diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6bf416a..1f199f1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -114,3 +114,6 @@ _skbuild/
 
 # Ignore ctags
 tags
+
+# setuptools_scm
+_version.py
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 545eeec..0017ddf 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 [metadata]
 name = python-multem
-version = 0.3.0
 
 description = A Python wrapper for MULTEM 
 long_description = file: README.md
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 0bc3b39..ad64fed 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -58,11 +58,12 @@ def main():
         package_dir={"": "src"},
         packages=find_packages(where="src"),
         install_requires=["numpy"],
-        setup_requires=["pytest-runner"],
+        setup_requires=["setuptools_scm", "pytest-runner"],
         tests_require=tests_require,
         test_suite="tests",
         ext_modules=[Extension("multem_ext", [])],
         cmdclass={"build_ext": CMakeBuild},
+        use_scm_version={"write_to": "src/multem/_version.py"},
         extras_require={
             "build_sphinx": ["sphinx", "sphinx_rtd_theme"],
             "test": tests_require,
diff --git a/src/multem/__init__.py b/src/multem/__init__.py
index eedb347..f9a1e24 100644
--- a/src/multem/__init__.py
+++ b/src/multem/__init__.py
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@
 # This code is distributed under the GPLv3 license, a copy of
 # which is included in the root directory of this package.
 #
+
+
+try:
+    from multem._version import version as __version__
+except ImportError:
+    __version__ = "unknown"
+
+
 import numpy
 from multem_ext import *  # noqa