diff --git a/MANIFEST b/MANIFEST
index d040627..896e5b5 100644
--- a/MANIFEST
+++ b/MANIFEST
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ xlrd/biffh.py
 xlrd/compdoc.py
 xlrd/formatting.py
 xlrd/formula.py
+xlrd/info.py
 xlrd/licences.py
 xlrd/sheet.py
 xlrd/timemachine.py
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 262a5ec..13d7a9f 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -16,12 +16,17 @@
 
 the_url = 'http://www.lexicon.net/sjmachin/xlrd.htm'
 
+# Get version number without importing the whole package.
+sys.path.insert(0, path.join(path.dirname(__file__), 'xlrd'))
+from info import __VERSION__
+sys.path.pop(0)
+
 def mkargs(**kwargs):
     return kwargs
 
 args = mkargs(
     name = 'xlrd',
-    version = open(path.join(path.dirname(__file__), 'xlrd', 'version.txt')).read().strip(),
+    version = __VERSION__,
     author = 'John Machin',
     author_email = 'sjmachin@lexicon.net',
     url = the_url,
@@ -61,7 +66,6 @@ def mkargs(**kwargs):
                 'doc/*.htm*',
                 # 'doc/*.txt',
                 'examples/*.*',
-                'version.txt',
                 ],
 
             },
diff --git a/xlrd/__init__.py b/xlrd/__init__.py
index aeb6d29..ed51e45 100644
--- a/xlrd/__init__.py
+++ b/xlrd/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # -*- coding: ascii -*-
 from os import path
 
-__VERSION__ = open(path.join(path.dirname(__file__), 'version.txt')).read().strip()
+from info import __VERSION__
 
 # <p>Copyright (c) 2005-2012 Stephen John Machin, Lingfo Pty Ltd</p>
 # <p>This module is part of the xlrd package, which is released under a
diff --git a/xlrd/info.py b/xlrd/info.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d1fb285
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xlrd/info.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+__VERSION__ = "0.7.6"
diff --git a/xlrd/version.txt b/xlrd/version.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index c006218..0000000
--- a/xlrd/version.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-0.7.6