diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 48927060..af41a817 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -59,8 +59,6 @@ option(pyAMReX_IPO
     ON
 )
 
-set(pyAMReX_VERSION_INFO "" CACHE STRING
-    "PEP-440 conformant version (set by distutils)")
 # change the default build type to Release (or RelWithDebInfo) instead of Debug
 set_default_build_type("Release")
 
@@ -185,11 +183,7 @@ endforeach()
 
 # Defines #####################################################################
 #
-# for module __version__
-foreach(D IN LISTS AMReX_SPACEDIM)
-    target_compile_definitions(pyAMReX_${D}d PRIVATE
-        PYAMReX_VERSION_INFO=${pyAMReX_VERSION_INFO})
-endforeach()
+# none needed - please use AMReX_Config.H
 
 
 # Warnings ####################################################################
diff --git a/src/Base/CMakeLists.txt b/src/Base/CMakeLists.txt
index ada9fb5f..1abb96c8 100644
--- a/src/Base/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/Base/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,5 +24,6 @@ foreach(D IN LISTS AMReX_SPACEDIM)
         PODVector.cpp
         Utility.cpp
         Vector.cpp
+        Version.cpp
     )
 endforeach()
diff --git a/src/Base/Version.cpp b/src/Base/Version.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4b4717cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Base/Version.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/* Copyright 2021-2023 The AMReX Community
+ *
+ * License: BSD-3-Clause-LBNL
+ * Authors: Axel Huebl
+ */
+#include "pyAMReX.H"
+
+#include <AMReX.H>
+#include <AMReX_Version.H>
+
+
+void init_Version (py::module& m)
+{
+    // API runtime version
+    //   note PEP-440 syntax: x.y.zaN but x.y.z.devN
+    m.attr("__version__") = amrex::Version();
+}
diff --git a/src/pyAMReX.cpp b/src/pyAMReX.cpp
index 4de4333a..ef8b3d63 100644
--- a/src/pyAMReX.cpp
+++ b/src/pyAMReX.cpp
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ void init_PlotFileUtil(py::module &);
 void init_PODVector(py::module &);
 void init_Utility(py::module &);
 void init_Vector(py::module &);
+void init_Version(py::module &);
 
 
 #if AMREX_SPACEDIM == 1
@@ -117,14 +118,7 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(amrex_3d_pybind, m) {
     // Wrappers around standalone functions
     init_PlotFileUtil(m);
     init_Utility(m);
-
-    // API runtime version
-    //   note PEP-440 syntax: x.y.zaN but x.y.z.devN
-#ifdef PYAMReX_VERSION_INFO
-    m.attr("__version__") = MACRO_STRINGIFY(PYAMReX_VERSION_INFO);
-#else
-    m.attr("__version__") = "dev";
-#endif
+    init_Version(m);
 
     // authors
     m.attr("__author__") =