diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..268d317bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+VERSION=2.9
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cmd/miniccc/main_linux.go b/cmd/miniccc/main_linux.go
index 678c96fcb..7311950d7 100644
--- a/cmd/miniccc/main_linux.go
+++ b/cmd/miniccc/main_linux.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func main() {
 	flag.Parse()
 
 	if *f_version {
-		fmt.Println("miniccc", version.Revision, version.Date)
+		fmt.Println("miniccc", version.Version, version.Revision, version.Date)
 		fmt.Println(version.Copyright)
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/minimega/main.go b/cmd/minimega/main.go
index 9edf1fe11..df99d7b19 100644
--- a/cmd/minimega/main.go
+++ b/cmd/minimega/main.go
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	if *f_version {
-		fmt.Println("minimega", version.Revision, version.Date)
+		fmt.Println("minimega", version.Version, version.Revision, version.Date)
 		fmt.Println(version.Copyright)
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/minimega/misc_cli.go b/cmd/minimega/misc_cli.go
index 2decce88a..95553c475 100644
--- a/cmd/minimega/misc_cli.go
+++ b/cmd/minimega/misc_cli.go
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ func cliDebug(ns *Namespace, c *minicli.Command, resp *minicli.Response) error {
 }
 
 func cliVersion(ns *Namespace, c *minicli.Command, resp *minicli.Response) error {
-	resp.Response = fmt.Sprintf("minimega %v %v", version.Revision, version.Date)
+	resp.Response = fmt.Sprintf("minimega %v %v %v", version.Version, version.Revision, version.Date)
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/MANIFEST.in b/lib/MANIFEST.in
index e69de29bb..b1fc69e0a 100644
--- a/lib/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/lib/MANIFEST.in
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+include VERSION
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/setup.py b/lib/setup.py
index 6bce18c4e..bb43c82e7 100644
--- a/lib/setup.py
+++ b/lib/setup.py
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
-import os
-import shutil
 from distutils.core import setup
 
 
 with open("README", "r") as readme_file:
     readme_content = readme_file.read()
 
+with open("VERSION", "r") as version_file:
+    version = version_file.read().split('=')[1].strip()
+
 setup(
     name='minimega',
     description="Python API for minimega",
@@ -14,7 +15,7 @@
     long_description=readme_content,
     license="GPLv3",
     url="https://minimega.org",
-    version="2.7",
+    version=version,
     py_modules=["minimega"],
     classifiers=[
         "Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable",
diff --git a/packaging/debian/build.bash b/packaging/debian/build.bash
index fff5a0550..b78e8fc77 100755
--- a/packaging/debian/build.bash
+++ b/packaging/debian/build.bash
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ cp -r $MM/LICENSES $DOCS/
 
 echo COPIED FILES
 
+# substitute version for control file
+source $MM/VERSION
+sed -e 's/${version}/'"$VERSION"'/g' minimega/DEBIAN/control.base > minimega/DEBIAN/control
+
 echo BUILDING PACKAGE...
 (cd $SCRIPT_DIR && fakeroot dpkg-deb -b minimega)
+rm minimega/DEBIAN/control
 echo DONE
+
diff --git a/packaging/debian/minimega/DEBIAN/control b/packaging/debian/minimega/DEBIAN/control.base
similarity index 96%
rename from packaging/debian/minimega/DEBIAN/control
rename to packaging/debian/minimega/DEBIAN/control.base
index 568373de5..feff3680b 100644
--- a/packaging/debian/minimega/DEBIAN/control
+++ b/packaging/debian/minimega/DEBIAN/control.base
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Package: minimega
-Version: 2.8
+Version: ${version}
 Section: utils
 Priority: extra
 Architecture: amd64
diff --git a/scripts/build.bash b/scripts/build.bash
index 4fa60276c..13a0a9ae7 100755
--- a/scripts/build.bash
+++ b/scripts/build.bash
@@ -6,12 +6,14 @@ ROOT_DIR="$( cd ${SCRIPT_DIR}/.. && pwd )"
 . $SCRIPT_DIR/env.bash
 
 # set the version from the repo
-VERSION=`git --git-dir $ROOT_DIR/.git rev-parse HEAD`
+source $ROOT_DIR/VERSION
+REVISION=`git --git-dir $ROOT_DIR/.git rev-parse HEAD`
 DATE=`date --rfc-3339=date`
 echo "package version
 
 var (
-	Revision = \"$VERSION\"
+	Version  = \"$VERSION\"
+	Revision = \"$REVISION\"
 	Date     = \"$DATE\"
 )" > $ROOT_DIR/internal/version/version.go
 
@@ -63,12 +65,19 @@ $ROOT_DIR/bin/pyapigen -out $ROOT_DIR/lib/minimega.py $ROOT_DIR/bin/minimega
 
 # If python is installed, build a source distribution for the
 # minimega Python bindings.
-if [ -x "$(command -v python)" ]; then
+py_path=$(command -v python3)
+if [ -z "$py_path" ]; then
+    py_path=$(command -v python)
+fi
+if [ ! -z "$py_path" ]; then
+    echo "BUILD PYTHON DIST"
     cp $ROOT_DIR/README $ROOT_DIR/lib/
+    cp $ROOT_DIR/VERSION $ROOT_DIR/lib/
     pushd $ROOT_DIR/lib
-    python setup.py --quiet sdist
+    $py_path setup.py --quiet sdist
     popd
     rm $ROOT_DIR/lib/README
+    rm $ROOT_DIR/lib/VERSION
 fi
 
 unset GOOS
diff --git a/scripts/check.bash b/scripts/check.bash
index be29728ff..93d8bf24e 100755
--- a/scripts/check.bash
+++ b/scripts/check.bash
@@ -6,12 +6,14 @@ ROOT_DIR="$( cd ${SCRIPT_DIR}/.. && pwd )"
 . $SCRIPT_DIR/env.bash
 
 # set the version from the repo
-VERSION=`git --git-dir $ROOT_DIR/.git rev-parse HEAD`
+source $ROOT_DIR/VERSION
+REVISION=`git --git-dir $ROOT_DIR/.git rev-parse HEAD`
 DATE=`date --rfc-3339=date`
 echo "package version
 
 var (
-	Revision = \"$VERSION\"
+	Version  = \"$VERSION\"
+	Revision = \"$REVISION\"
 	Date     = \"$DATE\"
 )" > $ROOT_DIR/internal/version/version.go
 
diff --git a/scripts/test.bash b/scripts/test.bash
index 612b23ab4..78c1922f2 100755
--- a/scripts/test.bash
+++ b/scripts/test.bash
@@ -6,12 +6,14 @@ ROOT_DIR="$( cd ${SCRIPT_DIR}/.. && pwd )"
 . $SCRIPT_DIR/env.bash
 
 # set the version from the repo
-VERSION=`git --git-dir $ROOT_DIR/.git rev-parse HEAD`
+source $ROOT_DIR/VERSION
+REVISION=`git --git-dir $ROOT_DIR/.git rev-parse HEAD`
 DATE=`date --rfc-3339=date`
 echo "package version
 
 var (
-	Revision = \"$VERSION\"
+	Version  = \"$VERSION\"
+	Revision = \"$REVISION\"
 	Date     = \"$DATE\"
 )" > $ROOT_DIR/internal/version/version.go