diff --git a/makepanda/getversion.py b/makepanda/getversion.py
index 4595c0d589..09b483eea3 100755
--- a/makepanda/getversion.py
+++ b/makepanda/getversion.py
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@
 # and returns it on the command-line.  This is useful for the
 # automated scripts that build the Panda3D releases.
 
-from makepandacore import ParsePandaVersion, ParsePluginVersion
+from makepandacore import ParsePandaVersion, ParsePluginVersion, GetMetadataValue
 import sys
 
 if '--runtime' in sys.argv:
     version = ParsePluginVersion("dtool/PandaVersion.pp")
 else:
-    version = ParsePandaVersion("dtool/PandaVersion.pp")
+    version = GetMetadataValue('version')
 
 version = version.strip()
 sys.stdout.write(version)