diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7709ec5a2e..3e0122d9b6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@ Model Evaluation Tools Plus (METplus) Repository
 [![Travis build status](https://travis-ci.org/DTCenter/METplus.svg?branch=develop)](https://travis-ci.org/DTCenter/METplus)
 [![Latest Docs](https://img.shields.io/badge/docs-latest-brightgreen.svg)](https://dtcenter.github.io/METplus/)
 
-<!--
-[![Travis DTCenter_develop build_status](https://travis-ci.org/DTCenter/METplus.svg?branch=develop)](https://travis-ci.org/DTCenter/METplus)
--->
 
 Welcome to the METplus GitHub repository hosted to the community through
 the Developmental Testbed Center (DTC).
diff --git a/ci/docker/hooks/build b/ci/docker/hooks/build
index 624e086755..f69aad3664 100644
--- a/ci/docker/hooks/build
+++ b/ci/docker/hooks/build
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-docker build -t $IMAGE_NAME --build-arg SOURCE_BRANCH=$SOURCE_BRANCH --build-arg MET_BRANCH=develop --build-arg DO_GIT_CLONE=true .
+# get version, use develop or X+6.Y for MET_BRANCH
+met_branch=`$(dirname $DOCKERFILE_PATH)/hooks/get_met_version`
+
+echo $met_branch
+docker build -t $IMAGE_NAME --build-arg SOURCE_BRANCH=$SOURCE_BRANCH --build-arg MET_BRANCH=$met_branch --build-arg DO_GIT_CLONE=true .
diff --git a/ci/docker/hooks/get_met_version b/ci/docker/hooks/get_met_version
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..32c4b27639
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/docker/hooks/get_met_version
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# get version, use develop or X+6.Y for MET_BRANCH
+version_file=$(dirname $DOCKERFILE_PATH)/../../docs/version
+
+if cat $version_file | egrep -q '[0-9.]+$'; then
+  let major=$(cut -d '.' -f1 $version_file)+6
+  minor=$(cut -d '.' -f2 $version_file )
+  met_branch=$major"."$minor"-latest"
+else
+  met_branch=develop
+fi
+
+echo $met_branch
diff --git a/ci/travis_jobs/get_data_volumes.py b/ci/travis_jobs/get_data_volumes.py
index e0a6afb081..5ed625c8c7 100755
--- a/ci/travis_jobs/get_data_volumes.py
+++ b/ci/travis_jobs/get_data_volumes.py
@@ -7,8 +7,21 @@
 
 from docker_utils import docker_get_volumes_last_updated
 
-# this should be set to develop or a release version, i.e. vX.Y
-METPLUS_VERSION = 'develop'
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
+                                                os.pardir,
+                                                os.pardir,)))
+
+from metplus import __version__
+
+# METPLUS_VERSION should be set to develop or a release version, i.e. vX.Y
+# if version is set to X.Y without -betaZ or -dev, use that version
+# otherwise use develop
+if len(__version__.split('-')) == 1:
+    # only get first 2 numbers from version, i.e. X.Y.Z will use vX.Y
+    METPLUS_VERSION = f"v{'.'.join(__version__.split('.')[:2])}"
+
+else:
+    METPLUS_VERSION = 'develop'
 
 MODEL_APP_NAMES = ('met_tool_wrapper',
                    'convection_allowing_models',
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index a01e0c0c0c..bd5d64e219 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -13,10 +13,12 @@
 import os
 from datetime import datetime
 import sys
-sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath('../ush'))
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
+                                                os.pardir)))
 sys.path.append(os.path.abspath("./_ext"))
 print(sys.path)
 
+from metplus import __version__
 
 # -- Project information -----------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -24,12 +26,21 @@
 
 author = 'UCAR/NCAR, NOAA, CSU/CIRA, and CU/CIRES'
 
-# the stable version, displayed on front page of PDF
-version = 'develop'
-verinfo = version
-
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags
-release = f'{version}'
+# i.e. 4.0-beta1-dev
+release = __version__
+
+# the stable version, displayed on front page of PDF extract X.Y version
+# from release by splitting the string into a list
+# using - as the delimeter, then getting the 1st item of the list
+# if version is beta, rc, and/or dev then set version to develop for
+# the documentation built for develop (not release)
+if len(release.split('-')) > 1:
+    version = 'develop'
+else:
+    version = f"{release.split('-')[0]}"
+
+verinfo = version
 
 release_year = '2020'
 
diff --git a/metplus/__init__.py b/metplus/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5c76301f8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metplus/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import os
+
+def get_metplus_version():
+    version_file = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
+                                                os.pardir,
+                                                'docs',
+                                                'version'))
+    with open(version_file, 'r') as file_handle:
+        version = file_handle.read().strip()
+        return version
+
+__version__ = get_metplus_version()
diff --git a/metplus/util/met_util.py b/metplus/util/met_util.py
index ddbe4acacb..c4c26e415e 100644
--- a/metplus/util/met_util.py
+++ b/metplus/util/met_util.py
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 from . import time_util as time_util
 from . import metplus_check
 
+from .. import get_metplus_version
+
 """!@namespace met_util
  @brief Provides  Utility functions for METplus.
 """
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@
 
 def pre_run_setup(config_inputs):
     from . import config_metplus
-    version_number = get_version_number()
+    version_number = get_metplus_version()
     print(f'Starting METplus v{version_number}')
 
     # Read config inputs and return a config instance
@@ -1022,19 +1024,6 @@ def get_lead_sequence(config, input_dict=None):
 
     return out_leads
 
-def get_version_number():
-    # read version file and return value
-    # get top level of METplus - parents[2] is 3 directories up from current file
-    # which is in ush/metplus/util
-    metplus_base = str(Path(__file__).parents[2])
-    version_file_path = os.path.join(metplus_base,
-                                     'docs',
-                                     'version')
-
-    with open(version_file_path, 'r') as version_file:
-        return version_file.read()
-
-
 def round_0p5(val):
     """! Round to the nearest point five (ie 3.3 rounds to 3.5, 3.1
        rounds to 3.0) Take the input value, multiply by two, round to integer
diff --git a/ush/master_metplus.py b/ush/master_metplus.py
index 8958cb49c2..ad713f6d66 100755
--- a/ush/master_metplus.py
+++ b/ush/master_metplus.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 from metplus.util import metplus_check
 from metplus.util import pre_run_setup, run_metplus, post_run_cleanup
 from metplus.util import get_process_list
+from metplus import __version__ as metplus_version
 
 '''!@namespace master_metplus
 Main script the processes all the tasks in the PROCESS_LIST
@@ -73,6 +74,10 @@ def get_config_inputs_from_command_line():
          invalid flag was provided, i.e. -a.
          @returns list of config inputs
     """
+
+    # output version that is run to screen
+    print('Running METplus %s' % metplus_version)
+
     # if not arguments were provided, print usage and exit
     if len(sys.argv) < 2:
         usage()