diff --git a/pyilcd/__init__.py b/pyilcd/__init__.py
index c382c37..4bea6f5 100644
--- a/pyilcd/__init__.py
+++ b/pyilcd/__init__.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 from .process_dataset import ProcessDataSet
 from .source_dataset import SourceDataSet
 from .unit_group_dataset import UnitGroupDataSet
-from .utils import get_version_tuple
+from .version import __version__
 
 __all__ = (
     "__version__",
@@ -94,6 +94,3 @@
     "validate_zip_file_unit_group_dataset",
     "UnitGroupDataSet",
 )
-
-
-__version__ = get_version_tuple()
diff --git a/pyilcd/utils.py b/pyilcd/utils.py
deleted file mode 100644
index f4afc5f..0000000
--- a/pyilcd/utils.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-"""Utilities module for pyilcd."""
-
-import importlib.metadata
-from typing import Union
-
-
-def get_version_tuple() -> tuple:
-    """Returns version as (major, minor, micro)."""
-
-    def as_integer(version_str: str) -> Union[int, str]:
-        try:
-            return int(version_str)
-        except ValueError:  # pragma: no cover
-            return version_str  # pragma: no cover
-
-    return tuple(
-        as_integer(v) for v in importlib.metadata.version("pyilcd").strip().split(".")
-    )
diff --git a/pyilcd/version.py b/pyilcd/version.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..57dfe74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyilcd/version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+"""Version information for lxmlh package."""
+import pathlib
+
+
+def _get_version():
+    """Return the version number."""
+    versionFile = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent / "VERSION"
+    # Read the version number from VERSION file
+    with open(versionFile, "r", encoding="UTF-8") as vf:
+        # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags
+        versionList = vf.read().strip().split(".")
+    return ".".join(versionList)
+
+
+__version__ = _get_version()