diff --git a/src/StringUtils.h b/src/StringUtils.h
index 828d116..8986c43 100644
--- a/src/StringUtils.h
+++ b/src/StringUtils.h
@@ -16,3 +16,19 @@ inline bool strToBool(const std::string& str)
 {
 	return str == "true" || atoi(str.c_str()) != 0;
 }
+
+/** Returns @p text if non-null or a pointer
+  * to an empty null-terminated string otherwise.
+  */
+inline const char* notNullString(const char* text)
+{
+	if (text)
+	{
+		return text;
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		return "";
+	}
+}
+
diff --git a/src/UpdateScript.cpp b/src/UpdateScript.cpp
index c9e2d69..eb1c2c6 100644
--- a/src/UpdateScript.cpp
+++ b/src/UpdateScript.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@
 
 #include "tinyxml/tinyxml.h"
 
+std::string elementText(const TiXmlElement* element)
+{
+	if (!element)
+	{
+		return std::string();
+	}
+	return element->GetText();
+}
+
 UpdateScript::UpdateScript()
 {
 }
@@ -21,18 +30,7 @@ void UpdateScript::parse(const std::string& path)
 		LOG(Info,"Loaded script from " + path);
 
 		const TiXmlElement* updateNode = document.RootElement();
-		const TiXmlElement* v3UpdateNode = updateNode->FirstChildElement("update-v3");
-		if (v3UpdateNode)
-		{
-			// this XML file is structured for backwards compatibility
-			// with Mendeley Desktop <= 1.0 clients.  The normal update XML contents
-			// are wrapped in an <update-v3> node.
-			parseUpdate(v3UpdateNode);
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			parseUpdate(updateNode);
-		}
+		parseUpdate(updateNode);
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -47,6 +45,8 @@ bool UpdateScript::isValid() const
 
 void UpdateScript::parseUpdate(const TiXmlElement* updateNode)
 {
+	bool isV2Compatible = strToBool(notNullString(updateNode->Attribute("v2-compatible")));
+
 	const TiXmlElement* depsNode = updateNode->FirstChildElement("dependencies");
 	const TiXmlElement* depFileNode = depsNode->FirstChildElement("file");
 	while (depFileNode)
@@ -55,7 +55,22 @@ void UpdateScript::parseUpdate(const TiXmlElement* updateNode)
 		depFileNode = depFileNode->NextSiblingElement("file");
 	}
 
-	const TiXmlElement* installNode = updateNode->FirstChildElement("install");
+	const char* installNodeName;
+	if (isV2Compatible)
+	{
+		// this update script has been generated for backwards compatibility with
+		// Mendeley Desktop 1.0 which downloads files specified in the <install>
+		// section instead of the <packages> section.  The <install> section
+		// in this case lists the packages and the real list of files to install
+		// is in the <install-v3> section
+		installNodeName = "install-v3";
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		installNodeName = "install";
+	}
+
+	const TiXmlElement* installNode = updateNode->FirstChildElement(installNodeName);
 	if (installNode)
 	{
 		const TiXmlElement* installFileNode = installNode->FirstChildElement("file");
@@ -89,15 +104,6 @@ void UpdateScript::parseUpdate(const TiXmlElement* updateNode)
 	}
 }
 
-std::string elementText(const TiXmlElement* element)
-{
-	if (!element)
-	{
-		return std::string();
-	}
-	return element->GetText();
-}
-
 UpdateScriptFile UpdateScript::parseFile(const TiXmlElement* element)
 {
 	UpdateScriptFile file;
diff --git a/src/tests/v2_file_list.xml b/src/tests/v2_file_list.xml
index a47c6f6..40232bc 100644
--- a/src/tests/v2_file_list.xml
+++ b/src/tests/v2_file_list.xml
@@ -1,46 +1,53 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
-<update version="3">
- <!-- Update script designed for backwards compatibility with MD <= 1.0.
-      The packages to download are listed as if they were ordinary files
-	  to install in a top-level <install> section.
 
-	  The standard V3 version of the update XML format is then wrapped inside
-	  an <update-v3> element.
- !-->
- <update-v3>
-	<targetVersion>2.0</targetVersion>
-	<platform>Test</platform>
-	<dependencies>
-	<!-- The new updater is standalone and has no dependencies,
-			except for standard system libraries.
-		!-->
-	</dependencies>
-	<packages>
-	<package>
-	<name>app-pkg</name>
-	<hash>$APP_PACKAGE_HASH</hash>
-	<size>$APP_PACKAGE_SIZE</size>
-	<source>http://some/dummy/URL</source>
-	</package>
-	</packages>
-	<install>
-	<file>
-	<name>app</name>
-	<hash>$UPDATED_APP_HASH</hash>
-	<size>$UPDATED_APP_SIZE</size>
-	<permissions>30549</permissions>
-	<package>app-pkg</package>
-	<is-main-binary>true</is-main-binary>
-	</file>
-	<!-- Test symlink !-->
-	<file>
-	<name>test-dir/app-symlink</name>
-	<target>../app</target>
-	</file>
-	</install>
-	<uninstall>
-	<!-- TODO - List some files to uninstall here !-->
-	<file>file-to-uninstall.txt</file>
-	</uninstall>
- </update-v3>
+<!-- The v2-compatible attribute lets the update script parser
+     know that it is dealing with a script structured for backwards
+     compatibility with the MD <= 1.0 updater.
+!-->
+<update version="3" v2-compatible="true">
+ <targetVersion>2.0</targetVersion>
+ <platform>Test</platform>
+ <dependencies>
+   <!-- The new updater is standalone and has no dependencies,
+        except for standard system libraries and itself.
+    !-->
+ </dependencies>
+ <packages>
+  <package>
+   <name>app-pkg</name>
+   <hash>$APP_PACKAGE_HASH</hash>
+   <size>$APP_PACKAGE_SIZE</size>
+   <source>http://some/dummy/URL</source>
+  </package>
+ </packages>
+
+ <!-- For compatibility with the update download in MD <= 1.0,
+      an <install> section lists the packages to download and
+      the real list of files to install is in the <install-v3>
+      section. !-->
+ <install>
+   <!-- A duplicate of the <packages> section should appear here,
+        except that each package is listed using the same structure
+	    as files in the install-v3/files section.
+	!-->
+ </install>
+ <install-v3>
+  <file>
+   <name>$APP_FILENAME</name>
+   <hash>$UPDATED_APP_HASH</hash>
+   <size>$UPDATED_APP_SIZE</size>
+   <permissions>30549</permissions>
+   <package>app-pkg</package>
+   <is-main-binary>true</is-main-binary>
+  </file>
+  <!-- Test symlink !-->
+  <file>
+   <name>test-dir/app-symlink</name>
+   <target>../app</target>
+  </file>
+ </install-v3>
+ <uninstall>
+  <!-- TODO - List some files to uninstall here !-->
+  <file>file-to-uninstall.txt</file>
+ </uninstall>
 </update>