diff --git a/mongoengine/__init__.py b/mongoengine/__init__.py
index 0ace8f000..1c8f83227 100644
--- a/mongoengine/__init__.py
+++ b/mongoengine/__init__.py
@@ -16,8 +16,13 @@
 
 
 def get_version():
-    if isinstance(VERSION[-1], basestring):
+    def is_string(s):
+        try:
+            return isinstance(s, basestring) 
+        except NameError:
+            return isinstance(s, str)
+    if is_string(VERSION[-1]):
         return '.'.join(map(str, VERSION[:-1])) + VERSION[-1]
-    return '.'.join(map(str, VERSIONs))
+    return '.'.join(map(str, VERSION))
 
 __version__ = get_version()
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index dcdccae32..0525a150f 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -18,7 +18,12 @@
 
 
 def get_version(version_tuple):
-    if isinstance(version_tuple[-1], basestring):
+    def is_string(s):
+        try:
+            return isinstance(s, basestring) 
+        except NameError:
+            return isinstance(s, str)
+    if is_string(version_tuple[-1]):
         return '.'.join(map(str, version_tuple[:-1])) + version_tuple[-1]
     return '.'.join(map(str, version_tuple))