diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 06871dd58..3a73e01c4 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -30,13 +30,12 @@ import (
 	flagtypes "github.com/coreos/etcd/pkg/flags"
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/pkg/transport"
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/proxy"
+	"github.com/coreos/etcd/version"
 )
 
 const (
 	// the owner can make/remove files inside the directory
 	privateDirMode = 0700
-
-	version = "0.5.0-alpha"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -123,7 +122,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	if *printVersion {
-		fmt.Println("etcd version", version)
+		fmt.Println("etcd version", version.Version)
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
diff --git a/version/version.go b/version/version.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eda2ad8f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/version/version.go
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/*
+   Copyright 2014 CoreOS, Inc.
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package version
+
+var (
+	Version = "0.5.0-alpha"
+)