diff --git a/libsrc/core/CMakeLists.txt b/libsrc/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 9de7701f..e7fe7240 100644
--- a/libsrc/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libsrc/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-add_library(ngcore SHARED archive.cpp version.cpp)
+add_library(ngcore SHARED archive.cpp)
 
 target_compile_definitions(ngcore PRIVATE -DNGCORE_EXPORTS)
 
diff --git a/libsrc/core/archive.hpp b/libsrc/core/archive.hpp
index 620941c9..1d3809b7 100644
--- a/libsrc/core/archive.hpp
+++ b/libsrc/core/archive.hpp
@@ -142,6 +142,18 @@ namespace ngcore
     virtual Archive & operator & (std::string & str) = 0;
     virtual Archive & operator & (char *& str) = 0;
 
+    virtual Archive & operator & (VersionInfo & version)
+    {
+        if(Output())
+            (*this) << version.to_string();
+        else
+        {
+            std::string s;
+            (*this) & s;
+            version = VersionInfo(s);
+        }
+        return *this;
+    }
 
     // Archive std classes ================================================
     template<typename T>
@@ -182,7 +194,7 @@ namespace ngcore
         }
       else
         {
-          size_t size;
+          size_t size = 0;
           (*this) & size;
           T1 key; T2 val;
           for(size_t i = 0; i < size; i++)
diff --git a/libsrc/core/version.cpp b/libsrc/core/version.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 7f6bac69..00000000
--- a/libsrc/core/version.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-
-#include "archive.hpp"
-#include "version.hpp"
-
-namespace ngcore
-{
-  void VersionInfo :: DoArchive(Archive& ar)
-  {
-    ar & mayor_ & minor_ & release & patch & git_hash;
-  }
-} // namespace ngcore
diff --git a/libsrc/core/version.hpp b/libsrc/core/version.hpp
index ab14d74a..69598716 100644
--- a/libsrc/core/version.hpp
+++ b/libsrc/core/version.hpp
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 
 namespace ngcore
 {
-  class Archive;
   class VersionInfo
   {
   private:
@@ -83,8 +82,6 @@ namespace ngcore
     bool operator >(const VersionInfo& other) const { return other < (*this); }
     bool operator <=(const VersionInfo& other) const { return !((*this) > other); }
     bool operator >=(const VersionInfo& other) const { return !((*this) < other); }
-
-    void DoArchive(Archive& ar);
   };
 } // namespace ngcore