diff --git a/google/cloud/__init__.py b/google/cloud/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 0e1bc51..0000000
--- a/google/cloud/__init__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-# Copyright 2016 Google LLC
-#
-# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-# You may obtain a copy of the License at
-#
-#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-#
-# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-# limitations under the License.
-
-try:
-    import pkg_resources
-
-    pkg_resources.declare_namespace(__name__)
-except ImportError:
-    import pkgutil
-
-    __path__ = pkgutil.extend_path(__path__, __name__)
diff --git a/google/cloud/dns/__init__.py b/google/cloud/dns/__init__.py
index dc3754e..d26ba70 100644
--- a/google/cloud/dns/__init__.py
+++ b/google/cloud/dns/__init__.py
@@ -24,11 +24,7 @@
   (adding/deleting resource record sets) to a zone.
 """
 
-
-from pkg_resources import get_distribution
-
-__version__ = get_distribution("google-cloud-dns").version
-
+from google.cloud.dns.version import __version__
 from google.cloud.dns.zone import Changes
 from google.cloud.dns.client import Client
 from google.cloud.dns.zone import ManagedZone
diff --git a/google/__init__.py b/google/cloud/dns/version.py
similarity index 73%
rename from google/__init__.py
rename to google/cloud/dns/version.py
index 0e1bc51..a8a437c 100644
--- a/google/__init__.py
+++ b/google/cloud/dns/version.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-# Copyright 2016 Google LLC
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+# Copyright 2023 Google LLC
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -11,12 +12,5 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
-
-try:
-    import pkg_resources
-
-    pkg_resources.declare_namespace(__name__)
-except ImportError:
-    import pkgutil
-
-    __path__ = pkgutil.extend_path(__path__, __name__)
+#
+__version__ = "0.34.2"
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 9c123db..eb2be22 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 import io
 import os
+import re
 
 import setuptools
 
@@ -22,7 +23,16 @@
 
 name = "google-cloud-dns"
 description = "Google Cloud DNS API client library"
-version = "0.34.2"
+
+package_root = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
+
+version = None
+
+with open(os.path.join(package_root, "google/cloud/dns/version.py")) as fp:
+    version_candidates = re.findall(r"(?<=\")\d+.\d+.\d+(?=\")", fp.read())
+    assert len(version_candidates) == 1
+    version = version_candidates[0]
+
 # Should be one of:
 # 'Development Status :: 3 - Alpha'
 # 'Development Status :: 4 - Beta'
@@ -39,7 +49,6 @@
 
 # Setup boilerplate below this line.
 
-package_root = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 
 readme_filename = os.path.join(package_root, "README.rst")
 with io.open(readme_filename, encoding="utf-8") as readme_file:
@@ -48,15 +57,11 @@
 # Only include packages under the 'google' namespace. Do not include tests,
 # benchmarks, etc.
 packages = [
-    package for package in setuptools.find_packages() if package.startswith("google")
+    package
+    for package in setuptools.find_namespace_packages()
+    if package.startswith("google")
 ]
 
-# Determine which namespaces are needed.
-namespaces = ["google"]
-if "google.cloud" in packages:
-    namespaces.append("google.cloud")
-
-
 setuptools.setup(
     name=name,
     version=version,
@@ -81,7 +86,6 @@
     ],
     platforms="Posix; MacOS X; Windows",
     packages=packages,
-    namespace_packages=namespaces,
     install_requires=dependencies,
     extras_require=extras,
     python_requires=">=3.7",
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_packaging.py b/tests/unit/test_packaging.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9adb6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_packaging.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# Copyright 2023 Google LLC
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+
+def test_namespace_package_compat(tmp_path):
+    # The ``google`` namespace package should not be masked
+    # by the presence of ``google-cloud-dns``.
+    google = tmp_path / "google"
+    google.mkdir()
+    google.joinpath("othermod.py").write_text("")
+    env = dict(os.environ, PYTHONPATH=str(tmp_path))
+    cmd = [sys.executable, "-m", "google.othermod"]
+    subprocess.check_call(cmd, env=env)
+
+    # The ``google.cloud`` namespace package should not be masked
+    # by the presence of ``google-cloud-dns``.
+    google_cloud = tmp_path / "google" / "cloud"
+    google_cloud.mkdir()
+    google_cloud.joinpath("othermod.py").write_text("")
+    env = dict(os.environ, PYTHONPATH=str(tmp_path))
+    cmd = [sys.executable, "-m", "google.cloud.othermod"]
+    subprocess.check_call(cmd, env=env)