diff --git a/R-package/configure.ac b/R-package/configure.ac
index 4f0809801204..cafc4b50b177 100644
--- a/R-package/configure.ac
+++ b/R-package/configure.ac
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #   * https://cran.r-project.org/doc/manuals/r-release/R-exts.html#Configure-and-cleanup
 
 AC_PREREQ(2.69)
-AC_INIT([lightgbm], [m4_esyscmd_s([cat src/VERSION.txt])], [], [lightgbm], [])
+AC_INIT([lightgbm], [3.0.0-1], [], [lightgbm], [])
 
 ###########################
 # find compiler and flags #