diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..52e0d743
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Check this file before committing a new version:
+# http://lint.travis-ci.org/
+
+language: python
+
+python:
+  - "2.7"
+
+before_install:
+  - uname -a
+  - free -m
+  - df -h
+  - ulimit -a
+  - python -V
+
+virtualenv:
+  system_site_packages: true
+
+# command to install dependencies
+install:
+  - sudo apt-get update -qq
+  - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == "2.7" ]]; then sudo apt-get install python-matplotlib python-scipy; fi
+  - pip install -r pip-requirements.txt
+
+# run tests
+script:
+  - ./run-tests
diff --git a/pip-requirements.txt b/pip-requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..35c5e144
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pip-requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+--index-url https://pypi.python.org/simple/
+
+pep8
+nose
+-e .
diff --git a/postpic/__init__.py b/postpic/__init__.py
index c7de5a14..7825e9a1 100644
--- a/postpic/__init__.py
+++ b/postpic/__init__.py
@@ -27,9 +27,25 @@
 import analyzer
 import plotting
 
-__version__ = '0.0.0'
+__all__ = ['datareader', 'analyzer', 'plotting']
 
-# Use Git description for __version__ if present
+# read version from installed metadata
+from pkg_resources import get_distribution, DistributionNotFound
+try:
+    import os.path
+    _dist = get_distribution('postpic')
+    # Normalize case for Windows systems
+    dist_loc = os.path.normcase(_dist.location)
+    here = os.path.normcase(__file__)
+    if not here.startswith(os.path.join(dist_loc, 'postpic')):
+        # not installed, but there is another version that *is*
+        raise DistributionNotFound
+except DistributionNotFound:
+    __version__ = 'Please install this project with setup.py'
+else:
+    __version__ = _dist.version
+
+# add Git description for __version__ if present
 try:
     import subprocess as sub
     import os.path
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 76556696..92261cde 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -16,11 +16,9 @@
 # along with postpic. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
 from setuptools import setup
-from postpic import __version__
-
 
 setup(name='postpic',
-      version=__version__,
+      version='0.0.0',
       author='Stephan Kuschel',
       author_email='stephan.kuschel@gmail.de',
       description='The open source particle-in-cell post processor.',