diff --git a/src/H5Dvirtual.c b/src/H5Dvirtual.c
index 10e53c9836..a61132176a 100644
--- a/src/H5Dvirtual.c
+++ b/src/H5Dvirtual.c
@@ -808,7 +808,7 @@ done:
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  * Function:    H5D__virtual_reset_source_dset
  *
- * Purpose:     Frees space reference by a source dataset struct.
+ * Purpose:     Frees space referenced by a source dataset struct.
  *
  * Return:      Non-negative on success/Negative on failure
  *
diff --git a/src/H5Olayout.c b/src/H5Olayout.c
index 130bf67286..81ef06100b 100644
--- a/src/H5Olayout.c
+++ b/src/H5Olayout.c
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@
 
 /* Local macros */
 
+/* Version # of encoded virtual dataset global heap blocks */
+#define H5O_LAYOUT_VDS_GH_ENC_VERS      0
+
 
 /* PRIVATE PROTOTYPES */
 static void *H5O_layout_decode(H5F_t *f, hid_t dxpl_id, H5O_t *open_oh,
@@ -115,7 +118,7 @@ H5O_layout_decode(H5F_t *f, hid_t H5_ATTR_UNUSED dxpl_id, H5O_t H5_ATTR_UNUSED *
         HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_RESOURCE, H5E_NOSPACE, NULL, "memory allocation failed")
 
     mesg->version = *p++;
-    if(mesg->version < H5O_LAYOUT_VERSION_1 || mesg->version > H5O_LAYOUT_VERSION_3)
+    if(mesg->version < H5O_LAYOUT_VERSION_1 || mesg->version > H5O_LAYOUT_VERSION_4)
         HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_OHDR, H5E_CANTLOAD, NULL, "bad version number for layout message")
 
     if(mesg->version < H5O_LAYOUT_VERSION_3) {
@@ -243,6 +246,10 @@ H5O_layout_decode(H5F_t *f, hid_t H5_ATTR_UNUSED dxpl_id, H5O_t H5_ATTR_UNUSED *
                 break;
 
             case H5D_VIRTUAL:
+                /* Check version */
+                if(mesg->version < H5O_LAYOUT_VERSION_4)
+                    HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_OHDR, H5E_VERSION, NULL, "invalid layout version with virtual layout")
+                
                 /* Heap information */
                 H5F_addr_decode(f, &p, &(mesg->storage.u.virt.serial_list_hobjid.addr));
                 UINT32DECODE(p, mesg->storage.u.virt.serial_list_hobjid.idx);
@@ -260,6 +267,7 @@ H5O_layout_decode(H5F_t *f, hid_t H5_ATTR_UNUSED dxpl_id, H5O_t H5_ATTR_UNUSED *
                 /* Decode heap block if it exists */
                 if(mesg->storage.u.virt.serial_list_hobjid.addr != HADDR_UNDEF) {
                     const uint8_t *heap_block_p;
+                    uint8_t heap_vers;
                     size_t block_size = 0;
                     size_t tmp_size;
                     hsize_t tmp_hsize;
@@ -273,6 +281,11 @@ H5O_layout_decode(H5F_t *f, hid_t H5_ATTR_UNUSED dxpl_id, H5O_t H5_ATTR_UNUSED *
 
                     heap_block_p = (const uint8_t *)heap_block;
 
+                    /* Decode the version number of the heap block encoding */
+                    heap_vers = (uint8_t)*heap_block_p++;
+                    if((uint8_t)H5O_LAYOUT_VDS_GH_ENC_VERS != heap_vers)
+                        HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_OHDR, H5E_VERSION, NULL, "bad version # of encoded VDS heap information, expected %u, got %u", (unsigned)H5O_LAYOUT_VDS_GH_ENC_VERS, (unsigned)heap_vers)
+
                     /* Number of entries */
                     H5F_DECODE_LENGTH(f, heap_block_p, tmp_hsize)
 
@@ -445,7 +458,8 @@ H5O_layout_encode(H5F_t *f, hbool_t H5_ATTR_UNUSED disable_shared, uint8_t *p, c
     HDassert(p);
 
     /* Message version */
-    *p++ = (uint8_t)H5O_LAYOUT_VERSION_3;
+    *p++ = mesg->type == H5D_VIRTUAL ? (uint8_t)H5O_LAYOUT_VERSION_4
+            : (uint8_t)H5O_LAYOUT_VERSION_3;
 
     /* Layout class */
     *p++ = mesg->type;
@@ -505,8 +519,8 @@ H5O_layout_encode(H5F_t *f, hbool_t H5_ATTR_UNUSED disable_shared, uint8_t *p, c
                 /*
                  * Calculate heap block size
                  */
-                /* Number of entries */
-                block_size = H5F_SIZEOF_SIZE(f);
+                /* Version and number of entries */
+                block_size = (size_t)1 + H5F_SIZEOF_SIZE(f);
 
                 /* Calculate size of each entry */
                 for(i = 0; i < mesg->storage.u.virt.list_nused; i++) {
@@ -546,6 +560,9 @@ H5O_layout_encode(H5F_t *f, hbool_t H5_ATTR_UNUSED disable_shared, uint8_t *p, c
                  */
                 heap_block_p = heap_block;
 
+                /* Encode heap block encoding version */
+                *heap_block_p++ = (uint8_t)H5O_LAYOUT_VDS_GH_ENC_VERS;
+
                 /* Number of entries */
                 tmp_hsize = (hsize_t)mesg->storage.u.virt.list_nused;
                 H5F_ENCODE_LENGTH(f, heap_block_p, tmp_hsize)
diff --git a/src/H5Pdapl.c b/src/H5Pdapl.c
index 94ae0b4410..c8df45bff4 100644
--- a/src/H5Pdapl.c
+++ b/src/H5Pdapl.c
@@ -368,9 +368,7 @@ done:
  *              H5Pset_virtual_view call.  The possible values of view are
  *              H5D_VDS_FIRST_MISSING or H5D_VDS_LAST_AVAIALBLE. 
  *
- * Return:      Success:        H5D_VDS_FIRST_MISSING or
- *                              H5D_VDS_LAST_AVAILABLE
- *              Failure:        H5D_VDS_ERROR
+ * Return:      Non-negative on success/Negative on failure
  *
  * Programmer:  Neil Fortner
  *              May 4, 2015
@@ -388,12 +386,12 @@ H5Pget_virtual_view(hid_t plist_id, H5D_vds_view_t *view)
 
     /* Get the plist structure */
     if(NULL == (plist = H5P_object_verify(plist_id, H5P_DATASET_ACCESS)))
-        HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_ATOM, H5E_BADATOM, H5D_VDS_ERROR, "can't find object for ID")
+        HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_ATOM, H5E_BADATOM, FAIL, "can't find object for ID")
 
     /* Get value from property list */
     if(view)
         if(H5P_get(plist, H5D_ACS_VDS_VIEW_NAME, view) < 0)
-            HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_PLIST, H5E_CANTGET, H5D_VDS_ERROR, "unable to get value")
+            HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_PLIST, H5E_CANTGET, FAIL, "unable to get value")
 
 done:
     FUNC_LEAVE_API(ret_value)
@@ -551,12 +549,12 @@ H5Pget_virtual_printf_gap(hid_t plist_id, hsize_t *gap_size)
 
     /* Get the plist structure */
     if(NULL == (plist = H5P_object_verify(plist_id, H5P_DATASET_ACCESS)))
-        HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_ATOM, H5E_BADATOM, H5D_VDS_ERROR, "can't find object for ID")
+        HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_ATOM, H5E_BADATOM, FAIL, "can't find object for ID")
 
     /* Get value from property list */
     if(gap_size)
         if(H5P_get(plist, H5D_ACS_VDS_PRINTF_GAP_NAME, gap_size) < 0)
-            HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_PLIST, H5E_CANTGET, H5D_VDS_ERROR, "unable to get value")
+            HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_PLIST, H5E_CANTGET, FAIL, "unable to get value")
 
 done:
     FUNC_LEAVE_API(ret_value)
diff --git a/test/vds.c b/test/vds.c
index 5cdcef43c1..3e1bc18c6e 100644
--- a/test/vds.c
+++ b/test/vds.c
@@ -386,8 +386,10 @@ test_api_get_ex_dcpl(test_api_config_t config, hid_t fapl, hid_t dcpl,
         if(oinfo.meta_size.obj.index_size != (hsize_t)0)
             TEST_ERROR
         if(config == TEST_API_REOPEN_FILE) {
-            if(oinfo.meta_size.obj.heap_size != exp_meta_size) { printf("%llu\n", (long long unsigned)oinfo.meta_size.obj.heap_size);
-                TEST_ERROR }
+            if(oinfo.meta_size.obj.heap_size != exp_meta_size) {
+                printf("VDS metadata size: %llu Expected: %llu\n", (long long unsigned)oinfo.meta_size.obj.heap_size, (long long unsigned)exp_meta_size);
+                TEST_ERROR
+            } /* end if */
         } /* end if */
         else
             if((oinfo.meta_size.obj.heap_size != exp_meta_size)
@@ -550,7 +552,7 @@ test_api(test_api_config_t config, hid_t fapl)
         TEST_ERROR
 
     /* Get examination DCPL */
-    if(test_api_get_ex_dcpl(config, fapl, dcpl, &ex_dcpl, vspace[0], filename, (hsize_t)68) < 0)
+    if(test_api_get_ex_dcpl(config, fapl, dcpl, &ex_dcpl, vspace[0], filename, (hsize_t)69) < 0)
         TEST_ERROR
 
     /* Test H5Pget_virtual_count */
@@ -621,7 +623,7 @@ test_api(test_api_config_t config, hid_t fapl)
         TEST_ERROR
 
     /* Get examination DCPL */
-    if(test_api_get_ex_dcpl(config, fapl, dcpl, &ex_dcpl, vspace[0], filename, (hsize_t)212) < 0)
+    if(test_api_get_ex_dcpl(config, fapl, dcpl, &ex_dcpl, vspace[0], filename, (hsize_t)213) < 0)
         TEST_ERROR
 
     /* Test H5Pget_virtual_count */
@@ -1028,7 +1030,7 @@ test_api(test_api_config_t config, hid_t fapl)
     } /* end if */
 
     /* Get examination DCPL */
-    if(test_api_get_ex_dcpl(config, fapl, dcpl, &ex_dcpl, vspace[0], filename, (hsize_t)696) < 0)
+    if(test_api_get_ex_dcpl(config, fapl, dcpl, &ex_dcpl, vspace[0], filename, (hsize_t)697) < 0)
         TEST_ERROR
 
     /* Test H5Pget_virtual_count */
diff --git a/tools/testfiles/vds/1_a.h5 b/tools/testfiles/vds/1_a.h5
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