diff --git a/pylib/Makefile b/pylib/Makefile
index e5b85b43c..aea5d4f4b 100644
--- a/pylib/Makefile
+++ b/pylib/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ MAKEFLAGS += --warn-undefined-variables
 MAKEFLAGS += --no-builtin-rules
 RUNARGS :=
 .SUFFIXES:
-BLACKARGS := -t py36 anki tests --exclude='backend_pb2|buildhash'
+BLACKARGS := -t py36 anki tests --exclude='backend_pb2|buildinfo'
 ISORTARGS := anki tests
 
 $(shell mkdir -p .build ../dist)
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ PROTODEPS := $(wildcard ../proto/*.proto)
 	protoc --proto_path=../proto --python_out=anki --mypy_out=anki $(PROTODEPS)
 	@touch $@
 
-BUILD_STEPS := .build/run-deps .build/dev-deps .build/py-proto
+BUILD_STEPS := .build/run-deps .build/dev-deps .build/py-proto anki/buildinfo.py
 
 # Checking
 ######################
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ clean:
 # Checking python
 ######################
 
-CHECKDEPS := $(shell find anki tests -name '*.py' | grep -v buildhash.py)
+CHECKDEPS := $(shell find anki tests -name '*.py')
 
 .build/mypy: $(CHECKDEPS)
 	mypy anki
@@ -78,10 +78,13 @@ CHECKDEPS := $(shell find anki tests -name '*.py' | grep -v buildhash.py)
 .PHONY: build
 build: $(BUILD_STEPS) $(CHECKDEPS)
 	rm -rf dist
-	echo "build='$$(cat ../meta/buildhash)'" > anki/buildhash.py
 	python setup.py bdist_wheel
 	rsync -a dist/*.whl ../dist/
 
 # prepare code for running in place
 .PHONY: develop
 develop: $(BUILD_STEPS)
+
+anki/buildinfo.py: ../meta/version ../meta/buildhash
+	echo "buildhash='$$(cat ../meta/buildhash)'" > $@
+	echo "version='$$(cat ../meta/version)'" >> $@
diff --git a/pylib/anki/.gitignore b/pylib/anki/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c1b440396
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pylib/anki/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+buildinfo.py
diff --git a/pylib/anki/__init__.py b/pylib/anki/__init__.py
index c9878de39..7b2af821a 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/__init__.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/__init__.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 import sys
 
+from anki.buildinfo import version
 from anki.storage import Collection
 
 if sys.version_info[0] < 3 or sys.version_info[1] < 5:
@@ -11,8 +12,5 @@ if sys.version_info[0] < 3 or sys.version_info[1] < 5:
 if sys.getfilesystemencoding().lower() in ("ascii", "ansi_x3.4-1968"):
     raise Exception("Anki requires a UTF-8 locale.")
 
-# fmt: off
-version="2.1.17" # build scripts grep this line, so preserve formatting
-# fmt: on
 
 __all__ = ["Collection"]
diff --git a/pylib/anki/backend.py b/pylib/anki/backend.py
index 975956118..d555a0a20 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/backend.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/backend.py
@@ -5,9 +5,12 @@ from typing import Dict, List
 import ankirspy  # pytype: disable=import-error
 
 import anki.backend_pb2 as pb
+import anki.buildinfo
 
 from .types import AllTemplateReqs
 
+assert ankirspy.buildhash() == anki.buildinfo.buildhash
+
 SchedTimingToday = pb.SchedTimingTodayOut
 
 
diff --git a/pylib/anki/utils.py b/pylib/anki/utils.py
index 821a3a77c..d544e7ed1 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/utils.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/utils.py
@@ -494,10 +494,6 @@ class TimedLog:
 
 
 def versionWithBuild() -> str:
-    from anki import version
+    from anki.buildinfo import version, buildhash
 
-    try:
-        from anki.buildhash import build  # type: ignore # pylint: disable=import-error,no-name-in-module
-    except:
-        build = "dev"
-    return "%s (%s)" % (version, build)
+    return "%s (%s)" % (version, buildhash)
diff --git a/qt/Makefile b/qt/Makefile
index dab026109..9afc5cf64 100644
--- a/qt/Makefile
+++ b/qt/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ MAKEFLAGS += --warn-undefined-variables
 MAKEFLAGS += --no-builtin-rules
 .SUFFIXES:
 
-BLACKARGS := -t py36 aqt tests --exclude=aqt/forms
+BLACKARGS := -t py36 aqt tests --exclude='aqt/forms|buildinfo'
 ISORTARGS := aqt tests
 
 $(shell mkdir -p .build ../dist)
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ TSDEPS := $(wildcard ts/src/*.ts)
 	(cd ts && npm i && npm run build)
 	@touch $@
 
-BUILD_STEPS := .build/run-deps .build/dev-deps .build/js .build/ui .build/i18n
+BUILD_STEPS := .build/run-deps .build/dev-deps .build/js .build/ui .build/i18n aqt/buildinfo.py
 
 # Checking
 ######################
@@ -107,3 +107,7 @@ build: $(BUILD_STEPS)
 
 .PHONY: develop
 develop: $(BUILD_STEPS)
+
+aqt/buildinfo.py: ../meta/version ../meta/buildhash
+	echo "buildhash='$$(cat ../meta/buildhash)'" > $@
+	echo "version='$$(cat ../meta/version)'" >> $@
diff --git a/qt/aqt/.gitignore b/qt/aqt/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c1b440396
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qt/aqt/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+buildinfo.py
diff --git a/qt/aqt/__init__.py b/qt/aqt/__init__.py
index fc7ca5995..83d69e3a3 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/__init__.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/__init__.py
@@ -12,13 +12,17 @@ import tempfile
 import traceback
 from typing import Any, Optional
 
+import anki.buildinfo
 import anki.lang
+import aqt.buildinfo
 from anki import version as _version
 from anki.consts import HELP_SITE
 from anki.utils import checksum, isLin, isMac
 from aqt.qt import *
 from aqt.utils import locale_dir
 
+assert anki.buildinfo.buildhash == aqt.buildinfo.buildhash
+
 appVersion = _version
 appWebsite = "http://ankisrs.net/"
 appChanges = "http://ankisrs.net/docs/changes.html"
diff --git a/rspy/src/lib.rs b/rspy/src/lib.rs
index 92eb6b5db..d7eaf7a4f 100644
--- a/rspy/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rspy/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,18 @@
 use anki::backend::Backend as RustBackend;
 use pyo3::prelude::*;
 use pyo3::types::PyBytes;
+use pyo3::wrap_pyfunction;
 
 #[pyclass]
 struct Backend {
     backend: RustBackend,
 }
 
+#[pyfunction]
+fn buildhash() -> &'static str {
+    include_str!("../../meta/buildhash").trim()
+}
+
 #[pymethods]
 impl Backend {
     #[new]
@@ -28,6 +34,7 @@ impl Backend {
 #[pymodule]
 fn ankirspy(_py: Python, m: &PyModule) -> PyResult<()> {
     m.add_class::<Backend>()?;
+    m.add_wrapped(wrap_pyfunction!(buildhash)).unwrap();
 
     Ok(())
 }