diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 90b622ca..933f4ad8 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -9,15 +9,7 @@ import glob
 import os
 import sys
 
-def import_terminator():
-  from types import ModuleType
-  module = ModuleType('terminator')
-  module_file = open('terminator', 'r')
-  exec module_file in module.__dict__
-  return module
-
-TERMINATOR_BUILD = True
-APP_VERSION = import_terminator().APP_VERSION
+from terminatorlib.version import *
 
 PO_DIR = 'po'
 MO_DIR = os.path.join('build', 'mo')
diff --git a/terminator b/terminator
index fa7aa247..a666bcb4 100755
--- a/terminator
+++ b/terminator
@@ -17,20 +17,21 @@
 
 """Terminator by Chris Jones <cmsj@tenshu.net>"""
 
-# Global defines
-APP_NAME = 'terminator'
-APP_VERSION = '0.9'
-
 # import standard python libs
 import os, platform, sys, string, time, math, subprocess
 from optparse import OptionParser
 
+#import version details
+from terminatorlib.version import *
+
 try:
   import gettext
   gettext.install (APP_NAME)
 except:
-  def _ (text):
+  import __builtin__
+  def _t (text):
     return text
+  __builtin__.__dict__['_'] = _t
 
 # import unix-lib
 import pwd
@@ -65,10 +66,9 @@ else:
 try:
   import gobject, gtk, pango
 except:
-  if not TERMINATOR_BUILD:
-    err (_("You need to install the python bindings for " \
-      "gobject, gtk and pango to run Terminator."))
-    sys.exit(1)
+  err (_("You need to install the python bindings for " \
+    "gobject, gtk and pango to run Terminator."))
+  sys.exit(1)
 
 # import a library for viewing URLs
 try:
diff --git a/terminatorlib/encoding.py b/terminatorlib/encoding.py
index 5851b6be..014795cb 100644
--- a/terminatorlib/encoding.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/encoding.py
@@ -105,4 +105,4 @@ class TerminatorEncoding:
   def get_list():
     return TerminatorEncoding.encodings
   get_list = staticmethod(get_list)
-  
\ No newline at end of file
+
diff --git a/terminatorlib/version.py b/terminatorlib/version.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7dcc5486
--- /dev/null
+++ b/terminatorlib/version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+#    TerminatorVersion - version number
+#    Copyright (C) 2008  cmsj@tenshu.net
+#
+#    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+#    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+#    the Free Software Foundation, version 2 only.
+#
+#    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+#    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+#    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+#    GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+#    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+#    along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+#    Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+
+"""TerminatorVersion by Chris Jones <cmsj@tenshu.net>
+
+TerminatorEncoding supplies our version number.
+"""
+
+APP_NAME='Terminator'
+APP_VERSION='0.9'