diff --git a/doc/conf.py b/doc/conf.py
index 4932aca9..1fe33f92 100644
--- a/doc/conf.py
+++ b/doc/conf.py
@@ -21,11 +21,6 @@
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath('../scadnano'))
 # print(sys.path)
 
-# from scadnano.scadnano_version import current_version
-# this is ugly, but appears to be standard practice:
-# https://stackoverflow.com/questions/17583443/what-is-the-correct-way-to-share-package-version-with-setup-py-and-the-package/17626524#17626524
-# __version__ = open("../scadnano/_version.py").readlines()[-1].split()[-1].strip("\"'")
-
 # this is ugly, but appears to be standard practice:
 # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/17583443/what-is-the-correct-way-to-share-package-version-with-setup-py-and-the-package/17626524#17626524
 def extract_version(filename: str):
diff --git a/scadnano/_version.py b/scadnano/_version.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 3f2ecc12..00000000
--- a/scadnano/_version.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-"""Version information."""
-# taken from https://stackoverflow.com/questions/17583443/what-is-the-correct-way-to-share-package-version-with-setup-py-and-the-package/17626524#17626524
-
-# The following line *must* be the last in the module, exactly as formatted:
-# XXX: REMEMBER TO CHANGE VERSION IN scadnano.py also, for users who do not install from PyPI
-__version__ = "0.10.2"
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 694927ad..cf66d55c 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -10,12 +10,9 @@
 
 from setuptools import setup
 
+
 # import scadnano.scadnano_version as sv
 
-# from scadnano.scadnano_version import current_version
-# this is ugly, but appears to be standard practice:
-# https://stackoverflow.com/questions/17583443/what-is-the-correct-way-to-share-package-version-with-setup-py-and-the-package/17626524#17626524
-# __version__ = open("scadnano/_version.py").readlines()[-1].split()[-1].strip("\"'")
 
 def extract_version(filename: str):
     with open(filename) as f:
@@ -31,6 +28,7 @@ def extract_version(filename: str):
             return version_str
     raise AssertionError(f'could not find version in {filename}')
 
+
 __version__ = extract_version('scadnano/scadnano.py')
 
 # read the contents of your README file