diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index ec656122e0..913c3dbfe9 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     frontend = None
 
-from swift import __version__ as version
+from swift import __canonical_version__ as version
 
 
 class local_sdist(sdist):
diff --git a/swift/__init__.py b/swift/__init__.py
index 441e13d5e8..6ba23a1c1b 100644
--- a/swift/__init__.py
+++ b/swift/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,21 @@
 import gettext
 
 
-__version__ = '1.4-dev'
+class Version(object):
+    def __init__(self, canonical_version, final):
+        self.canonical_version = canonical_version
+        self.final = final
+
+    @property
+    def pretty_version(self):
+        if self.final:
+           return self.canonical_version
+        else:
+           return '%s-dev' % (self.canonical_version,)
+
+
+_version = Version('1.4.1', False)
+__version__ = _version.pretty_version
+__canonical_version__ = _version.canonical_version
+
 gettext.install('swift')
diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_init.py b/test/unit/common/test_init.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b86e89d0b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_init.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2010-2011 OpenStack, LLC.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or
+# implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import re
+import unittest
+import swift
+
+class TestVersioning(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_canonical_version_is_clean(self):
+        """Ensure that a non-clean canonical_version never happens"""
+        pattern = re.compile('^\d+(\.\d+)*$')
+        self.assertTrue(pattern.match(swift.__canonical_version__) is not None)
+
+    def test_canonical_version_equals_version_for_final(self):
+        version = swift.Version('7.8.9', True)
+        self.assertEquals(version.pretty_version, '7.8.9')
+        self.assertEquals(version.canonical_version, '7.8.9')
+
+    def test_version_has_dev_suffix_for_non_final(self):
+        version = swift.Version('7.8.9', False)
+        self.assertEquals(version.pretty_version, '7.8.9-dev')
+        self.assertEquals(version.canonical_version, '7.8.9')
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()