diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 47f03f8..bf9bd01 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ jabber-time.el jabber-truncate.el jabber-util.el			\
 jabber-vcard-avatars.el jabber-vcard.el jabber-version.el		\
 jabber-watch.el jabber-widget.el jabber-wmii.el jabber-xmessage.el	\
 jabber-muc-nick-coloring.el						\
-jabber-xml.el jabber.el srv.el jabber-tmux.el
+jabber-xml.el jabber.el srv.el jabber-tmux.el jabber-ourversion.el
 
 compat_lisp_sources = jabber-fallback-lib/hexrgb.el
 
-dist_lisp_LISP=$(my_lisp_sources) $(compat_lisp_sources) jabber-autoloads.el jabber-ourversion.el
+dist_lisp_LISP=$(my_lisp_sources) $(compat_lisp_sources) jabber-autoloads.el
 MAINTAINERCLEANFILES=jabber-autoloads.el
 
 EXTRA_DIST = jabber-pkg.el.in
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b97e7b1..bc7d3b7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
-AC_INIT([jabber.el], [0.8.92], [emacs-jabber-general@lists.sourceforge.net], [emacs-jabber])
+AC_INIT([jabber.el],
+    m4_esyscmd_s([sed -ne 's/^(defconst jabber-version "\(.*\)"$/\1/p' jabber-ourversion.el]),
+    [emacs-jabber-general@lists.sourceforge.net],
+    [emacs-jabber])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([build-aux])
 dnl Need automake 1.11 for dist-xz option
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.11 -Wall -Werror foreign dist-bzip2 dist-xz dist-zip])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 
+AC_SUBST([CONFIG_STATUS_DEPENDENCIES], ['$(top_srcdir)/jabber-ourversion.el'])
+
 AM_PATH_LISPDIR
 AS_IF([test "$EMACS" = no], [AC_MSG_ERROR([cannot find Emacs])])
 
@@ -14,5 +19,5 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(GCONF_SCHEMAS_INSTALL, false)
 m4_ifndef([AM_GCONF_SOURCE_2], [m4_defun([AM_GCONF_SOURCE_2])])
 AM_GCONF_SOURCE_2
 
-AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile tests/Makefile gconf/Makefile jabber-ourversion.el])
+AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile tests/Makefile gconf/Makefile])
 AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/jabber-ourversion.el b/jabber-ourversion.el
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b722cc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jabber-ourversion.el
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+;; jabber-ourversion.el.  Holds the version number in a format that
+;; configure.ac can read.
+
+;; On the following line, only change the part between double quotes:
+(defconst jabber-version "0.8.92"
+  "version returned to those who query us")
+
+(provide 'jabber-ourversion)
diff --git a/jabber-ourversion.el.in b/jabber-ourversion.el.in
deleted file mode 100644
index 742e50c..0000000
--- a/jabber-ourversion.el.in
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-;; @configure_input@
-
-;; This value gets updated automatically when configure.ac is changed.
-(defconst jabber-version "@PACKAGE_VERSION@"
-  "version returned to those who query us")
-
-(provide 'jabber-ourversion)