diff --git a/src/ffi/java/ext.rs b/src/ffi/java/ext.rs
index 47dd939..d841bf8 100644
--- a/src/ffi/java/ext.rs
+++ b/src/ffi/java/ext.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use jni_toolbox::jni;
 #[allow(non_snake_case)]
 #[jni(package = "mp.code", class = "Extensions")]
 fn version() -> String {
-	crate::version()
+	crate::version().to_string()
 }
 
 /// Calculate the XXH3 hash for a given String.
diff --git a/src/ffi/js/ext.rs b/src/ffi/js/ext.rs
index 145d634..33579ec 100644
--- a/src/ffi/js/ext.rs
+++ b/src/ffi/js/ext.rs
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@ pub fn js_hash(data: String) -> i64 {
 /// Get the current version of the client
 #[napi(js_name = "version")]
 pub fn js_version() -> String {
-	crate::version()
+	crate::version().to_string()
 }
diff --git a/src/ffi/lua/mod.rs b/src/ffi/lua/mod.rs
index 33792d0..2e4c495 100644
--- a/src/ffi/lua/mod.rs
+++ b/src/ffi/lua/mod.rs
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ fn entrypoint(lua: &Lua) -> LuaResult<LuaTable> {
 
 	exports.set(
 		"version",
-		lua.create_function(|_, ()| Ok(crate::version()))?,
+		lua.create_function(|_, ()| Ok(crate::version().to_string()))?,
 	)?;
 
 	// runtime
diff --git a/src/ffi/python/mod.rs b/src/ffi/python/mod.rs
index f703051..45bd5e5 100644
--- a/src/ffi/python/mod.rs
+++ b/src/ffi/python/mod.rs
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ impl Driver {
 
 #[pyfunction]
 fn version() -> String {
-	crate::version()
+	crate::version().to_string()
 }
 
 #[pyfunction]
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 40c6905..739f9b2 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -127,6 +127,6 @@ pub mod ffi;
 pub(crate) mod network;
 
 /// Get the current version of the client
-pub fn version() -> String {
-	env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION").to_owned()
+pub fn version() -> &'static str {
+	env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION")
 }