diff --git a/build.yaml b/build.yaml
index 536519e0..5fa3e905 100644
--- a/build.yaml
+++ b/build.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ targets:
         - lib/**
         - templates/**
     builders:
+      build_version:
+        enabled: true
       stagehand:
         generate_for:
           - lib/src/cli_app.dart
diff --git a/lib/src/cli_app.dart b/lib/src/cli_app.dart
index 500c4328..a79f7ae3 100644
--- a/lib/src/cli_app.dart
+++ b/lib/src/cli_app.dart
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import 'package:stagehand/src/common.dart';
 import 'package:stagehand/stagehand.dart';
 import 'package:usage/usage_io.dart';
 
-part 'cli_app.g.dart';
+import 'version.dart';
 
 const String appName = 'stagehand';
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class CliApp {
     assert(generators != null);
     assert(logger != null);
 
-    analytics = new AnalyticsIO(_gaTrackingId, appName, appVersion)
+    analytics = new AnalyticsIO(_gaTrackingId, appName, packageVersion)
       // These `cdX` values MUST be tightly coordinated with Analytics config
       // DO NOT modify unless you're certain what you're doing.
       // Contact kevmoo@ if you have questions
@@ -85,10 +85,10 @@ class CliApp {
     }
 
     if (options['version']) {
-      _out('$appName version: $appVersion');
+      _out('$appName version: $packageVersion');
       return http.get(appPubInfo).then((response) {
         List versions = jsonDecode(response.body)['versions'];
-        if (appVersion != versions.last) {
+        if (packageVersion != versions.last) {
           _out('Version ${versions.last} is available! Run `pub global activate'
               ' $appName` to get the latest.');
         }
diff --git a/lib/src/cli_app.g.dart b/lib/src/cli_app.g.dart
deleted file mode 100644
index a43fd4b1..00000000
--- a/lib/src/cli_app.g.dart
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-// GENERATED CODE - DO NOT MODIFY BY HAND
-
-part of 'cli_app.dart';
-
-// **************************************************************************
-// VersionGenerator
-// **************************************************************************
-
-const appVersion = '3.1.3-dev';
diff --git a/lib/src/version.dart b/lib/src/version.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bc0149e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/src/version.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+// Generated code. Do not modify.
+const packageVersion = '3.1.3-dev';
diff --git a/pubspec.yaml b/pubspec.yaml
index afd47e7a..8c903291 100644
--- a/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/pubspec.yaml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ dev_dependencies:
   build: ^0.12.6
   build_config: ^0.3.0
   build_runner: ^0.10.0
+  build_version: ^1.0.0
   glob: ^1.1.5
   grinder: ^0.8.0
   source_gen: ^0.9.0
diff --git a/tool/builder.dart b/tool/builder.dart
index 088b04a8..48320d4a 100644
--- a/tool/builder.dart
+++ b/tool/builder.dart
@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@ import 'package:source_gen/source_gen.dart';
 import 'package:build/build.dart';
 
 import 'src/code_generator.dart';
-import 'src/version_generator.dart';
 
 Builder stagehandBuilder([_]) => new PartBuilder([
-      new VersionGenerator(),
       new DataGenerator(),
     ], '.g.dart');
diff --git a/tool/src/version_generator.dart b/tool/src/version_generator.dart
deleted file mode 100644
index 7dada567..00000000
--- a/tool/src/version_generator.dart
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright (c) 2018, the Dart project authors.  Please see the AUTHORS file
-// for details. All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
-// BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
-
-import 'dart:async';
-
-import 'package:build/build.dart';
-import 'package:source_gen/source_gen.dart';
-import 'package:yaml/yaml.dart';
-
-class VersionGenerator extends Generator {
-  @override
-  FutureOr<String> generate(LibraryReader library, BuildStep buildStep) async {
-    if (buildStep.inputId.pathSegments.last != 'cli_app.dart') {
-      return null;
-    }
-
-    var content = await buildStep
-        .readAsString(new AssetId(buildStep.inputId.package, 'pubspec.yaml'));
-
-    var yaml = loadYaml(content) as Map;
-
-    var versionString = yaml['version'] as String;
-
-    return '''
-const appVersion = '$versionString';
-''';
-  }
-}
diff --git a/tool/version-check.sh b/tool/version-check.sh
index 34a4607b..c5cd74d7 100755
--- a/tool/version-check.sh
+++ b/tool/version-check.sh
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ VERS_FROM_PUB=$(grep '^version:' pubspec.yaml | awk '{ print $2 }')
 
 echo "Version of stagehand from pubspec.yaml: $VERS_FROM_PUB"
 
-VERSION_FILE=lib/src/cli_app.g.dart
-if grep -qe "appVersion = '$VERS_FROM_PUB';" $VERSION_FILE; then
+VERSION_FILE=lib/src/version.dart
+if grep -qe "packageVersion = '$VERS_FROM_PUB';" $VERSION_FILE; then
   echo "✔ $VERSION_FILE has same version as pubspec."
 else
   EXIT_CODE=2