diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c0c03e71..b7f9d121 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -138,3 +138,5 @@ dmypy.json
 cython_debug/
 
 .idea
+
+mlem/_mlem_version.py
diff --git a/mlem/version.py b/mlem/version.py
index 51119d97..fed49a49 100644
--- a/mlem/version.py
+++ b/mlem/version.py
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
-from setuptools_scm import get_version
+try:
+    from ._mlem_version import version as __version__
+    from ._mlem_version import version_tuple
+except ImportError:
+    try:
+        from setuptools_scm import get_version
 
-__version__ = get_version(root="..", relative_to=__file__)
+        __version__ = get_version(root="..", relative_to=__file__)
+    except (LookupError, ImportError):
+        __version__ = "UNKNOWN"
+        version_tuple = ()  # type: ignore
+
+__all__ = ["__version__", "version_tuple"]
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index a4fc8cbe..1974654a 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -15,3 +15,10 @@ exclude = '''
   | dist
 )/
 '''
+
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools>=48", "setuptools_scm[toml]>=6.3.1", "setuptools_scm_git_archive==1.1"]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
+[tool.setuptools_scm]
+write_to = "mlem/_mlem_version.py"
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index ff3300af..22a7df63 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
     "python-daemon",
     "distro",
     "gitpython",
-    "setuptools_scm",
 ]
 
 tests = [