diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 6ac956157..189cf906c 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -59,3 +59,4 @@ Collate:
     'usage.R'
     'util-locale.R'
     'utils.R'
+RoxygenNote: 4.1.1.9000
diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index bb930114c..fcede724e 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Generated by roxygen2 (4.1.1.9000): do not edit by hand
+# Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 
 S3method(c,rd)
 S3method(clean,had)
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 3cccb4866..00eca07f3 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # roxygen2 4.1.1.9000
 
+* Roxygen now records its version in a single place: the `RoxygenNote`
+  field in the `DESCRIPTION` (#338).
+
 * `\usage{}` is correctly generated for functions with string arguments 
   containing `"\""` (#265).
 
diff --git a/R/roxygenize.R b/R/roxygenize.R
index 58a40f9d4..ca1b6326d 100644
--- a/R/roxygenize.R
+++ b/R/roxygenize.R
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ roxygenize <- function(package.dir = ".",
   base_path <- normalizePath(package.dir)
   man_path <- file.path(base_path, "man")
   dir.create(man_path, recursive = TRUE, showWarnings = FALSE)
+  update_roxygen_version(base_path)
 
   options <- load_options(base_path)
   roclets <- roclets %||% options$roclets
diff --git a/R/safety.R b/R/safety.R
index 030fa229a..01f219335 100644
--- a/R/safety.R
+++ b/R/safety.R
@@ -33,6 +33,18 @@ check_made_by <- function(first) {
 }
 
 made_by <- function(comment) {
-  paste0(comment, " Generated by roxygen2 (", packageVersion("roxygen2"),
-    "): do not edit by hand\n")
+  paste0(comment, " Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand\n")
+}
+
+update_roxygen_version <- function(base_path) {
+  desc_path <- file.path(base_path, "DESCRIPTION")
+  old <- read.description(desc_path)
+
+  new <- old
+  new$RoxygenNote <- packageVersion("roxygen2")
+
+  if (!identical(old, new)) {
+    cat('Updating roxygen version in ', desc_path, "\n")
+    write.description(new, desc_path)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/man/is_s3_generic.Rd b/man/is_s3_generic.Rd
index e1850d429..0c152b756 100644
--- a/man/is_s3_generic.Rd
+++ b/man/is_s3_generic.Rd
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2 (4.1.1.9000): do not edit by hand
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 % Please edit documentation in R/s3.R
 \name{is_s3_generic}
 \alias{is_s3_generic}
diff --git a/man/namespace_roclet.Rd b/man/namespace_roclet.Rd
index 9a6ec374b..ba8f1ed5c 100644
--- a/man/namespace_roclet.Rd
+++ b/man/namespace_roclet.Rd
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2 (4.1.1.9000): do not edit by hand
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 % Please edit documentation in R/roclet-namespace.R
 \name{namespace_roclet}
 \alias{S3method}
diff --git a/man/new_roclet.Rd b/man/new_roclet.Rd
index 4a30de4f4..a616a6825 100644
--- a/man/new_roclet.Rd
+++ b/man/new_roclet.Rd
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2 (4.1.1.9000): do not edit by hand
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 % Please edit documentation in R/roclet.R
 \name{new_roclet}
 \alias{new_roclet}
diff --git a/man/object.Rd b/man/object.Rd
index 424fd22a7..8098abb93 100644
--- a/man/object.Rd
+++ b/man/object.Rd
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2 (4.1.1.9000): do not edit by hand
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 % Please edit documentation in R/object.R
 \name{object}
 \alias{object}
diff --git a/man/rd_roclet.Rd b/man/rd_roclet.Rd
index b7257bec9..e25deacd4 100644
--- a/man/rd_roclet.Rd
+++ b/man/rd_roclet.Rd
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2 (4.1.1.9000): do not edit by hand
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 % Please edit documentation in R/roclet-rd.R
 \name{rd_roclet}
 \alias{rd_roclet}
diff --git a/man/register-parser.Rd b/man/register-parser.Rd
index 84667cd03..7d7c2088f 100644
--- a/man/register-parser.Rd
+++ b/man/register-parser.Rd
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2 (4.1.1.9000): do not edit by hand
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 % Please edit documentation in R/parse-registry.R
 \name{register.preref.parser}
 \alias{register.preref.parser}
diff --git a/man/roc_proc_text.Rd b/man/roc_proc_text.Rd
index d29f8a4a3..0c4850980 100644
--- a/man/roc_proc_text.Rd
+++ b/man/roc_proc_text.Rd
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2 (4.1.1.9000): do not edit by hand
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 % Please edit documentation in R/roclet.R
 \name{roc_proc_text}
 \alias{roc_proc_text}
diff --git a/man/roxygen.Rd b/man/roxygen.Rd
index 6453a2222..b4e2897a1 100644
--- a/man/roxygen.Rd
+++ b/man/roxygen.Rd
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2 (4.1.1.9000): do not edit by hand
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 % Please edit documentation in R/roxygen.R
 \docType{package}
 \name{roxygen}
diff --git a/man/roxygenize.Rd b/man/roxygenize.Rd
index 1fc7533c5..7b2328626 100644
--- a/man/roxygenize.Rd
+++ b/man/roxygenize.Rd
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2 (4.1.1.9000): do not edit by hand
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 % Please edit documentation in R/roxygenize.R
 \name{roxygenize}
 \alias{roxygenise}
diff --git a/man/source_package.Rd b/man/source_package.Rd
index 1888865f8..ba86f1f69 100644
--- a/man/source_package.Rd
+++ b/man/source_package.Rd
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2 (4.1.1.9000): do not edit by hand
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 % Please edit documentation in R/source.R
 \name{source_package}
 \alias{source_package}
diff --git a/man/update_collate.Rd b/man/update_collate.Rd
index 44466cb1a..504393044 100644
--- a/man/update_collate.Rd
+++ b/man/update_collate.Rd
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2 (4.1.1.9000): do not edit by hand
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 % Please edit documentation in R/roclet-collate.R
 \name{update_collate}
 \alias{update_collate}
diff --git a/man/vignette_roclet.Rd b/man/vignette_roclet.Rd
index d2d95be37..a6360eba6 100644
--- a/man/vignette_roclet.Rd
+++ b/man/vignette_roclet.Rd
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2 (4.1.1.9000): do not edit by hand
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 % Please edit documentation in R/roclet-vignette.R
 \name{vignette_roclet}
 \alias{vignette_roclet}