diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker-img.yml b/.github/workflows/docker-img.yml
index aef033a..ad2f5cb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker-img.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker-img.yml
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ jobs:
           -p '${{ secrets.EBRAINS_DOCKER_REG_TOKEN }}' \
           docker-registry.ebrains.eu
         
-        VERSION=$(grep -Po '^__version__.*?"\K[\w.]+' api/siibra_api_config.py)
+        VERSION=$(cat api/VERSION)
         while [[ "$VERSION" == *"."* ]]
         do
           if [[ "$BREAK" == "0" ]]
diff --git a/api/VERSION b/api/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed63cdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+0.3.9
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/api/siibra_api_config.py b/api/siibra_api_config.py
index ba2d0c9..6f8d6d9 100644
--- a/api/siibra_api_config.py
+++ b/api/siibra_api_config.py
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ def get_config_dir_short_hash(path_to_config: str):
 
 # allowing potentially other hashes to be populated here.
 # e.g. siibra-python hash, siibra-api hash
-__version__ = (_config_hash and f"c.{_config_hash}") or "0.3.9"
+with open(Path(__file__).parent / 'VERSION', 'r') as fp:
+    __version__ = fp.read()
+__version__ = (_config_hash and f"c.{_config_hash}") or __version__
 
 NAME_SPACE = os.environ.get("SIIBRA_API_NAMESPACE", "siibraapi")