diff --git a/hdxms_datasets/__init__.py b/hdxms_datasets/__init__.py
index 5c046d5..ed0d7c2 100644
--- a/hdxms_datasets/__init__.py
+++ b/hdxms_datasets/__init__.py
@@ -4,14 +4,4 @@
 from hdxms_datasets.datasets import HDXDataSet
 from hdxms_datasets.config import cfg
 
-# placeholder version number
-__version__ = "0.0.0"
-
-# when we are on editable install from source, the _version file is present
-# and we can get a version from there
-try:
-    from . import _version
-
-    __version__ = _version.get_versions()["version"]
-except ImportError:
-    pass
+from hdxms_datasets.__version__ import __version__
diff --git a/hdxms_datasets/__version__.py b/hdxms_datasets/__version__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea5dde7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hdxms_datasets/__version__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# placeholder version number
+__version__ = "0.0.0"
+
+# when we are on editable install from source, the _version file is present
+# and we can get a version from there
+try:
+    from . import _version
+
+    __version__ = _version.get_versions()["version"]
+except ImportError:
+    pass
diff --git a/hdxms_datasets/config.py b/hdxms_datasets/config.py
index e769dd2..3ea66d1 100644
--- a/hdxms_datasets/config.py
+++ b/hdxms_datasets/config.py
@@ -6,16 +6,16 @@
 
 from omegaconf import OmegaConf, DictConfig, DictKeyType
 from packaging import version
-from hdxms_datasets._version import get_versions
 
-__version__ = get_versions()["version"]
-del get_versions
+import hdxms_datasets
 
 
 def reset_config():
     """Create a new config.yaml file in the user home dir/.hdxms_datasets folder"""
 
     with open(conf_home_pth, "w") as target:
+        from hdxms_datasets.__version__ import __version__
+
         version_string = "# HDXMS datasets configuration file " + __version__ + "\n\n"
         target.write(version_string)
 
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ def valid_config() -> bool:
         with open(conf_home_pth, "r") as f:
             version_string = f.readline().strip("; ").split(" ")[-1]
 
+        from hdxms_datasets.__version__ import __version__
+
         hdxms_datasets_version = version.parse(__version__)
         cfg_version = version.parse(version_string)