diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 23e954719..aed030c40 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@
 *.swp
 build/
 demo/README.rst
-docs/build
\ No newline at end of file
+docs/build
+docs/_build.py
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 2cd93940b..d6b49115f 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -49,16 +49,8 @@
 # built documents.
 #
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
-_path = os.path.abspath(f'{__file__}/../../src/__init__.py')
-with open(_path) as f:
-    for line in f:
-        match = re.search('pymupdf_version = "([0-9][.][0-9]+[.][0-9]+(rc[0-9]+)?)"', line)
-        if match:
-            release = match.group(1)
-            print(f'{__file__}: setting version from {_path}: {release}')
-            break
-    else:
-        raise Exception(f'Failed to find `VersionBind = ...` in {_path}')
+from _build import pymupdf_version as release  # noqa F401
+print(f'{__file__}: setting version from _build.py: {release}')
 
 # The short X.Y version
 version = release
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 3072a795c..69d62f3c6 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -743,6 +743,8 @@ def add(flavour, from_, to_):
     text += f'pymupdf_git_diff = {diff!r}\n'
     text += f'pymupdf_git_branch = {branch!r}\n'
     add('p', text.encode(), f'{to_dir}/_build.py')
+    with open('docs/_build.py', 'w') as f:
+        f.write(text)
     
     # Add single README file.
     if 'p' in PYMUPDF_SETUP_FLAVOUR: