diff --git a/src/icartt/__init__.py b/src/icartt/__init__.py
index 9edd2591e65fe79d51f29f69fbe2a4863b121ac7..d94e8e256ee46a2e640f2ed4ef0d6f93cfc02a89 100644
--- a/src/icartt/__init__.py
+++ b/src/icartt/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,20 @@
 from .dataset import Dataset, StandardNormalComments, Variable, Formats, VariableType
 
-# TODO: add __version__ ?
 
-# TODO: add __all__ = ("names of exported classes etc.",) ?
\ No newline at end of file
+def get_version():
+    try:
+        # Python >= 3.8
+        from importlib import metadata
+
+        return metadata.version("icartt")
+    except ImportError:
+        # Python <= 3.7
+        import pkg_resources
+
+        return pkg_resources.get_distribution("icartt").version
+
+
+__version__ = get_version()
+
+
+# TODO: add __all__ = ("names of exported classes etc.",) ?
diff --git a/src/icartt/dataset.py b/src/icartt/dataset.py
index ffd0a3226b168c3f4a994349b784568e8389b911..7167b0cb7861876c31c1319de0943d648b10a76a 100644
--- a/src/icartt/dataset.py
+++ b/src/icartt/dataset.py
@@ -214,10 +214,14 @@ class KeywordComment:
 class StandardNormalComments(collections.UserList):
     @property
     def nlines(self):
-        n = 1 # shortnames line, and keywords might be multiline...
-        n += len(self.freeform)
-        n += sum(len(k.data) or 1 for k in self.keywords.values())
-        # was: len(self.freeform) + 1 + sum([len(k.data) for k in self.keywords.values()])
+        """calculates the number of lines in the normal comments section"""
+        n = 1 # shortnames line
+        n += len(self.freeform) # freeform comment
+        for k in self.keywords.values():
+            try:
+                n += len(k.data[0].split("\n")) # and keywords might be multiline...
+            except IndexError: # ok we have no list,
+                n += 1 # just add 1
         return n
 
     @property