diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ded2079533..de48b2452e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,7 +13,14 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 #
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.5 FATAL_ERROR)
+
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0.2 FATAL_ERROR)
+cmake_policy(VERSION 3.0.2)
+
+file(STRINGS version.txt SBE_VERSION_TXT LIMIT_COUNT 1 REGEX "^[0-9]+(\\.[0-9])+")
+string(REGEX REPLACE "^([0-9]+(\\.[0-9])+).*$" "\\1" SBE_VERSION_NUMERIC "${SBE_VERSION_TXT}")
+
+project("sbe" VERSION "${SBE_VERSION_NUMERIC}")
 
 include(ExternalProject)
 include(CheckLibraryExists)
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 34d2d40a56..05ad7fbff3 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ plugins {
 defaultTasks 'clean', 'build', 'shadowJar', 'install'
 
 def sbeGroup = 'uk.co.real-logic'
-def sbeVersion = '1.5.1-SNAPSHOT'
+def sbeVersion = new File('version.txt').text.trim()
 
 group = sbeGroup
 version = sbeVersion
diff --git a/version.txt b/version.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f825f7c7f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/version.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1.5.1-SNAPSHOT