diff --git a/bfps/__init__.py b/bfps/__init__.py
index 248b5a75570bdafb1dad2c57e571b6981abbd13e..799a0d124b3002a1ffe2f291e8ed5b32b968c906 100644
--- a/bfps/__init__.py
+++ b/bfps/__init__.py
@@ -28,23 +28,21 @@ import os
 import subprocess
 import pickle
 
-from pkg_resources import get_distribution, DistributionNotFound
+import pkg_resources
 
-try:
-    _dist = get_distribution('bfps')
-    # Normalize case for Windows systems
-    dist_loc = os.path.normcase(os.path.realpath(_dist.location))
-    here = os.path.normcase(__file__)
-    if not here.startswith(os.path.join(dist_loc, 'bfps')):
-        # not installed, but there is another version that *is*
-        header_dir = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(here), 'cpp')
-        lib_dir = os.path.dirname(here)
-        raise DistributionNotFound
-    header_dir = os.path.join(os.path.join(dist_loc, 'bfps'), 'cpp')
-    lib_dir = os.path.join(dist_loc, 'bfps')
-    __version__ = _dist.version
-except DistributionNotFound:
-    __version__ = ''
+__version__ = pkg_resources.require('bfps')[0].version
+
+_dist = pkg_resources.get_distribution('bfps')
+# Normalize case for Windows systems
+dist_loc = os.path.normcase(os.path.realpath(_dist.location))
+here = os.path.normcase(__file__)
+if not here.startswith(os.path.join(dist_loc, 'bfps')):
+    # not installed, but there is another version that *is*
+    header_dir = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(here), 'cpp')
+    lib_dir = os.path.dirname(here)
+    raise pkg_resources.DistributionNotFound
+header_dir = os.path.join(os.path.join(dist_loc, 'bfps'), 'cpp')
+lib_dir = os.path.join(dist_loc, 'bfps')
 
 install_info = pickle.load(
         open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(here),
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 0a3f45bc444cba247da79dde955e123565b5c9e2..52964a8dd58d43b2db6f122bdd186298c811b15d 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ class CustomBuild(DistutilsBuild):
         compile_bfps_library()
         DistutilsBuild.run(self)
 
+# this custom install leads to a broken installation. no idea why...
 class CustomInstall(DistutilsInstall):
     def run(self):
         compile_bfps_library()
@@ -141,8 +142,7 @@ setup(
         name = 'bfps',
         packages = ['bfps'],
         install_requires = ['numpy>=1.8', 'h5py>=2.2.1'],
-        cmdclass={'install' : CustomInstall,
-                  'build'   : CustomBuild},
+        cmdclass={'build' : CustomBuild},
         package_data = {'bfps': header_list + ['../machine_settings.py',
                                                'libbfps.a',
                                                'install_info.pickle']},