diff --git a/conda/meta.yaml b/conda/meta.yaml
index b518240..b53a698 100644
--- a/conda/meta.yaml
+++ b/conda/meta.yaml
@@ -11,11 +11,15 @@ source:
 build:
   number: 0
   script: python setup.py install --single-version-externally-managed --record=record.txt
+  
+  # could be changed to use pip install in the future
+  # script: python -m pip install --no-deps --ignore-installed .
 
 requirements:
   build:
     - python {{ python }}
-    - setuptools
+    - setuptools>=46.4.0
+    - setuptools_scm>=6.3.1
   run:
     - python
     - moab [not win]
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index bc3ecea..4121496 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 [build-system]
 requires = [
-    "setuptools >= 45",
+    "setuptools >= 46.4.0",
     "wheel",
-    "setuptools_scm[toml] >= 6.2",
+    "setuptools_scm[toml] >= 6.3.1",
 ]
 build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index b02e5b4..4b3af10 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 [metadata]
 name = stl_to_h5m
+version = attr: stl_to_h5m.__version__
 author = The stl_to_h5m Development Team
 author_email = mail@jshimwell.com
 description = Converts STL files to a DAGMC h5m file using PyMoab
diff --git a/stl_to_h5m/__init__.py b/stl_to_h5m/__init__.py
index d32ba26..538e63d 100644
--- a/stl_to_h5m/__init__.py
+++ b/stl_to_h5m/__init__.py
@@ -1 +1,16 @@
+try:
+    # this works for python 3.7 and lower
+    from importlib.metadata import version, PackageNotFoundError
+except (ModuleNotFoundError, ImportError):
+    # this works for python 3.8 and higher
+    from importlib_metadata import version, PackageNotFoundError
+try:
+    __version__ = version("stl_to_h5m")
+except PackageNotFoundError:
+    from setuptools_scm import get_version
+
+    __version__ = get_version(root="..", relative_to=__file__)
+
+__all__ = ["__version__"]
+
 from .core import stl_to_h5m
diff --git a/tests/test_version.py b/tests/test_version.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7db2b73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import stl_to_h5m
+
+
+def test_version():
+    """Check that __version__ exists and is correctly formatted"""
+    version = stl_to_h5m.__version__
+    # Ensure it is given as a string
+    assert isinstance(version, str)
+    # Ensure is has at least two parts -- major and minor version -- separated by '.'
+    # Ideally we would aim for major.minor.patch, but this has a tendency to break
+    # CI tests for unknown reasons.
+
+    # develop is used as the default version name in the dockerfile
+    if version != "develop":
+        version_bits = version.split(".")
+        assert len(version_bits) >= 2, f"Version number is {version}"
+        # Ensure both of the first two parts is convertable to int
+        # (The third/fourth part, if it exists, may be a development version)
+        for bit in version_bits[:2]:
+            assert bit.isdigit(), f"Version number is {version}"