diff --git a/.github/workflows/pypi.yml b/.github/workflows/pypi.yml
index 24e3c497d..860a6c81c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pypi.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pypi.yml
@@ -48,9 +48,9 @@ jobs:
         id: tag
         run: echo ::set-output name=TAG_NAME::$(echo $GITHUB_REF | cut -d / -f 3)
 
-      - name: Update version in setup.py
+      - name: Update version in VERSION file
         run: |
-          sed -i -E 's/version="([0-9.]+)",/version="${{ steps.tag.outputs.TAG_NAME }}",/g' setup.py
+          echo "${{ steps.tag.outputs.TAG_NAME }}" | sed -e's/v//g' > VERSION
 
       - name: Build a source dist
         run: |
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..80827deea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+0.14.0.dev0
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 4213bc963..c5b7deb05 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ Repository = "https://github.com/axolotl-ai-cloud/axolotl.git"
 py-modules = ["setuptools_axolotl_dynamic_dependencies"]
 include-package-data = true
 
+[tool.setuptools.dynamic]
+version = { file = "VERSION" }
+
 [tool.setuptools.cmdclass]
 build_py = "setuptools_axolotl_dynamic_dependencies.BuildPyCommand"
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index d98c7e19a..101c5b8c4 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 """setup.py for axolotl"""
 
-import ast
 import os
 import platform
 import re
@@ -130,15 +129,11 @@ def parse_requirements(extras_require_map):
 
 def get_package_version():
     with open(
-        Path(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
-        / "src"
-        / "axolotl"
-        / "__init__.py",
+        Path(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))) / "VERSION",
         "r",
         encoding="utf-8",
     ) as fin:
-        version_match = re.search(r"^__version__\s*=\s*(.*)$", fin.read(), re.MULTILINE)
-    version_ = ast.literal_eval(version_match.group(1))
+        version_ = fin.read().strip()
     return version_
 
 
diff --git a/src/axolotl/__init__.py b/src/axolotl/__init__.py
index 962846302..4b9f11bbd 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/__init__.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 """Axolotl - Train and fine-tune large language models"""
 
 import pkgutil
+from importlib.metadata import PackageNotFoundError, version
 
 __path__ = pkgutil.extend_path(__path__, __name__)  # Make this a namespace package
 
-__version__ = "0.13.1"
+try:
+    __version__ = version("axolotl")
+except PackageNotFoundError:
+    __version__ = "unknown"