diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 136442f..3bcbced 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -111,7 +111,8 @@ before_deploy:
   - |
     cd $TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR
 
-    VERSION=$(head -1 build/version.txt)
+    VERSION=$(head -1 version.txt)
+    VERSION=${VERSION//./_}
 
     if [[ "$PYTHON_BINDING" == "1" ]]; then
       PYTHON_VERSION=${PYTHON//.}
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a4f85e3..22c312e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,28 +22,11 @@ endif()
 
 # --- Version ---
 
-if(EXISTS "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/.git")
-	find_package(Git)
+file (STRINGS "version.txt" VERSION_STRING)
 
-    execute_process(
-        COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} describe --long
-        WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
-        OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_VERSION_NUMBER
-        OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
-    )
-else()
-    set(GIT_VERSION_NUMBER "")
-endif()
-
-if("${GIT_VERSION_NUMBER}" STREQUAL "")
-	message(WARNING "Unable to derive SourcetrailDB version number from most recent Git tag.")
-    set(GIT_VERSION_NUMBER "v0.db0.p0-0-a")
-endif()
-
-string(REGEX REPLACE "v([0-9]+)\\..*" "\\1" INTERFACE_VERSION "${GIT_VERSION_NUMBER}")
-string(REGEX REPLACE "v[0-9]+\\.db([0-9]+)\\..*" "\\1" DATABASE_VERSION "${GIT_VERSION_NUMBER}")
-string(REGEX REPLACE "v[0-9]+\\.db[0-9]+\\.p([0-9]+)-.*" "\\1" PATCH_VERSION "${GIT_VERSION_NUMBER}")
-set(VERSION_STRING "v${INTERFACE_VERSION}.db${DATABASE_VERSION}.p${PATCH_VERSION}")
+string(REGEX REPLACE "v([0-9]+)\\..*" "\\1" INTERFACE_VERSION "${VERSION_STRING}")
+string(REGEX REPLACE "v[0-9]+\\.db([0-9]+)\\..*" "\\1" DATABASE_VERSION "${VERSION_STRING}")
+string(REGEX REPLACE "v[0-9]+\\.db[0-9]+\\.p([0-9]+).*" "\\1" PATCH_VERSION "${VERSION_STRING}")
 set(VERSION_STRING_UNDERSCORE "v${INTERFACE_VERSION}_db${DATABASE_VERSION}_p${PATCH_VERSION}")
 
 message(STATUS "SourcetrailDB Version: ${VERSION_STRING}")
@@ -51,11 +34,6 @@ message(STATUS "Interface Version: ${INTERFACE_VERSION}")
 message(STATUS "Database Version: ${DATABASE_VERSION}")
 message(STATUS "Patch Version: ${PATCH_VERSION}")
 
-configure_file(
-	${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/version.txt.in
-	"${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/version.txt"
-)
-
 
 # --- Core ---
 
diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index 281b080..85c82cf 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -69,9 +69,10 @@ before_build:
     - cd build
     - cmake -G "%CMAKE_GENERATOR%" ../ -DBUILD_BINDINGS_PYTHON=ON -DPYTHON_LIBRARY="%PYTHON_PATH%/libs/python%PYTHON_VERSION%.lib"
     - cd ../
-    - ps: $env:CORE_VERSION = Get-Content -Path ./build/version.txt
+    - ps: $env:CORE_VERSION = Get-Content -Path ./version.txt
+    - ps: $env:UNDERSCORED_CORE_VERSION = $env:CORE_VERSION.Replace(".", "_")
     - ps: echo "Core version is $env:CORE_VERSION"
-# TODO: convert the core version into dotted format and update appveyor version here
+# TODO: use the core version to update appveyor version here
 #    - ps: $env:BUILD_VERSION = "0.0.1." + $env:APPVEYOR_BUILD_NUMBER 
 #    - ps: echo update build version to $env:BUILD_VERSION
 #    - ps: Update-AppveyorBuild -Version $env:BUILD_VERSION
@@ -84,8 +85,8 @@ build_script:
 
 
 after_build:
-    - ps: $env:CORE_PACKAGE_NAME = 'sourcetraildb_core_' + $env:CORE_VERSION + '-windows-' + $env:MBITS + 'bit-msvc' + $env:MSVC_VERSION
-    - ps: $env:PYTHON_PACKAGE_NAME = 'sourcetrailbd_python' + $env:PYTHON_VERSION + '_' + $env:CORE_VERSION + '-windows-' + $env:MBITS + 'bit'
+    - ps: $env:CORE_PACKAGE_NAME = 'sourcetraildb_core_' + $env:UNDERSCORED_CORE_VERSION + '-windows-' + $env:MBITS + 'bit-msvc' + $env:MSVC_VERSION
+    - ps: $env:PYTHON_PACKAGE_NAME = 'sourcetrailbd_python' + $env:PYTHON_VERSION + '_' + $env:UNDERSCORED_CORE_VERSION + '-windows-' + $env:MBITS + 'bit'
     - ps: echo $env:CORE_PACKAGE_NAME
     - ps: echo $env:PYTHON_PACKAGE_NAME
     - mkdir artifacts_core
diff --git a/version.txt b/version.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa30471
--- /dev/null
+++ b/version.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+v2.db23.p2
diff --git a/version.txt.in b/version.txt.in
deleted file mode 100644
index 5eb6902..0000000
--- a/version.txt.in
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-@VERSION_STRING_UNDERSCORE@
\ No newline at end of file