diff --git a/bindings/python/notmuch/__init__.py b/bindings/python/notmuch/__init__.py
index cb64f3c3..a7b558fa 100644
--- a/bindings/python/notmuch/__init__.py
+++ b/bindings/python/notmuch/__init__.py
@@ -57,6 +57,6 @@ from notmuch.message import Messages, Message
 from notmuch.thread import Threads, Thread
 from notmuch.tag import Tags
 from notmuch.globals import nmlib, STATUS, NotmuchError
+from notmuch.version import __VERSION__
 __LICENSE__ = "GPL v3+"
-__VERSION__ = '0.6'
 __AUTHOR__ = 'Sebastian Spaeth <Sebastian@SSpaeth.de>'
diff --git a/bindings/python/notmuch/version.py b/bindings/python/notmuch/version.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7ad5a27b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bindings/python/notmuch/version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# This file is potentially auto-generated. Do not modify
+__VERSION__ = '0.6'
diff --git a/bindings/python/setup.py b/bindings/python/setup.py
index 16de76aa..286fd196 100644
--- a/bindings/python/setup.py
+++ b/bindings/python/setup.py
@@ -4,18 +4,11 @@ import os
 import re
 from distutils.core import setup
 
-def get_version():
-    file = open('notmuch/__init__.py')
-    try:
-        for line in file:
-            if re.match('__VERSION__\s*=\s*',line) != None:
-                version = line.split('=', 1)[1]
-                return eval(version, {}, {})
-    finally:
-        file.close()
-    raise IOError('Unexpected end-of-file')
-
-__VERSION__=get_version()
+# get the notmuch version number without importing the notmuch module
+version_file = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)),
+                            'notmuch', 'version.py')
+execfile(version_file)
+assert __VERSION__, 'Failed to read the notmuch binding version number'
 
 setup(name='notmuch',
       version=__VERSION__,