diff --git a/datasette/__init__.py b/datasette/__init__.py
index 23d65241..1ec88d90 100644
--- a/datasette/__init__.py
+++ b/datasette/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
+from datasette.version import __version_info__, __version__  # noqa
 from .hookspecs import hookimpl # noqa
 from .hookspecs import hookspec # noqa
-
-from ._version import get_versions
-__version__ = get_versions()['version']
-del get_versions
-__version_info__ = tuple(__version__.split("."))
diff --git a/datasette/version.py b/datasette/version.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b4033f08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/datasette/version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+from ._version import get_versions
+
+__version__ = get_versions()['version']
+del get_versions
+
+__version_info__ = tuple(__version__.split("."))