diff --git a/sandbox/release.py b/sandbox/release.py
index 0538e6c30..18230630f 100644
--- a/sandbox/release.py
+++ b/sandbox/release.py
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         error('Invalid third line in ChangeLog.')
 
     print 'Updating version in version files.'
-    versionFiles = ('src/conf.py', 'scripts/supybot', 'setup.py')
+    versionFiles = ['src/version.py']
     for fn in versionFiles:
         sh = 'perl -pi -e "s/^version\s*=.*/version = \'%s\'/" %s' % (v, fn)
         system(sh, 'Error changing version in %s' % fn)
diff --git a/scripts/supybot b/scripts/supybot
index 83c1eefe4..1ebf73322 100644
--- a/scripts/supybot
+++ b/scripts/supybot
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ import supybot.utils as utils
 import supybot.registry as registry
 import supybot.questions as questions
 
+from supybot.version import version
+
 def main():
     import supybot.conf as conf
     import supybot.world as world
@@ -125,7 +127,6 @@ def main():
     log.info('Total CPU time taken: %s seconds.', user+system)
     log.info('No more Irc objects, exiting.')
 
-version = '0.83.4.1+git'
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     ###
     # Options:
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index de6b483ad..beaae41c4 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ import glob
 import shutil
 import os.path
 
+from src.version import version
+
 plugins = [s for s in os.listdir('plugins') if
            os.path.exists(os.path.join('plugins', s, 'plugin.py'))]
 
@@ -116,7 +118,6 @@ package_dir = {'supybot': 'src',
 for plugin in plugins:
     package_dir['supybot.plugins.' + plugin] = 'plugins/' + plugin
 
-version = '0.83.4.1+git'
 setup(
     # Metadata
     name='supybot',
diff --git a/src/conf.py b/src/conf.py
index 89111a010..72952695a 100644
--- a/src/conf.py
+++ b/src/conf.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ import supybot.ircutils as ircutils
 ###
 # version: This should be pretty obvious.
 ###
-version = '0.83.4.1+git'
+from supybot.version import version
 
 ###
 # *** The following variables are affected by command-line options.  They are
diff --git a/src/version.py b/src/version.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..df82bea75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+"""stick the various versioning attributes in here, so we only have to change
+them once."""
+version = '0.83.4.1+git'