diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index d234b3f..0d47d51 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
 # All configuration values have a default; values that are commented out
 # serve to show the default.
 
-import sys, os
+import os
+from pkg_resources import get_distribution
 
 # If extensions (or modules to document with autodoc) are in another directory,
 # add these directories to sys.path here. If the directory is relative to the
@@ -44,20 +45,13 @@ copyright = '2015, Carl Meyer'
 
 parent_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 
-def get_version():
-    with open(os.path.join(parent_dir, 'model_utils', '__init__.py')) as f:
-        for line in f:
-            if line.startswith('__version__ ='):
-                return line.split('=')[1].strip().strip('"\'')
-
 # The version info for the project you're documenting, acts as replacement for
 # |version| and |release|, also used in various other places throughout the
 # built documents.
 #
-# The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
-release = get_version()
-# The short X.Y version.
-version = release
+release = get_distribution('django-model-utils').version
+# for example take major/minor
+version = '.'.join(release.split('.')[:2])
 
 # The language for content autogenerated by Sphinx. Refer to documentation
 # for a list of supported languages.
diff --git a/model_utils/__init__.py b/model_utils/__init__.py
index 0275e64..ff00ad6 100644
--- a/model_utils/__init__.py
+++ b/model_utils/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
+from pkg_resources import get_distribution, DistributionNotFound
+
 from .choices import Choices  # noqa:F401
 from .tracker import FieldTracker, ModelTracker  # noqa:F401
 
-__version__ = '4.0.1'
+try:
+    __version__ = get_distribution("django-model-utils").version
+except DistributionNotFound:
+    # package is not installed
+    pass
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 313a33c..8ecaa16 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -15,23 +15,18 @@ HERE = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 long_description = "\n\n".join(long_desc(HERE))
 
 
-def get_version(root_path):
-    with open(os.path.join(root_path, 'model_utils', '__init__.py')) as f:
-        for line in f:
-            if line.startswith('__version__ ='):
-                return line.split('=')[1].strip().strip('"\'')
-
-
 setup(
     name='django-model-utils',
-    version=get_version(HERE),
+    use_scm_version={"version_scheme": "post-release"},
+    setup_requires=["setuptools_scm"],
     license="BSD",
     description='Django model mixins and utilities',
     long_description=long_description,
+    long_description_content_type='text/x-rst',
     author='Carl Meyer',
     author_email='carl@oddbird.net',
     maintainer='JazzBand',
-    url='https://github.com/jazzband/django-model-utils/',
+    url='https://github.com/jazzband/django-model-utils',
     packages=find_packages(exclude=['tests*']),
     install_requires=['Django>=2.0.1'],
     classifiers=[