diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d50e5201e8..dc5f900a1c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -362,6 +362,7 @@ TEST_DIRS ?= awx/main/tests/unit awx/main/tests/functional awx/conf/tests awx/ss
 
 # Run all API unit tests.
 test:
+	cmp VERSION awxkit/VERSION || "`cat VERSION` != `cat awxkit/VERSION`; these version files *must* match"
 	@if [ "$(VENV_BASE)" ]; then \
 		. $(VENV_BASE)/awx/bin/activate; \
 	fi; \
diff --git a/awxkit/VERSION b/awxkit/VERSION
deleted file mode 120000
index 6ff19de4b8..0000000000
--- a/awxkit/VERSION
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../VERSION
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/awxkit/VERSION b/awxkit/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b85c6c7b03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/awxkit/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+11.2.0