diff --git a/ext/openssl/ossl.c b/ext/openssl/ossl.c
index bdf6053dc..6bd9d3761 100644
--- a/ext/openssl/ossl.c
+++ b/ext/openssl/ossl.c
@@ -1156,11 +1156,6 @@ Init_openssl(void)
     rb_global_variable(&mOSSL);
     rb_define_singleton_method(mOSSL, "fixed_length_secure_compare", ossl_crypto_fixed_length_secure_compare, 2);
 
-    /*
-     * OpenSSL ruby extension version
-     */
-    rb_define_const(mOSSL, "VERSION", rb_str_new2(OSSL_VERSION));
-
     /*
      * Version of OpenSSL the ruby OpenSSL extension was built with
      */
diff --git a/ext/openssl/ossl.h b/ext/openssl/ossl.h
index 2f76bdc85..8ff28dc2e 100644
--- a/ext/openssl/ossl.h
+++ b/ext/openssl/ossl.h
@@ -174,7 +174,6 @@ void ossl_debug(const char *, ...);
 #ifndef OPENSSL_NO_TS
   #include "ossl_ts.h"
 #endif
-#include "ossl_version.h"
 #include "ossl_x509.h"
 #include "ossl_engine.h"
 #include "ossl_kdf.h"
diff --git a/ext/openssl/ossl_version.h b/ext/openssl/ossl_version.h
deleted file mode 100644
index c162f8c2a..000000000
--- a/ext/openssl/ossl_version.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * 'OpenSSL for Ruby' project
- * Copyright (C) 2001-2002  Michal Rokos <m.rokos@sh.cvut.cz>
- * All rights reserved.
- */
-/*
- * This program is licensed under the same licence as Ruby.
- * (See the file 'LICENCE'.)
- */
-#if !defined(_OSSL_VERSION_H_)
-#define _OSSL_VERSION_H_
-
-#define OSSL_VERSION "2.1.2"
-
-#endif /* _OSSL_VERSION_H_ */
diff --git a/lib/openssl/version.rb b/lib/openssl/version.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b07bb3300
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/openssl/version.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+module OpenSSL
+  VERSION = "2.2.0" unless defined?(VERSION)
+end
diff --git a/openssl.gemspec b/openssl.gemspec
index 7c17cd549..cac294847 100644
--- a/openssl.gemspec
+++ b/openssl.gemspec
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
+
+require_relative 'lib/openssl/version'
+
 Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.name          = "openssl"
-  spec.version       = "2.1.2"
+  spec.version       = OpenSSL::VERSION
   spec.authors       = ["Martin Bosslet", "SHIBATA Hiroshi", "Zachary Scott", "Kazuki Yamaguchi"]
   spec.email         = ["ruby-core@ruby-lang.org"]
   spec.summary       = %q{OpenSSL provides SSL, TLS and general purpose cryptography.}