diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index 79b350d..078792c 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-Version 0.7.2 - August 26, 2022
+Version 0.7.2 - August 27, 2022
     - Added library version retrieval functions
           oqs_version()
           oqs_python_version()
diff --git a/RELEASE.md b/RELEASE.md
index 1338a3d..e6d709c 100644
--- a/RELEASE.md
+++ b/RELEASE.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 Release notes
 =============
 
-This release of liboqs-python was released on August 26, 2022. Its release page on GitHub is https://github.com/open-quantum-safe/liboqs-python/releases/tag/0.7.2.
+This release of liboqs-python was released on August 27, 2022. Its release page on GitHub is https://github.com/open-quantum-safe/liboqs-python/releases/tag/0.7.2.
 
 What's New
 ----------
diff --git a/oqs/oqs.py b/oqs/oqs.py
index 20160c5..33b41ad 100644
--- a/oqs/oqs.py
+++ b/oqs/oqs.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 import ctypes as ct  # to call native
 import ctypes.util as ctu
+import pkg_resources  # to determine the module's version
 import platform  # to learn the OS we're on
 import sys
 import warnings
@@ -61,8 +62,12 @@
 
 def oqs_python_version():
     """liboqs-python version string."""
-    from pkg_resources import require as pkg_resources_require
-    return pkg_resources_require("liboqs-python")[0].version
+    try:
+        result = pkg_resources.require("liboqs-python")[0].version
+    except pkg_resources.DistributionNotFound:
+        warnings.warn("Please install liboqs-python using setup.py")
+        return None
+    return result
 
 
 # warn the use if the liboqs version differs from liboqs-python version