diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b5118d75e..c5619e488 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -17,3 +17,4 @@ build/
 dist/
 jupyterhub/remoteappmanager.db
 jupyterhub/test.key.org
+remoteappmanager/version.py
diff --git a/doc/source/conf.py b/doc/source/conf.py
index 795d6e704..a6f3d6c1f 100644
--- a/doc/source/conf.py
+++ b/doc/source/conf.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 from mock_missing import mock_modules
 mock_modules()
 
-from remoteappmanager import __version__, MAJOR, MINOR
+from remoteappmanager import __version__
 from remoteappmanager.command_line_config import CommandLineConfig
 
 # -- General configuration ------------------------------------------------
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
 # built documents.
 #
 # The short X.Y version.
-version = '{}.{}'.format(MAJOR, MINOR)
+version = '{}.{}'.format(*__version__.split(".")[0:2])
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
 release = __version__
 
diff --git a/remoteappmanager/__init__.py b/remoteappmanager/__init__.py
index 81cef3b61..5ba63ea15 100644
--- a/remoteappmanager/__init__.py
+++ b/remoteappmanager/__init__.py
@@ -1,9 +1 @@
-MAJOR = 1
-MINOR = 1
-MICRO = 0
-IS_RELEASED = False
-
-__version__ = '%d.%d.%d' % (MAJOR, MINOR, MICRO)
-
-if not IS_RELEASED:
-    __version__ += '.dev0'
+from .version import __version__  # noqa
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 917a0e85b..518b91a9d 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,10 +1,27 @@
 import os
 from setuptools import setup, find_packages
 
-from remoteappmanager import __version__
+# Setup version
+VERSION = '1.1.0.dev0'
 
-VERSION = __version__
+# Read description
 
+with open('README.rst', 'r') as readme:
+    README_TEXT = readme.read()
+
+
+def write_version_py():
+    filename = os.path.join(
+        os.path.dirname(__file__),
+        'remoteappmanager',
+        'version.py')
+    ver = "__version__ = '{}'\n"
+    with open(filename, 'w') as fh:
+        fh.write("# Autogenerated by setup.py\n")
+        fh.write(ver.format(VERSION))
+
+
+write_version_py()
 
 requirements = [
     "setuptools>=21.0",
@@ -42,6 +59,7 @@
     version=VERSION,
     author='SimPhoNy Project',
     description='Remote application manager sub-executable',
+    long_description=README_TEXT,
     install_requires=requirements,
     packages=find_packages(),
     include_package_data=True,