diff --git a/Tests/test_pyroma.py b/Tests/test_pyroma.py
index 962535f03..cf5fc361f 100644
--- a/Tests/test_pyroma.py
+++ b/Tests/test_pyroma.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from helper import unittest, PillowTestCase
 
-from PIL import PILLOW_VERSION
+from PIL import __version__
 
 try:
     import pyroma
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class TestPyroma(PillowTestCase):
         rating = pyroma.ratings.rate(data)
 
         # Assert
-        if 'rc' in PILLOW_VERSION:
+        if 'rc' in __version__:
             # Pyroma needs to chill about RC versions
             # and not kill all our tests.
             self.assertEqual(rating, (9, [
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 4053e24e6..ba0a552b3 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -53,9 +53,9 @@ author = u'Fredrik Lundh, Alex Clark and Contributors'
 #
 # The short X.Y version.
 import PIL
-version = PIL.PILLOW_VERSION
+version = PIL.__version__
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
-release = PIL.PILLOW_VERSION
+release = PIL.__version__
 
 # The language for content autogenerated by Sphinx. Refer to documentation
 # for a list of supported languages.
diff --git a/docs/releasenotes/5.2.0.rst b/docs/releasenotes/5.2.0.rst
index 073daaf03..65b2d8fd1 100644
--- a/docs/releasenotes/5.2.0.rst
+++ b/docs/releasenotes/5.2.0.rst
@@ -1,6 +1,23 @@
 5.2.0
 -----
 
+API Changes
+===========
+
+Deprecations
+^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+These version constants have been deprecated. ``VERSION`` will be removed in
+Pillow 6.0.0, and ``PILLOW_VERSION`` will be removed after that.
+
+* ``PIL.VERSION`` (old PIL version 1.1.7)
+* ``PIL.PILLOW_VERSION``
+* ``PIL.Image.VERSION``
+* ``PIL.Image.PILLOW_VERSION``
+
+Use ``PIL.__version__`` instead.
+
+
 API Additions
 =============
 
diff --git a/selftest.py b/selftest.py
index 3f358c583..ed2ba815f 100755
--- a/selftest.py
+++ b/selftest.py
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     exit_status = 0
 
     print("-"*68)
-    print("Pillow", Image.PILLOW_VERSION, "TEST SUMMARY ")
+    print("Pillow", Image.__version__, "TEST SUMMARY ")
     print("-"*68)
     print("Python modules loaded from", os.path.dirname(Image.__file__))
     print("Binary modules loaded from", os.path.dirname(Image.core.__file__))
diff --git a/src/PIL/Image.py b/src/PIL/Image.py
index bf187f2d4..1954c52ee 100644
--- a/src/PIL/Image.py
+++ b/src/PIL/Image.py
@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@
 # See the README file for information on usage and redistribution.
 #
 
-from . import VERSION, PILLOW_VERSION, _plugins
+# VERSION is deprecated and will be removed in Pillow 6.0.0.
+# PILLOW_VERSION is deprecated and will be removed after that.
+# Use __version__ instead.
+from . import VERSION, PILLOW_VERSION, __version__, _plugins
 from ._util import py3
 
 import logging
@@ -59,13 +62,13 @@ try:
     # Also note that Image.core is not a publicly documented interface,
     # and should be considered private and subject to change.
     from . import _imaging as core
-    if PILLOW_VERSION != getattr(core, 'PILLOW_VERSION', None):
+    if __version__ != getattr(core, 'PILLOW_VERSION', None):
         raise ImportError("The _imaging extension was built for another "
                           "version of Pillow or PIL:\n"
                           "Core version: %s\n"
                           "Pillow version: %s" %
                           (getattr(core, 'PILLOW_VERSION', None),
-                           PILLOW_VERSION))
+                           __version__))
 
 except ImportError as v:
     core = _imaging_not_installed()
diff --git a/src/PIL/__init__.py b/src/PIL/__init__.py
index 012586fa4..eee0abde5 100644
--- a/src/PIL/__init__.py
+++ b/src/PIL/__init__.py
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
 
 from . import _version
 
+# VERSION is deprecated and will be removed in Pillow 6.0.0.
+# PILLOW_VERSION is deprecated and will be removed after that.
+# Use __version__ instead.
 VERSION = '1.1.7'  # PIL Version
 PILLOW_VERSION = __version__ = _version.__version__