diff --git a/.dockerignore b/.dockerignore
index cc67342..2faf5c9 100644
--- a/.dockerignore
+++ b/.dockerignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 *
 !run-irods.sh
 !apt.irods
+!VERSION
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 115f4ba..802c603 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -4,15 +4,17 @@ FROM ubuntu:22.04
 ADD --chmod=444 \
 	https://packages.irods.org/irods-signing-key.asc /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/irods-signing-key.asc
 
-COPY apt.irods /etc/apt/preferences.d/irods
+COPY --chmod=444 VERSION /IRODS_VERSION
 
 ARG DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
 
-RUN <<EOF
+RUN --mount=target=/apt.irods,source=apt.irods <<EOF
 	set -o errexit
 	apt-get update
 	apt-get --yes install apt-utils
 	apt-get --yes install ca-certificates gnupg lsb-release
+	IFS= read -r irodsVer < /IRODS_VERSION
+	sed 's/VERSION/'"$irodsVer"'/' /apt.irods > /etc/apt/preferences.d/irods
 
 	echo deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.irods.org/apt/ "$(lsb_release --codename --short)" main \
 		> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/renci-irods.list
@@ -27,8 +29,10 @@ RUN <<EOF
 
 ### Initialize server
 	apt-get --yes install jq
+
 	jq ".installation_time |= \"$(date '+%Y-%m-%dT%T.%6N')\"" /var/lib/irods/version.json.dist \
 		> /var/lib/irods/version.json
+
 	mkdir /var/lib/irods/.irods
 	chown --recursive irods:irods /var/lib/irods
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c1cac27..c29d3f7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -51,9 +51,16 @@ RUN chmod +x /control-status.sh
 CMD [ "/control-status.sh", "CoordRes" ]
 ```
 
+For convenience, the file `/IRODS_VERSION` in the image contains the version of iRODS in the image. The file has the version number on the first line.
+
+```console
+prompt> cat /IRODS_VERSION
+4.3.1
+```
+
 ## Building the Base Image
 
-The command `./build` can be used to build the image. It creates the image `cyverse/irods` with tag `new`.
+The command `./build` can be used to build the image. It creates the image `cyverse/irods` with tag `new`. The version of iRODS in the image is set in the file `./VERSION`.
 
 ```console
 prompt> ./build
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f77856a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+4.3.1
diff --git a/apt.irods b/apt.irods
index 4397190..db87ee9 100644
--- a/apt.irods
+++ b/apt.irods
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 Package: irods-*
-Pin: version 4.3.1
+Pin: version VERSION
 Pin-Priority: 1001
diff --git a/publish b/publish
index b1e5970..5a33522 100755
--- a/publish
+++ b/publish
@@ -8,13 +8,17 @@
 
 set -o errexit -o nounset -o pipefail
 
-readonly IRODS_RELEASE='4.3.1'
+EXEC_DIR="$(dirname "$(realpath --canonicalize-existing)")"
+readonly EXEC_DIR
 
 readonly IMAGE_NAME=cyverse/irods
 readonly NEW_IMAGE="$IMAGE_NAME":new
 readonly CUR_IMAGE="$IMAGE_NAME":latest
 
 main() {
+	local irodsVer
+	IFS= read -r irodsVer < "$EXEC_DIR"/VERSION
+
 	local newId
 	newId="$(docker image inspect "$NEW_IMAGE" | jq .[0].Id)"
 
@@ -28,7 +32,7 @@ main() {
 		now="$(date --utc '+%Y-%m-%dT%H-%M-%S')"
 
 		local tag
-		for tag in "$IRODS_RELEASE"_"$now" "$IRODS_RELEASE" latest; do
+		for tag in "$irodsVer"_"$now" "$irodsVer" latest; do
 			publish "$tag"
 		done
 	fi