diff --git a/qmpy/VERSION.txt b/qmpy/VERSION.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..26aaba0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qmpy/VERSION.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1.2.0
diff --git a/qmpy/__init__.py b/qmpy/__init__.py
index 115bd5a1..f272a984 100644
--- a/qmpy/__init__.py
+++ b/qmpy/__init__.py
@@ -18,8 +18,12 @@
 
 import django.core.exceptions as de
 
-__version__ = '1.2.0'
+
+with open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'VERSION.txt')) as fr:
+    __version__ = fr.read().strip()
 VERSION = __version__
+__short_version__ = __version__.rpartition('.')[0]
+
 
 INSTALL_PATH = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 sys.path = [os.path.join(INSTALL_PATH, 'qmpy', 'db')] + sys.path
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 6caee604..072dc1c2 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
+import os
 from setuptools import setup, find_packages
 
-from qmpy import __version__
-
+with open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'qmpy', 'VERSION.txt')) as fr:
+    version = fr.read().strip()
 
 setup(
     name='qmpy',
-    version=__version__,
+    version=version,
     author='S. Kirklin',
     author_email='scott.kirklin@gmail.com',
     license='LICENSE.txt',