diff --git a/exspy/__init__.py b/exspy/__init__.py
index 181d85404..3751b05a4 100644
--- a/exspy/__init__.py
+++ b/exspy/__init__.py
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@
 from . import signals
 from .misc import material
 from ._defaults_parser import preferences
+from ._version import __version__
 
 
 __all__ = [
+    "__version__",
     "components",
     "data",
     "preferences",
diff --git a/exspy/_version.py b/exspy/_version.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f102a9cad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/exspy/_version.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+__version__ = "0.0.1"
diff --git a/exspy/release_info.py b/exspy/release_info.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 98d057d28..000000000
--- a/exspy/release_info.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-name = "exspy"
-version = "0.0.1"
-author = "exSpy Developers"
-copyright = "Copyright 2007-2023, The exSpy developers"
-license = "GPLv3+"
-status = "development"
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 99ed3d685..07370abbe 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools>=40.8.0", "wheel"]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
 [tool.black]
 force-exclude = '''
   exspy/misc/eds/ffast_mac.py
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 2bb7370b3..dace3ea1a 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -19,11 +19,6 @@
 
 from setuptools import setup, find_packages
 
-exec(open("exspy/release_info.py").read())  # grab version info
-
-# Projects with optional features for building the documentation and running
-# tests. From setuptools:
-# https://setuptools.readthedocs.io/en/latest/setuptools.html#declaring-extras-optional-features-with-their-own-dependencies
 
 extra_feature_requirements = {
     "gui-jupyter": [
@@ -52,12 +47,16 @@
 }
 
 
+version = {}
+with open("exspy/_version.py") as fp:
+    exec(fp.read(), version)
+
+
 setup(
-    name=name,
-    version=version,
-    description="multi-dimensional diffraction microscopy",
-    author=author,
-    license=license,
+    name="exspy",
+    version=version["__version__"],
+    description="EELS and EDS analysis with the HyperSpy framework",
+    license="LICENSE",
     url="https://github.com/pyxem/pyxem",
     long_description=open("README.md").read(),
     long_description_content_type="text/markdown",