diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index bc228e473..04d239b08 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -75,8 +75,10 @@ def write_version_py():
 
 def get_version():
     with open(version_file, 'r') as f:
-        exec(compile(f.read(), version_file, 'exec'))
-    return locals()['__version__']
+        code = compile(f.read(), version_file, 'exec')
+        namespace = {}
+        exec(code, namespace)
+    return namespace.get('__version__', '1.4.2')
 
 
 def make_cuda_ext(name, module, sources, sources_cuda=None):