./custom.rws has_tclsh84
 	$(TCLSH_CMD) ./tool/spellsift.tcl ./src/*.c ./src/*.h ./src/*.in
 
 #
 # tool/version-info: a utility for emitting sqlite3 version info
 # in various forms.
 #
 version-info$(TEXE):	$(TOP)/tool/version-info.c Makefile sqlite3.h
 	$(LTLINK) $(ST_OPT) -o $@ $(TOP)/tool/version-info.c

ADDED   tool/cktclsh.sh
Index: tool/cktclsh.sh
==================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ tool/cktclsh.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Fail with an error if the TCLSH named in $2 is not tclsh version $1 or later.
+#
+echo "set vers $1" >cktclsh$1.tcl
+echo 'if {$tcl_version<$vers} {exit 1}' >>cktclsh$1.tcl
+if ! $2 cktclsh$1.tcl
+then
+   echo "ERROR: This makefile target requires tclsh $1 or later."
+   rm cktclsh$1.tcl
+   exit 1
+fi
+rm cktclsh$1.tcl