diff --git a/src/VERSION b/src/RECOLL-VERSION.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from src/VERSION
rename to src/RECOLL-VERSION.txt
diff --git a/src/configure.ac b/src/configure.ac
index cacf1f52..c055bd01 100644
--- a/src/configure.ac
+++ b/src/configure.ac
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-AC_INIT([Recoll], m4_esyscmd_s(cat VERSION))
+AC_INIT([Recoll], m4_esyscmd_s(cat RECOLL-VERSION.txt))
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([common/autoconfig.h])
 AH_BOTTOM([#include "conf_post.h"])
 AC_PREREQ(2.53)
diff --git a/src/python/recoll/setup-win.py b/src/python/recoll/setup-win.py
index be7178e6..1899fc21 100644
--- a/src/python/recoll/setup-win.py
+++ b/src/python/recoll/setup-win.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ pytop = srcdir
 localtop = top
 extra_compile_args = ''
 
-VERSION = open(os.path.join(top, "VERSION")).read().strip()
+VERSION = open(os.path.join(top, "RECOLL-VERSION.txt")).read().strip()
 
 include_dirs = [
         os.path.join(top, 'common'),
diff --git a/src/python/recoll/setup.py.in b/src/python/recoll/setup.py.in
index d75dedd6..0409cb9d 100644
--- a/src/python/recoll/setup.py.in
+++ b/src/python/recoll/setup.py.in
@@ -20,14 +20,15 @@ else:
 	
 extra_compile_args = ['-std=c++11']
 
+VERSION = open(os.path.join(top, "RECOLL-VERSION.txt")).read().strip()
+
 if 'libdir' in os.environ and os.environ['libdir'] != "":
     runtime_library_dirs = [os.path.join(os.environ['libdir'], 'recoll')]
 else:
     runtime_library_dirs = [os.path.join('@prefix@', 'lib', 'recoll')]
 
 module1 = Extension('_recoll',
-                    define_macros = [('MAJOR_VERSION', '1'),
-                                     ('MINOR_VERSION', '0'),
+                    define_macros = [
                                      ('RECOLL_DATADIR', '"@RECOLL_DATADIR@"')
                                      ],
                     include_dirs = ['/usr/local/include',
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ module1 = Extension('_recoll',
                                ])
 
 setup (name = 'Recoll',
-       version = '1.0',
+       version = VERSION,
        description = 'Query/Augment a Recoll full text index',
        author = 'J.F. Dockes',
        author_email = 'jfd@recoll.org',
diff --git a/src/windows/mkinstdir.sh b/src/windows/mkinstdir.sh
index c99e7d72..6df431d7 100644
--- a/src/windows/mkinstdir.sh
+++ b/src/windows/mkinstdir.sh
@@ -338,11 +338,11 @@ copypyrecoll()
 # First check that the config is ok
 diff -q $RCL/common/autoconfig.h $RCL/common/autoconfig-win.h || \
     fatal autoconfig.h and autoconfig-win.h differ
-VERSION=`cat $RCL/VERSION`
+VERSION=`cat $RCL/RECOLL-VERSION.txt`
 CFVERS=`grep PACKAGE_VERSION $RCL/common/autoconfig.h | \
 cut -d ' ' -f 3 | sed -e 's/"//g'`
 test "$VERSION" = "$CFVERS" ||
-    fatal Versions in VERSION and autoconfig.h differ
+    fatal Versions in RECOLL-VERSION.txt and autoconfig.h differ
 
 
 echo Packaging version $CFVERS