diff --git a/Makefile.docs b/Makefile.docs
index 3b2700687b..fe25d583e0 100644
--- a/Makefile.docs
+++ b/Makefile.docs
@@ -17,9 +17,7 @@ common_SPHINXOPTS =			\
 
 ALLSPHINXOPTS =				\
 	$(common_SPHINXOPTS)		\
-	-D version="$(PACKAGE_VERSION)"	\
 	-D today="$(RELEASE_DATE)"	\
-	-D release="$(PACKAGE_VERSION)"	\
 	$(SPHINXOPTS)			\
 	$(srcdir)
 
diff --git a/doc/arm/conf.py b/doc/arm/conf.py
index 704c96c5d8..f7049afe0f 100644
--- a/doc/arm/conf.py
+++ b/doc/arm/conf.py
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 
 # flake8: noqa: E501
 
+import re
+
 from typing import List, Tuple
 
 from docutils import nodes
@@ -105,6 +107,21 @@ project = 'BIND 9'
 copyright = '2021, Internet Systems Consortium'
 author = 'Internet Systems Consortium'
 
+m4_vars = {}
+with open('../../configure.ac', encoding='utf-8') as configure_ac:
+    for line in configure_ac:
+        match = re.match(r'm4_define\(\[(?P<key>bind_VERSION_[A-Z]+)\], (?P<val>[^)]*)\)dnl', line)
+        if match:
+            m4_vars[match.group('key')] = match.group('val')
+
+version = '%s.%s.%s%s' % (
+    m4_vars['bind_VERSION_MAJOR'],
+    m4_vars['bind_VERSION_MINOR'],
+    m4_vars['bind_VERSION_PATCH'],
+    m4_vars['bind_VERSION_EXTRA'],
+)
+release = version
+
 # -- General configuration ---------------------------------------------------
 
 # Add any Sphinx extension module names here, as strings. They can be