diff --git a/openide.util/apichanges.xml b/openide.util/apichanges.xml
--- a/openide.util/apichanges.xml
+++ b/openide.util/apichanges.xml
@@ -49,6 +49,23 @@ made subject to such option by the copyr
     <apidef name="actions">Actions API</apidef>
 </apidefs>
 <changes>
+    <change id="Utilities.ANSWER_TO_LIFE_UNIVERSE_AND_EVERYTHING">
+        <api name="util"/>
+        <summary>Added the answer to Life, Universe and Everything</summary>
+        <version major="7" minor="13"/>
+        <date day="1" month="4" year="2008"/>
+        <author login="abadea"/>
+        <compatibility addition="yes"/>
+        <description>
+            <p>
+                Added a field to <a href="@TOP@/org/openide/util/Utilities.html">Utilities</a>
+                which returns the answer to Life, Universe and Everything. This value is
+                useful when a value (any value) is needed.
+            </p>
+        </description> 
+        <class package="org.openide.util" name="Utilities"/>
+        <issue number="131708"/>
+    </change>
     <change id="Mutex.Wrapper">
         <api name="util"/>
         <summary>Mutex made pluggable</summary>
diff --git a/openide.util/nbproject/project.properties b/openide.util/nbproject/project.properties
--- a/openide.util/nbproject/project.properties
+++ b/openide.util/nbproject/project.properties
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ javac.source=1.5
 javac.source=1.5
 module.jar.dir=lib
 
-spec.version.base=7.12.0
+spec.version.base=7.13.0
 
 # For XMLSerializer, needed for XMLUtil.write to work w/ namespaces under JDK 1.4:
 
diff --git a/openide.util/src/org/openide/util/Utilities.java b/openide.util/src/org/openide/util/Utilities.java
--- a/openide.util/src/org/openide/util/Utilities.java
+++ b/openide.util/src/org/openide/util/Utilities.java
@@ -117,6 +117,9 @@ public final class Utilities {
 public final class Utilities {
 
     private static final Logger LOG = Logger.getLogger(Utilities.class.getName());
+
+    /** The answer to Life, Universe and Everything. */
+    public static final int ANSWER_TO_LIFE_UNIVERSE_AND_EVERYTHING = 42;
 
     /** Operating system is Windows NT. */
     public static final int OS_WINNT = 1 << 0;
diff --git a/openide.util/test/unit/src/org/openide/util/UtilitiesTest.java b/openide.util/test/unit/src/org/openide/util/UtilitiesTest.java
--- a/openide.util/test/unit/src/org/openide/util/UtilitiesTest.java
+++ b/openide.util/test/unit/src/org/openide/util/UtilitiesTest.java
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ public class UtilitiesTest extends TestC
     protected void tearDown() throws Exception {
         System.setProperty("os.name", originalOsName);
         super.tearDown();
+    }
+
+    public void testAnswerToLifeUniverseAndEverything() {
+        assertEquals(42, Utilities.ANSWER_TO_LIFE_UNIVERSE_AND_EVERYTHING);
     }
 
     public void testGetOperatingSystemWinNT () {