diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
index 375ff35a02..cde6f1e875 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include "esphome/core/application.h"
 #include "esphome/core/util.h"
 #include "esphome/core/defines.h"
+#include "esphome/core/version.h"
 
 #ifdef USE_DEEP_SLEEP
 #include "esphome/components/deep_sleep/deep_sleep_component.h"
diff --git a/esphome/components/debug/debug_component.cpp b/esphome/components/debug/debug_component.cpp
index 9cb3ec9cef..4ffc034d50 100644
--- a/esphome/components/debug/debug_component.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/debug/debug_component.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
 #include "esphome/core/helpers.h"
 #include "esphome/core/defines.h"
+#include "esphome/core/version.h"
 
 #ifdef ARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32
 #include <rom/rtc.h>
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ void DebugComponent::dump_config() {
   return;
 #endif
 
-  ESP_LOGD(TAG, "ESPHome Core version %s", ESPHOME_VERSION);
+  ESP_LOGD(TAG, "ESPHome version %s", ESPHOME_VERSION);
   this->free_heap_ = ESP.getFreeHeap();
   ESP_LOGD(TAG, "Free Heap Size: %u bytes", this->free_heap_);
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/mqtt/mqtt_component.cpp b/esphome/components/mqtt/mqtt_component.cpp
index 042e362f75..53c4e89e98 100644
--- a/esphome/components/mqtt/mqtt_component.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/mqtt/mqtt_component.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
 #include "esphome/core/application.h"
 #include "esphome/core/helpers.h"
+#include "esphome/core/version.h"
 
 namespace esphome {
 namespace mqtt {
diff --git a/esphome/components/version/version_text_sensor.cpp b/esphome/components/version/version_text_sensor.cpp
index 1e59deff96..6aedfdedcd 100644
--- a/esphome/components/version/version_text_sensor.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/version/version_text_sensor.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "version_text_sensor.h"
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
 #include "esphome/core/application.h"
+#include "esphome/core/version.h"
 
 namespace esphome {
 namespace version {
diff --git a/esphome/core/application.cpp b/esphome/core/application.cpp
index fc6ed732be..f865643f57 100644
--- a/esphome/core/application.cpp
+++ b/esphome/core/application.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "esphome/core/application.h"
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
+#include "esphome/core/version.h"
 
 #ifdef USE_STATUS_LED
 #include "esphome/components/status_led/status_led.h"
diff --git a/esphome/core/defines.h b/esphome/core/defines.h
index af9de1b421..c52a4390dc 100644
--- a/esphome/core/defines.h
+++ b/esphome/core/defines.h
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 #pragma once
 // This file is auto-generated! Do not edit!
 
-#define ESPHOME_VERSION "dev"
-
 #define USE_API
 #define USE_LOGGER
 #define USE_BINARY_SENSOR
diff --git a/esphome/core/util.cpp b/esphome/core/util.cpp
index 9e70f8b6e4..4a2985e516 100644
--- a/esphome/core/util.cpp
+++ b/esphome/core/util.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "esphome/core/util.h"
 #include "esphome/core/defines.h"
 #include "esphome/core/application.h"
+#include "esphome/core/version.h"
 
 #ifdef USE_WIFI
 #include "esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.h"
diff --git a/esphome/core/version.h b/esphome/core/version.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0942c3e52f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/esphome/core/version.h
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#pragma once
+// This file is auto-generated! Do not edit!
+#define ESPHOME_VERSION "dev"
diff --git a/esphome/core_config.py b/esphome/core_config.py
index 4061582266..55ea02e8ee 100644
--- a/esphome/core_config.py
+++ b/esphome/core_config.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from esphome.const import ARDUINO_VERSION_ESP32_DEV, ARDUINO_VERSION_ESP8266_DEV
     CONF_ESPHOME, CONF_INCLUDES, CONF_LIBRARIES, \
     CONF_NAME, CONF_ON_BOOT, CONF_ON_LOOP, CONF_ON_SHUTDOWN, CONF_PLATFORM, \
     CONF_PLATFORMIO_OPTIONS, CONF_PRIORITY, CONF_TRIGGER_ID, \
-    CONF_ESP8266_RESTORE_FROM_FLASH, __version__, ARDUINO_VERSION_ESP8266_2_3_0, \
+    CONF_ESP8266_RESTORE_FROM_FLASH, ARDUINO_VERSION_ESP8266_2_3_0, \
     ARDUINO_VERSION_ESP8266_2_5_0, ARDUINO_VERSION_ESP8266_2_5_1, ARDUINO_VERSION_ESP8266_2_5_2
 from esphome.core import CORE, coroutine_with_priority
 from esphome.helpers import copy_file_if_changed, walk_files
@@ -201,7 +201,6 @@ def add_includes(includes):
 @coroutine_with_priority(100.0)
 def to_code(config):
     cg.add_global(cg.global_ns.namespace('esphome').using)
-    cg.add_define('ESPHOME_VERSION', __version__)
     cg.add(cg.App.pre_setup(config[CONF_NAME], cg.RawExpression('__DATE__ ", " __TIME__')))
 
     for conf in config.get(CONF_ON_BOOT, []):
diff --git a/esphome/writer.py b/esphome/writer.py
index 0f27530766..5edf68abb4 100644
--- a/esphome/writer.py
+++ b/esphome/writer.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import re
 
 from esphome.config import iter_components
 from esphome.const import CONF_BOARD_FLASH_MODE, CONF_ESPHOME, CONF_PLATFORMIO_OPTIONS, \
-    HEADER_FILE_EXTENSIONS, SOURCE_FILE_EXTENSIONS
+    HEADER_FILE_EXTENSIONS, SOURCE_FILE_EXTENSIONS, __version__
 from esphome.core import CORE, EsphomeError
 from esphome.helpers import mkdir_p, read_file, write_file_if_changed, walk_files
 from esphome.storage_json import StorageJSON, storage_path
@@ -268,7 +268,12 @@ DEFINES_H_FORMAT = ESPHOME_H_FORMAT = u"""\
 #pragma once
 {}
 """
+VERSION_H_FORMAT = u"""\
+#pragma once
+#define ESPHOME_VERSION "{}"
+"""
 DEFINES_H_TARGET = 'esphome/core/defines.h'
+VERSION_H_TARGET = 'esphome/core/version.h'
 ESPHOME_README_TXT = u"""
 THIS DIRECTORY IS AUTO-GENERATED, DO NOT MODIFY
 
@@ -335,6 +340,8 @@ def copy_src_tree():
                           CORE.relative_src_path('esphome', 'README.txt'))
     write_file_if_changed(ESPHOME_H_FORMAT.format(include_s),
                           CORE.relative_src_path('esphome.h'))
+    write_file_if_changed(VERSION_H_FORMAT.format(__version__),
+                          CORE.relative_src_path('esphome' 'core', 'version.h'))
 
 
 def generate_defines_h():