diff --git a/heatclient/__init__.py b/heatclient/__init__.py
index 09d0195e..e589bb4b 100644
--- a/heatclient/__init__.py
+++ b/heatclient/__init__.py
@@ -9,23 +9,8 @@
 #   WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
 #   License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #   under the License.
-import inspect
-import os
 
+import pbr.version
 
-def _get_heatclient_version():
-    """Read version from versioninfo file."""
-    mod_abspath = inspect.getabsfile(inspect.currentframe())
-    heatclient_path = os.path.dirname(mod_abspath)
-    version_path = os.path.join(heatclient_path, 'versioninfo')
 
-    if os.path.exists(version_path):
-        version = open(version_path).read().strip()
-    else:
-        version = "Unknown, couldn't find versioninfo file at %s"\
-                  % version_path
-
-    return version
-
-
-__version__ = _get_heatclient_version()
+__version__ = pbr.version.VersionInfo('python-heatclient').version_string()
diff --git a/heatclient/shell.py b/heatclient/shell.py
index 429b28ef..3aa0e1a1 100644
--- a/heatclient/shell.py
+++ b/heatclient/shell.py
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@
 
 from keystoneclient.v2_0 import client as ksclient
 
-from heatclient import client as heatclient
+import heatclient
+from heatclient import client as heat_client
 from heatclient.common import utils
 from heatclient import exc
 
@@ -45,6 +46,11 @@ def get_base_parser(self):
                             action='store_true',
                             help=argparse.SUPPRESS)
 
+        parser.add_argument('--version',
+                            action='version',
+                            version=heatclient.__version__,
+                            help="Shows the client version and exits")
+
         parser.add_argument('-d', '--debug',
                             default=bool(utils.env('HEATCLIENT_DEBUG')),
                             action='store_true',
@@ -328,7 +334,7 @@ def main(self, argv):
             if not endpoint:
                 endpoint = self._get_endpoint(_ksclient, **kwargs)
 
-        client = heatclient.Client(api_version, endpoint, **kwargs)
+        client = heat_client.Client(api_version, endpoint, **kwargs)
 
         args.func(client, args)