diff --git a/radicale/__init__.py b/radicale/__init__.py
index 88b1bb6..ca25417 100644
--- a/radicale/__init__.py
+++ b/radicale/__init__.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import io
 import itertools
 import logging
 import os
+import pkg_resources
 import posixpath
 import pprint
 import random
@@ -52,7 +53,8 @@ import vobject
 
 from . import auth, rights, storage, web, xmlutils
 
-VERSION = "2.1.8"
+
+VERSION = pkg_resources.get_distribution('radicale').version
 
 NOT_ALLOWED = (
     client.FORBIDDEN, (("Content-Type", "text/plain"),),
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 2114d62..605a8f0 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -35,35 +35,31 @@ For further information, please visit the `Radicale Website
 
 """
 
-import re
 import sys
-from os import path
 
 from setuptools import setup
 
+# When the version is updated, a new section in the NEWS.md file must be
+# added too.
+VERSION = "2.1.8"
 WEB_FILES = ["web/css/icon.png", "web/css/main.css", "web/fn.js",
              "web/index.html"]
 
-init_path = path.join(path.dirname(__file__), "radicale", "__init__.py")
-with open(init_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as fd:
-    version = re.search('VERSION = "([^"]+)"', fd.read().strip()).group(1)
-
 
 needs_pytest = {'pytest', 'test', 'ptr'}.intersection(sys.argv)
 pytest_runner = ['pytest-runner'] if needs_pytest else []
 
-# When the version is updated, ``radicale.VERSION`` must be modified.
-# A new section in the ``NEWS`` file must be added too.
+
 setup(
     name="Radicale",
-    version=version,
+    version=VERSION,
     description="CalDAV and CardDAV Server",
     long_description=__doc__,
     author="Guillaume Ayoub",
     author_email="guillaume.ayoub@kozea.fr",
     url="http://www.radicale.org/",
     download_url=("http://pypi.python.org/packages/source/R/Radicale/"
-                  "Radicale-%s.tar.gz" % version),
+                  "Radicale-%s.tar.gz" % VERSION),
     license="GNU GPL v3",
     platforms="Any",
     packages=["radicale"],