diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/prepare-release.yml b/.gitea/workflows/prepare-release.yml
index 9561cb3..e4c8c1b 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/prepare-release.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/prepare-release.yml
@@ -66,8 +66,6 @@ jobs:
             --root . \
             --version "$RELEASE_VERSION" \
             --date "$(date -u +%F)" \
-            --version-file internal/vociferate/version/version.go \
-            --version-pattern 'const String = "([^"]+)"' \
             --changelog changelog.md
 
       - name: Run tests
@@ -107,7 +105,7 @@ jobs:
           esac
 
           git remote set-url origin "$authed_remote"
-          git add changelog.md internal/vociferate/version/version.go
+          git add changelog.md release-version
           git commit -m "release: prepare ${tag}"
           git tag "$tag"
           git push origin HEAD
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4a78bdc..99092eb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -44,10 +44,12 @@ go run ./cmd/vociferate --recommend --root .
 
 Defaults:
 
-- `version-file`: `internal/vociferate/version/version.go`
-- `version-pattern`: `const String = "([^"]+)"`
+- `version-file`: `release-version`
+- `version-pattern`: `^\s*([^\r\n]+)\s*$`
 - `changelog`: `changelog.md`
 
+By default, `vociferate` reads and writes the release version as the sole content of a root-level `release-version` file. Repositories that keep the version inside source code should pass explicit `version-file` and `version-pattern` values.
+
 ## Testing
 
 ```bash
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ Use the composite action directly:
 
 Set `version` only when you want to override the recommended version.
 Pin the composite action to a released tag. It downloads a prebuilt Linux binary from vociferate releases and caches it on the runner, so it does not require installing Go.
+If your repository uses the default plain-text `release-version` file, you can omit `version-file` and `version-pattern` entirely.
 
 Call the reusable release workflow:
 
diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index be19d26..05c3de1 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ A `### Breaking` section is used in addition to Keep a Changelog's standard sect
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Breaking
+
+- The default version source is now a root-level `release-version` file containing only the current release version. Repositories that store versions in code must now pass explicit `version-file` and `version-pattern` values.
+
 ### Changed
 
 - The composite action now downloads and caches a released Linux `vociferate` binary instead of installing Go and running the module source directly.
diff --git a/internal/vociferate/version/version.go b/internal/vociferate/version/version.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 98a44ba..0000000
--- a/internal/vociferate/version/version.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-package version
-
-const String = "1.0.0"
diff --git a/internal/vociferate/vociferate.go b/internal/vociferate/vociferate.go
index baf27a6..446c427 100644
--- a/internal/vociferate/vociferate.go
+++ b/internal/vociferate/vociferate.go
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	defaultVersionFile = "internal/vociferate/version/version.go"
-	defaultVersionExpr = `const String = "([^"]+)"`
+	defaultVersionFile = "release-version"
+	defaultVersionExpr = `^\s*([^\r\n]+)\s*$`
 	defaultChangelog   = "changelog.md"
 )
 
diff --git a/internal/vociferate/vociferate_test.go b/internal/vociferate/vociferate_test.go
index 58d51d8..db94a98 100644
--- a/internal/vociferate/vociferate_test.go
+++ b/internal/vociferate/vociferate_test.go
@@ -21,12 +21,9 @@ func TestPrepareSuite(t *testing.T) {
 
 func (s *PrepareSuite) SetupTest() {
 	s.rootDir = s.T().TempDir()
-	versionDir := filepath.Join(s.rootDir, "internal", "vociferate", "version")
-	require.NoError(s.T(), os.MkdirAll(versionDir, 0o755))
-
 	require.NoError(s.T(), os.WriteFile(
-		filepath.Join(versionDir, "version.go"),
-		[]byte("package version\n\nconst String = \"1.1.6\"\n"),
+		filepath.Join(s.rootDir, "release-version"),
+		[]byte("1.1.6\n"),
 		0o644,
 	))
 
@@ -42,9 +39,9 @@ func (s *PrepareSuite) TestPrepare_UpdatesVersionAndPromotesUnreleasedNotes() {
 
 	require.NoError(s.T(), err)
 
-	versionBytes, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(s.rootDir, "internal", "vociferate", "version", "version.go"))
+	versionBytes, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(s.rootDir, "release-version"))
 	require.NoError(s.T(), err)
-	require.Equal(s.T(), "package version\n\nconst String = \"1.1.7\"\n", string(versionBytes))
+	require.Equal(s.T(), "1.1.7\n", string(versionBytes))
 
 	changelogBytes, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(s.rootDir, "changelog.md"))
 	require.NoError(s.T(), err)
@@ -144,8 +141,8 @@ func (s *PrepareSuite) TestPrepare_UsesCustomVersionFileAndPattern() {
 
 func (s *PrepareSuite) TestPrepare_AllowsUnchangedVersionValue() {
 	require.NoError(s.T(), os.WriteFile(
-		filepath.Join(s.rootDir, "internal", "vociferate", "version", "version.go"),
-		[]byte("package version\n\nconst String = \"1.1.6\"\n"),
+		filepath.Join(s.rootDir, "release-version"),
+		[]byte("1.1.6\n"),
 		0o644,
 	))
 
@@ -153,9 +150,9 @@ func (s *PrepareSuite) TestPrepare_AllowsUnchangedVersionValue() {
 
 	require.NoError(s.T(), err)
 
-	versionBytes, readErr := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(s.rootDir, "internal", "vociferate", "version", "version.go"))
+	versionBytes, readErr := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(s.rootDir, "release-version"))
 	require.NoError(s.T(), readErr)
-	require.Equal(s.T(), "package version\n\nconst String = \"1.1.6\"\n", string(versionBytes))
+	require.Equal(s.T(), "1.1.6\n", string(versionBytes))
 }
 
 func (s *PrepareSuite) TestRecommendedTag_UsesCustomVersionFileAndPattern() {
diff --git a/release-version b/release-version
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..afaf360
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release-version
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1.0.0
\ No newline at end of file