diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 75097ac..f21a128 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ ifeq ("$(origin TAG)", "command line")
 TIMESTAMP := _p$(shell date +%Y%m%d)
 endif
 
-VERSION := $(shell grep 'Version.*=' espeakup.c | sed 's/.*"\(.*\)";/\1/')
+VERSION := $(shell ./version)
 TAG := v$(VERSION)
 TARPREFIX := espeakup-$(VERSION)
 TARFILE := $(TARPREFIX)$(TIMESTAMP).tar
diff --git a/version b/version
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..de85fd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/version
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+ver=$(grep "const char.*Version" espeakup.c)
+ver=${ver%\"*}
+ver=${ver#*\"}
+echo ${ver}