diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62c4b62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+.*   export-ignore
+*.py export-ignore
diff --git a/set_version.py b/set_version.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..8c40217
--- /dev/null
+++ b/set_version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+import sys, os, codecs
+
+
+f_script = os.path.realpath(__file__)
+d_root = os.path.dirname(f_script)
+
+os.chdir(d_root)
+
+args = sys.argv[1:]
+if len(args) < 1:
+	print("ERROR: must supply version as parameter")
+	sys.exit(1)
+
+new_version = args[0]
+
+to_update = {
+	"mod.conf": "version =",
+	"changelog.txt": "next",
+	os.path.normpath(".ldoc/config.ld"): "local version =",
+}
+
+for f in to_update:
+	f_path = os.path.join(d_root, f)
+	if not os.path.isfile(f_path):
+		print("WARNING: {} not found, skipping ...".format(f))
+		continue
+
+	print("\nsetting version to {} in {}".format(new_version, f_path))
+
+	buffer = codecs.open(f_path, "r", "utf-8")
+	if not buffer:
+		print("WARNING: could not open {} for reading, skipping ...".format(f))
+		continue
+
+	read_in = buffer.read()
+	buffer.close()
+
+	read_in = read_in.replace("\r\n", "\n").replace("\r", "\n")
+	replacement = to_update[f]
+	new_lines = []
+
+	version_set = False
+	for li in read_in.split("\n"):
+		if not version_set:
+			if "=" in replacement and li.startswith(replacement):
+				key = li.split(" = ")[0]
+				li = "{} = {}".format(key, new_version)
+				version_set = True
+			elif li == replacement:
+				li = "v{}".format(new_version)
+				version_set = True
+
+		new_lines.append(li)
+
+	write_out = "\n".join(new_lines)
+	if write_out == read_in:
+		print("no changes for {}, skipping ...".format(f))
+		continue
+
+	buffer = codecs.open(f_path, "w", "utf-8")
+	if not buffer:
+		print("WARNING: could not open {} for writing, skipping ...".format(f))
+		continue
+
+	buffer.write("\n".join(new_lines))
+	buffer.close()
+
+	print("done")