diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 082db384f8d3e69ea850d2ab5353f03424b19739..d5952f56710d5c669f907e693b8e115eb2b7144c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -498,6 +498,11 @@ configure_file(
     "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/TurTLE/__init__.py.in"
     "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/TurTLE/__init__.py"
     @ONLY)
+# update setup.py
+configure_file(
+    "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/setup.py.in"
+    "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/python/setup.py"
+    @ONLY)
 # copy command
 install(CODE "execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_directory ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/TurTLE ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/python/TurTLE/)")
 if(EXISTS "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/host_info.py")
@@ -509,7 +514,7 @@ else()
         install(CODE "execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/pc_host_info.py ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/python/TurTLE/host_info.py)")
     endif()
 endif()
-install(CODE "execute_process(COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/setup.py install --force --prefix=${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX} WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/python/)")
+install(CODE "execute_process(COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/python/setup.py install --force --prefix=${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX} WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/python/)")
 
 
 #####################################################################################
diff --git a/TurTLE/__init__.py.in b/TurTLE/__init__.py.in
index 9193f4dd4f16fb90b066e6d4bf48802d9d537478..4c08dcecdbbf90e24cc693e3a2577e8d2b1bfbbd 100644
--- a/TurTLE/__init__.py.in
+++ b/TurTLE/__init__.py.in
@@ -24,28 +24,11 @@
 
 
 import os
-import sys
-import pickle
 
-import pkg_resources
-
-try:
-    __version__ = pkg_resources.require('TurTLE')[0].version
-
-    _dist = pkg_resources.get_distribution('TurTLE')
-    dist_loc = os.path.realpath(_dist.location)
-    lib_dir = os.path.join(dist_loc, 'TurTLE')
-except:
-    __version__ = '@TURTLE_VERSION_LONG@'
-    dist_loc = None
-    lib_dir = None
+__version__ = '@TURTLE_VERSION_LONG@'
 
 data_dir = os.path.join('@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@', 'share/TurTLE-@TURTLE_VERSION_LONG@')
 
-here = os.path.normcase(__file__)
-
-homefolder = os.path.expanduser('~')
-
 from .host_info import host_info
 
 from .DNS import DNS
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py.in
similarity index 62%
rename from setup.py
rename to setup.py.in
index a4f43074563d4f1a29226347a72bec13ca53bb6a..369f51430a095ae3132e27842d42197b7cac7d48 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py.in
@@ -26,65 +26,20 @@
 AUTHOR = 'Cristian C Lalescu'
 AUTHOR_EMAIL = 'Cristian.Lalescu@ds.mpg.de'
 
-import os
-import shutil
-import datetime
-import sys
-import subprocess
 import pickle
 
 ### package versioning
-import get_version
-VERSION = get_version.main()
+VERSION = '@TURTLE_VERSION_LONG@'
 print('This is TurTLE version ' + VERSION)
 
-
-import distutils.cmd
-
-class CompileLibCommand(distutils.cmd.Command):
-    description = 'Compile TurTLE library.'
-    user_options = [
-            ('timing-output=', None, 'Toggle timing output.'),
-            ('fftw-estimate=', None, 'Use FFTW ESTIMATE.'),
-            ('split-fftw-many=', None, 'Turn on SPLIT_FFTW_MANY.'),
-            ('disable-fftw-omp=', None, 'Turn Off FFTW OpenMP.'),
-            ]
-    def initialize_options(self):
-        self.timing_output = 0
-        self.fftw_estimate = 0
-        self.disable_fftw_omp = 0
-        self.split_fftw_many = 0
-        return None
-    def finalize_options(self):
-        self.timing_output = (int(self.timing_output) == 1)
-        self.split_fftw_many = (int(self.split_fftw_many) == 1)
-        self.fftw_estimate = (int(self.fftw_estimate) == 1)
-        self.disable_fftw_omp = (int(self.disable_fftw_omp) == 1)
-        return None
-    def run(self):
-        ### save compiling information
-        pickle.dump(
-                {'install_date' : now,
-                 'VERSION' : VERSION,
-                 'git_revision' : git_revision},
-                open('turtle/install_info.pickle', 'wb'),
-                protocol = 2)
-        return None
-
 from setuptools import setup
 
 setup(
         name = 'TurTLE',
         packages = ['TurTLE', 'TurTLE/test'],
         install_requires = ['numpy>=1.8', 'h5py>=2.2.1'],
-        package_data = {'TurTLE': ['test/B32p1e4_checkpoint_0.h5',
-                                   'test/particle_set/NSVEparticle_set.hpp',
-                                   'test/particle_set/NSVEparticle_set.cpp',
-                                   'test/profiler/scalar_evolution.hpp',
-                                   'test/profiler/scalar_evolution.cpp',
-                                   'test/profiler/Kraichnan_scalar_v1.hpp',
-                                   'test/profiler/Kraichnan_scalar_v1.cpp',
-                                   ]},
+        # package data is installed by CMake
+        #package_data = {'TurTLE': []},
         entry_points = {
             'console_scripts': [
                 'turtle = TurTLE.__main__:main',