diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index dbe1d10..269d361 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 
 ##### Enhancements
 
+* Integrate `swift_version` DSL support into pod targets. 
+  [Dimitris Koutsogiorgas](https://github.com/dnkoutso)
+  [#7134](https://github.com/CocoaPods/CocoaPods/issues/7134)
+
 * Add color indication to output of `pod outdated`  
   [iv-mexx](https://github.com/iv-mexx)
   [#7204](https://github.com/CocoaPods/CocoaPods/pull/7204)
diff --git a/lib/cocoapods/target/pod_target.rb b/lib/cocoapods/target/pod_target.rb
index 3df5578..bffbca5 100644
--- a/lib/cocoapods/target/pod_target.rb
+++ b/lib/cocoapods/target/pod_target.rb
@@ -95,10 +95,12 @@
       end
     end
 
-    # @return [String] the Swift version for the target.
+    # @return [String] the Swift version for the target. If the pod author has provided a swift version
+    #                  then that is the one returned, otherwise the Swift version is determined by the user
+    #                  targets that include this pod target.
     #
     def swift_version
-      target_definitions.map(&:swift_version).compact.uniq.first
+      root_spec.swift_version || target_definitions.map(&:swift_version).compact.uniq.first
     end
 
     # @note   The deployment target for the pod target is the maximum of all
diff --git a/lib/cocoapods/validator.rb b/lib/cocoapods/validator.rb
index acb37d9..2a13f44 100644
--- a/lib/cocoapods/validator.rb
+++ b/lib/cocoapods/validator.rb
@@ -395,19 +395,39 @@
 
     # Performs validation for which version of Swift is used during validation.
     #
+    #
+    #
     # The user will be warned that the default version of Swift was used if the following things are true:
     #   - The project uses Swift at all
     #   - The user did not supply a Swift version via a parameter
+    #   - There is no `swift_version` attribute set within the specification
     #   - There is no `.swift-version` file present either.
     #
     def validate_swift_version
-      if uses_swift? && @swift_version.nil? && dot_swift_version.nil?
-        warning(:swift_version,
-                'The validator used ' \
-                "Swift #{DEFAULT_SWIFT_VERSION} by default because no Swift version was specified. " \
-                'If you want to use a different version of Swift during validation, then either use the `--swift-version` parameter ' \
-                'or use a `.swift-version` file to set the version of Swift to use for ' \
-                'your Pod. For example to use Swift 4.0, run: `echo "4.0" > .swift-version`.')
+      return unless uses_swift?
+      spec_swift_version = spec.swift_version
+      unless spec_swift_version.nil?
+        message = nil
+        if !dot_swift_version.nil? && dot_swift_version != spec_swift_version
+          message = "Specification `#{spec.name}` specifies an inconsistent `swift_version` (`#{spec_swift_version}`) compared to the one present in your `.swift-version` file (`#{dot_swift_version}`). " \
+                    'Please update your `.swift-version` file or remove it and replace with the `swift_version` attribute within your podspec.'
+        elsif !@swift_version.nil? && @swift_version != spec_swift_version
+          message = "Specification `#{spec.name}` specifies an inconsistent `swift_version` (`#{spec_swift_version}`) compared to the one passed during lint (`#{@swift_version}`)."
+        end
+        unless message.nil?
+          error('swift', message)
+          return
+        end
+      end
+      if spec_swift_version.nil? && @swift_version.nil? && dot_swift_version.nil?
+          warning('swift',
+                  'The validator used ' \
+                  "Swift #{DEFAULT_SWIFT_VERSION} by default because no Swift version was specified. " \
+                  'If you want to use a different version of Swift during validation, then either specify a `swift_version` attribute in your podspec, ' \
+                  'use the `--swift-version` parameter during lint ' \
+                  'or use a `.swift-version` file to set the version of Swift to use for ' \
+                  'your Pod. For example to use Swift 4.0, run: `echo "4.0" > .swift-version`.')
+
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/target/pod_target_spec.rb b/spec/unit/target/pod_target_spec.rb
index 531e2ce..dd4ec2f 100644
--- a/spec/unit/target/pod_target_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/target/pod_target_spec.rb
@@ -144,6 +144,20 @@
       end
     end
 
+    describe 'swift version' do
+      it 'uses the swift version defined by the specification if one is specified in the spec' do
+        @pod_target.root_spec.stubs(:swift_version).returns('3.0')
+        @target_definition.stubs(:swift_version).returns('2.3')
+        @pod_target.swift_version.should == '3.0'
+      end
+
+      it 'uses the swift version defined by the target definitions if no swift version is specifed in the spec' do
+        @pod_target.root_spec.stubs(:swift_version).returns(nil)
+        @target_definition.stubs(:swift_version).returns('2.3')
+        @pod_target.swift_version.should == '2.3'
+      end
+    end
+
     describe 'Support files' do
       it 'returns the absolute path of the xcconfig file' do
         @pod_target.xcconfig_path('Release').to_s.should.include?(
diff --git a/spec/unit/validator_spec.rb b/spec/unit/validator_spec.rb
index 8c73b90..77cefc8 100644
--- a/spec/unit/validator_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/validator_spec.rb
@@ -887,11 +887,59 @@
           result.type.should == :warning
           result.message.should == 'The validator used ' \
             'Swift 3.2 by default because no Swift version was specified. ' \
-            'If you want to use a different version of Swift during validation, then either use the `--swift-version` parameter ' \
+            'If you want to use a different version of Swift during validation, then either specify a `swift_version` attribute in your podspec, ' \
+            'use the `--swift-version` parameter during lint ' \
             'or use a `.swift-version` file to set the version of Swift to use for ' \
             'your Pod. For example to use Swift 4.0, run: `echo "4.0" > .swift-version`.'
         end
 
+        it 'errors when swift version spec attribute does not match dot swift version' do
+          Specification.any_instance.stubs(:deployment_target).returns('9.0')
+          Specification.any_instance.stubs(:swift_version).returns('4.0')
+
+          validator = test_swiftpod_with_dot_swift_version('3.2')
+          validator.validate
+          validator.results.count.should == 1
+
+          result = validator.results.first
+          result.type.should == :error
+          result.message.should == 'Specification `JSONKit` specifies an inconsistent `swift_version` (`4.0`) compared to the one present in your `.swift-version` file (`3.2`). ' \
+                                   'Please update your `.swift-version` file or remove it and replace with the `swift_version` attribute within your podspec.'
+        end
+
+        it 'does not error when swift version spec attribute matches dot swift version' do
+          Specification.any_instance.stubs(:deployment_target).returns('9.0')
+          Specification.any_instance.stubs(:swift_version).returns('4.0')
+
+          validator = test_swiftpod_with_dot_swift_version('4.0')
+          validator.validate
+          validator.results.count.should == 0
+        end
+
+        it 'errors when swift version spec attribute does not match parameter based swift version' do
+          Specification.any_instance.stubs(:deployment_target).returns('9.0')
+          Specification.any_instance.stubs(:swift_version).returns('4.0')
+
+          validator = test_swiftpod
+          validator.swift_version = '3.2'
+          validator.validate
+          validator.results.count.should == 1
+
+          result = validator.results.first
+          result.type.should == :error
+          result.message.should == 'Specification `JSONKit` specifies an inconsistent `swift_version` (`4.0`) compared to the one passed during lint (`3.2`).'
+        end
+
+        it 'does not error when swift version spec attribute matches parameter based swift version' do
+          Specification.any_instance.stubs(:deployment_target).returns('9.0')
+          Specification.any_instance.stubs(:swift_version).returns('4.0')
+
+          validator = test_swiftpod
+          validator.swift_version = '4.0'
+          validator.validate
+          validator.results.count.should == 0
+        end
+
         it 'does not warn for Swift if version was set by a dot swift version file' do
           Specification.any_instance.stubs(:deployment_target).returns('9.0')