diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index f19214c9..1ae01b2b 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ chunk.o: chunk.c conf.h settings.h dmalloc.h append.h chunk.h chunk_loc.h \
   error.h error_val.h heap.h
 compat.o: compat.c conf.h settings.h dmalloc.h compat.h dmalloc_loc.h
 dmalloc.o: dmalloc.c conf.h settings.h dmalloc_argv.h dmalloc.h append.h \
-  compat.h debug_tok.h dmalloc_loc.h env.h error_val.h version.h
+  compat.h debug_tok.h dmalloc_loc.h env.h error_val.h
 dmalloc_argv.o: dmalloc_argv.c conf.h settings.h append.h dmalloc_argv.h \
   dmalloc_argv_loc.h compat.h
 dmalloc_fc_t.o: dmalloc_fc_t.c conf.h settings.h dmalloc.h dmalloc_argv.h \
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ dmalloc_tab.o: dmalloc_tab.c conf.h settings.h append.h chunk.h compat.h \
 env.o: env.c conf.h settings.h dmalloc.h append.h compat.h dmalloc_loc.h \
   debug_tok.h env.h error.h
 error.o: error.c conf.h settings.h dmalloc.h append.h chunk.h compat.h \
-  debug_tok.h dmalloc_loc.h env.h error.h error_val.h version.h
+  debug_tok.h dmalloc_loc.h env.h error.h error_val.h
 heap.o: heap.c conf.h settings.h dmalloc.h append.h chunk.h compat.h \
   debug_tok.h dmalloc_loc.h error.h error_val.h heap.h
 protect.o: protect.c conf.h settings.h dmalloc.h dmalloc_loc.h error.h \
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ chunk_th.o: chunk.c conf.h settings.h dmalloc.h append.h chunk.h chunk_loc.h \
   dmalloc_loc.h compat.h debug_tok.h dmalloc_rand.h dmalloc_tab.h \
   error.h error_val.h heap.h
 error_th.o: error.c conf.h settings.h dmalloc.h append.h chunk.h compat.h \
-  debug_tok.h dmalloc_loc.h env.h error.h error_val.h version.h
+  debug_tok.h dmalloc_loc.h env.h error.h error_val.h
 user_malloc_th.o: user_malloc.c conf.h settings.h dmalloc.h append.h chunk.h \
   compat.h debug_tok.h dmalloc_loc.h env.h error.h error_val.h heap.h \
   user_malloc.h return.h
diff --git a/BUILD.txt b/RELEASE.txt
similarity index 64%
rename from BUILD.txt
rename to RELEASE.txt
index 66e76c3d..0adec107 100644
--- a/BUILD.txt
+++ b/RELEASE.txt
@@ -2,11 +2,16 @@
 
 The following set of tasks should be performed when the dmalloc library gets released.
 
-1) Update the version number in version.h and where else it lists.
-2) Update the ChangeLog file.
-3) Update doc files: make docs
-4) Consider updating the copyright heads in all files and in chunk.c strings.
-5) Run autoconf to make sure configure up to date.
+1) Update the ChangeLog file with the release date.
+2) Run autoconf to make sure configure up to date.
+3) Update the version numbers in the following files:
+	Changlog
+	README.md
+	configure.ac (in AC_INIT)
+	dmalloc.spec
+	dmalloc.texi
+4) Update doc files: make docs
+5) Consider updating the copyright heads in all files and in chunk.c strings.
 6) Check in all files.
 7) Run tests:
 	- [ maybe mkdir x ; cd x ]
@@ -20,12 +25,12 @@ The following set of tasks should be performed when the dmalloc library gets rel
 8) Clone on linux and others and run tests: git clone git@github.com:j256/dmalloc.git
 9) Run release.sh script.  It will run tests on repo.
 11) git tag the release:
-    git tag dmalloc_release_X_X_X
-    git push origin dmalloc_release_X_X_X
+	git tag dmalloc_release_X_X_X
+	git push origin dmalloc_release_X_X_X
 12) create release on github for X.X.X from that tag
 13) Upload tgz file as part of that release
-14) Install the tgz file and html file in the dmalloc.com repo
+14) Install the tgz file in the dmalloc.com repo
 15) Edit releases/index.html to include the new version
-16) Go to the /docs dir and run the explode-docs.sh script.
+16) Go to the docs subdir and run the explode-docs.sh script.
 
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index cf2f3dad..909c9abb 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2408,8 +2408,17 @@ ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu
 ac_config_headers="$ac_config_headers conf.h"
 
 
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: configurations for the dmalloc library" >&5
-$as_echo "$as_me: configurations for the dmalloc library" >&6;}
+dmalloc_version_major=`echo $PACKAGE_VERSION | sed -e 's/\.[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*$//'`
+export dmalloc_version_major
+export dmalloc_version_minor=`echo $PACKAGE_VERSION | sed -e 's/^[0-9][0-9]*\.//' | sed -e 's/\.[0-9][0-9]*$//'`
+export dmalloc_version_minor
+export dmalloc_version_patch=`echo $PACKAGE_VERSION | sed -e 's/^[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\.//'`
+export dmalloc_version_patch
+dmalloc_version="${dmalloc_version_major}.${dmalloc_version_minor}.${dmalloc_version_patch}"
+export dmalloc_version
+
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: configurations for the dmalloc library version $dmalloc_version" >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: configurations for the dmalloc library version $dmalloc_version" >&6;}
 
 ##############################################################################
 # arguments
@@ -7231,6 +7240,13 @@ else
 	echo "#define DMALLOC_STDARG 0" >> $newfile.t
 fi
 echo '' >> $newfile.t
+echo '/* dmalloc version defines */' >> $newfile.t
+echo "#define DMALLOC_VERSION_MAJOR ${dmalloc_version_major} /* X.0.0 */" >> $newfile.t
+echo "#define DMALLOC_VERSION_MINOR ${dmalloc_version_minor} /* 0.X.0 */" >> $newfile.t
+echo "#define DMALLOC_VERSION_PATCH ${dmalloc_version_patch} /* 0.0.X */" >> $newfile.t
+echo '' >> $newfile.t
+echo "static char *dmalloc_version = \"${dmalloc_version}\";" >> $newfile.t
+echo '' >> $newfile.t
 if cmp -s $newfile $newfile.t 2>/dev/null; then
 	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: $newfile is unchanged" >&5
 $as_echo "$as_me: $newfile is unchanged" >&6;}
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a412ba5a..6475da73 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -18,11 +18,21 @@
 #
 # The author may be contacted via http://dmalloc.com/
 #
+
 AC_INIT(dmalloc, 5.6.4, [http://dmalloc.com/])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR(dmalloc.c)
 AC_CONFIG_HEADER(conf.h)
 
-AC_MSG_NOTICE([configurations for the dmalloc library])
+dmalloc_version_major=`echo $PACKAGE_VERSION | sed -e '[s/\.[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*$//]'`
+export dmalloc_version_major
+export dmalloc_version_minor=`echo $PACKAGE_VERSION | sed -e '[s/^[0-9][0-9]*\.//]' | sed -e '[s/\.[0-9][0-9]*$//]'`
+export dmalloc_version_minor
+export dmalloc_version_patch=`echo $PACKAGE_VERSION | sed -e '[s/^[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\.//]'`
+export dmalloc_version_patch
+dmalloc_version="${dmalloc_version_major}.${dmalloc_version_minor}.${dmalloc_version_patch}"
+export dmalloc_version
+
+AC_MSG_NOTICE([configurations for the dmalloc library version $dmalloc_version])
 
 ##############################################################################
 # arguments
@@ -872,6 +882,13 @@ else
 	echo "#define DMALLOC_STDARG 0" >> $newfile.t
 fi
 echo '' >> $newfile.t
+echo '/* dmalloc version defines */' >> $newfile.t
+echo "#define DMALLOC_VERSION_MAJOR ${dmalloc_version_major} /* X.0.0 */" >> $newfile.t
+echo "#define DMALLOC_VERSION_MINOR ${dmalloc_version_minor} /* 0.X.0 */" >> $newfile.t
+echo "#define DMALLOC_VERSION_PATCH ${dmalloc_version_patch} /* 0.0.X */" >> $newfile.t
+echo '' >> $newfile.t
+echo "static char *dmalloc_version = \"${dmalloc_version}\";" >> $newfile.t
+echo '' >> $newfile.t
 if cmp -s $newfile $newfile.t 2>/dev/null; then
 	AC_MSG_NOTICE([$newfile is unchanged])
 	rm -f $newfile.t
diff --git a/dmalloc.c b/dmalloc.c
index 405d7fad..a6dc20d2 100644
--- a/dmalloc.c
+++ b/dmalloc.c
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@
 #include "env.h"
 #include "error_val.h"
 #include "dmalloc_loc.h"
-#include "version.h"
 
 #define HOME_ENVIRON	"HOME"			/* home directory */
 #define SHELL_ENVIRON	"SHELL"			/* for the type of shell */
diff --git a/dmalloc.h.3 b/dmalloc.h.3
index 2322096b..77e869a9 100644
--- a/dmalloc.h.3
+++ b/dmalloc.h.3
@@ -1,9 +1,4 @@
-/* NOTE: start of dmalloc.h.4 */
-
-/* dmalloc version defines */
-#define DMALLOC_VERSION_MAJOR	5	/* X.0.0 */
-#define DMALLOC_VERSION_MINOR	6	/* 0.X.0 */
-#define DMALLOC_VERSION_PATCH	4	/* 0.0.X */
+/* NOTE: start of dmalloc.h.3 */
 
 /* this defines what type the standard void memory-pointer is */
 #if (defined(__STDC__) && __STDC__ == 1) || defined(__cplusplus) || defined(STDC_HEADERS) || defined(_ISO_STDLIB_ISO_H)
diff --git a/error.c b/error.c
index 3a0bc90d..ddbaae92 100644
--- a/error.c
+++ b/error.c
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@
 #include "error.h"
 #include "error_val.h"
 #include "dmalloc_loc.h"
-#include "version.h"
 
 #if LOCK_THREADS
 #if IDENT_WORKS
diff --git a/release.sh b/release.sh
index 1cb8bacb..8eda29c1 100644
--- a/release.sh
+++ b/release.sh
@@ -3,12 +3,31 @@
 # Shell script if you are going to package the library up for release
 #
 
-set -e
-
 cwd=`pwd`
-version=`grep dmalloc_version version.h | cut -f2 -d\"`
+version=`grep dmalloc_version dmalloc.h.2 | cut -f2 -d\"`
 dir=dmalloc-$version
 
+head -1 ChangeLog.txt | grep -q $version
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "First line of ChangeLog.txt does not include version $version"
+    head -1 ChangeLog.txt
+    exit 1
+fi
+grep -q "dmalloc_version Version $version" dmalloc.texi
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "dmalloc.texi does not include version $version"
+    grep -q "dmalloc_version " dmalloc.texi
+    exit 1
+fi
+grep -q "Version: $version" dmalloc.spec
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "dmalloc.spec does not include version $version"
+    grep "Version: " dmalloc.spec
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+set -e
+
 # run tests
 echo "Running tests"
 rm -rf $dir
diff --git a/version.h b/version.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 0fb1df85..00000000
--- a/version.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Version string for the library
- *
- * Copyright 2020 by Gray Watson
- *
- * This file is part of the dmalloc package.
- *
- * Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for
- * any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the
- * above copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all
- * copies, and that the name of Gray Watson not be used in advertising
- * or publicity pertaining to distribution of the document or software
- * without specific, written prior permission.
- *
- * Gray Watson makes no representations about the suitability of the
- * software described herein for any purpose.  It is provided "as is"
- * without express or implied warranty.
- *
- * The author may be contacted via http://dmalloc.com/
- */
-
-#ifndef __VERSION_H__
-#define __VERSION_H__
-
-/*
- * NOTE to gray: whenever this is changed, a corresponding entry
- * should be entered in:
- *
- *	Changlog
- *	README.md
- *	configure.ac (in AC_INIT)
- *	dmalloc.spec
- *	dmalloc.texi
- *	dmalloc.h.3 (DMALLOC_VERSION defines at top of file)
- */
-static	char	*dmalloc_version = "5.6.4" ;
-
-#endif /* ! __VERSION_H__ */