diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 11703c8..83cc604 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ python = pymod.find_installation(
   modules: [
     'cffi',
   ],
+  pure: false,
 )
 python_dep = python.dependency(required: true)
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 2103c66..183057f 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ requires-python = ">=3.7"
 dependencies = [
    "cffi",
    "numpy",
+   "typing_extensions",
 ]
 optional-dependencies.ase = ["ase"]
 optional-dependencies.qcschema = ["qcelemental"]
diff --git a/xtb/__init__.py b/xtb/__init__.py
index 162de55..e6aa42a 100644
--- a/xtb/__init__.py
+++ b/xtb/__init__.py
@@ -16,8 +16,7 @@
 # along with xtb.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 """Python API of the extended tight binding program package"""
 
-# make sure we have a CFFI available
-import cffi
+from importlib import metadata
 
-__version__ = "20.2"
+__version__ = metadata.version(__name__)
 API_VERSION = "1.0.0"