diff --git a/Cordova.podspec b/Cordova.podspec
index 5283dec99..786bf1bb5 100644
--- a/Cordova.podspec
+++ b/Cordova.podspec
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ Pod::Spec.new do |s|
   s.platform            = :ios, "11.0"
   s.source              = relSource
   s.requires_arc        = true
-  s.preserve_paths      = 'CordovaLib/VERSION'
   s.frameworks          = 'Foundation'
   s.source_files        = 'CordovaLib/**/*.{h,m}'
   s.public_header_files = 'CordovaLib/include/**/*.h'
diff --git a/CordovaLib/VERSION b/CordovaLib/VERSION
deleted file mode 100644
index dae1a1800..000000000
--- a/CordovaLib/VERSION
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-7.0.0-dev
diff --git a/Package.swift b/Package.swift
index c59eca2f9..7c9ca2ac1 100644
--- a/Package.swift
+++ b/Package.swift
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ let package = Package(
         .target(
             name: "Cordova",
             path: "CordovaLib/",
-            exclude: ["VERSION", "cordova.js", "Cordova/Cordova.h", "Cordova/Info.plist"],
+            exclude: ["cordova.js", "Cordova/Cordova.h", "Cordova/Info.plist"],
             cSettings: [
-              .headerSearchPath("Classes/Private")
+                .headerSearchPath("Classes/Private")
             ]
         )
     ]
diff --git a/lib/Api.js b/lib/Api.js
index dc5b976d5..e282e8ec5 100644
--- a/lib/Api.js
+++ b/lib/Api.js
@@ -19,14 +19,7 @@
 
 /* jslint node: true */
 
-/**
- * @todo update coho to update this line.
- * @todo use `package.json` instead but first
- *  figure out how this fit in with the platform-centered workflow structure.
- *  This workflow would not have the `package.json` file.
- */
-// Coho updates this line
-const VERSION = '7.0.0-dev';
+const VERSION = require('../package.json').version;
 
 const fs = require('fs-extra');
 const path = require('path');
diff --git a/lib/create.js b/lib/create.js
index e1dae1440..2473c487d 100755
--- a/lib/create.js
+++ b/lib/create.js
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ class ProjectCreator {
             // like it should).
             fs.symlinkSync(cordovaLibPathSrc, cordovaLibPathDest);
         } else {
-            for (const p of ['include', 'Classes', 'VERSION', 'CordovaLib.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj']) {
+            for (const p of ['include', 'Classes', 'CordovaLib.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj']) {
                 fs.copySync(path.join(cordovaLibPathSrc, p), path.join(cordovaLibPathDest, p));
             }
         }