diff --git a/plotly/api/v1/clientresp.py b/plotly/api/v1/clientresp.py
index c3af66c6b1..d27fc5e812 100644
--- a/plotly/api/v1/clientresp.py
+++ b/plotly/api/v1/clientresp.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def clientresp(data, **kwargs):
     dumps_kwargs = {'sort_keys': True, 'cls': utils.PlotlyJSONEncoder}
 
     payload = {
-        'platform': 'python', 'version': version.__version__,
+        'platform': 'python', 'version': version.stable_semver(),
         'args': _json.dumps(data, **dumps_kwargs),
         'un': creds['username'], 'key': creds['api_key'], 'origin': 'plot',
         'kwargs': _json.dumps(kwargs, **dumps_kwargs)
diff --git a/plotly/api/v2/utils.py b/plotly/api/v2/utils.py
index 21bd0ddd01..52a6a46429 100644
--- a/plotly/api/v2/utils.py
+++ b/plotly/api/v2/utils.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ def get_headers():
     creds = config.get_credentials()
 
     headers = {
-        'plotly-client-platform': 'python {}'.format(version.__version__),
+        'plotly-client-platform': 'python {}'.format(version.stable_semver()),
         'content-type': 'application/json'
     }
 
diff --git a/plotly/tests/test_core/test_api/test_v1/test_clientresp.py b/plotly/tests/test_core/test_api/test_v1/test_clientresp.py
index 64960f3b6d..18ee643549 100644
--- a/plotly/tests/test_core/test_api/test_v1/test_clientresp.py
+++ b/plotly/tests/test_core/test_api/test_v1/test_clientresp.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def test_data_only(self):
         expected_data = ({
             'origin': 'plot',
             'args': '[{"name": "what else floats?", "y": [3, 5]}]',
-            'platform': 'python', 'version': version.__version__, 'key': 'bar',
+            'platform': 'python', 'version': version.stable_semver(), 'key': 'bar',
             'kwargs': '{}', 'un': 'foo'
         })
         self.assertEqual(kwargs['data'], expected_data)
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def test_data_and_kwargs(self):
         expected_data = ({
             'origin': 'plot',
             'args': '[{"name": "what else floats?", "y": [3, 5]}]',
-            'platform': 'python', 'version': version.__version__, 'key': 'bar',
+            'platform': 'python', 'version': version.stable_semver(), 'key': 'bar',
             'kwargs': '{"filename": "ok", "layout": {"title": "mah plot"}}',
             'un': 'foo'
         })
diff --git a/plotly/tests/test_core/test_api/test_v2/test_utils.py b/plotly/tests/test_core/test_api/test_v2/test_utils.py
index 5f551f79cd..0b1b83400e 100644
--- a/plotly/tests/test_core/test_api/test_v2/test_utils.py
+++ b/plotly/tests/test_core/test_api/test_v2/test_utils.py
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ class GetHeadersTest(PlotlyApiTestCase):
     def test_normal_auth(self):
         headers = utils.get_headers()
         expected_headers = {
-            'plotly-client-platform': 'python {}'.format(version.__version__),
+            'plotly-client-platform': 'python {}'.format(version.stable_semver()),
             'authorization': 'Basic Zm9vOmJhcg==',
             'content-type': 'application/json'
         }
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ def test_proxy_auth(self):
         sign_in(self.username, self.api_key, plotly_proxy_authorization=True)
         headers = utils.get_headers()
         expected_headers = {
-            'plotly-client-platform': 'python {}'.format(version.__version__),
+            'plotly-client-platform': 'python {}'.format(version.stable_semver()),
             'authorization': 'Basic Y25ldDpob29wbGE=',
             'plotly-authorization': 'Basic Zm9vOmJhcg==',
             'content-type': 'application/json'
diff --git a/plotly/version.py b/plotly/version.py
index 6552ffa40d..b9f9ac043b 100644
--- a/plotly/version.py
+++ b/plotly/version.py
@@ -1,2 +1,13 @@
 __version__ = '3.0.0-rc.11'
 __frontend_version__ = '^0.1.1'
+
+
+def stable_semver():
+    """
+    Get the stable portion of the semantic version string (the first three
+    numbers), without any of the trailing labels
+
+    '3.0.0-rc.11' -> '3.0.0'
+    """
+
+    return __version__.split('-')[0]