--- a/pandas/__init__.py
+++ b/pandas/__init__.py
@@ -182,13 +182,7 @@ from pandas.util._tester import test
 import pandas.testing
 import pandas.arrays
 
-# use the closest tagged version if possible
-from ._version import get_versions
-
-v = get_versions()
-__version__ = v.get("closest-tag", v["version"])
-__git_version__ = v.get("full-revisionid")
-del get_versions, v
+from .__version import version as __version__
 
 
 # GH 27101
--- a/pandas/tests/api/test_api.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/api/test_api.py
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ class Base:
 
 class TestPDApi(Base):
 
-    # these are optionally imported based on testing
+    # these are optionally imported based on testing / Debian patches
     # & need to be ignored
-    ignored = ["tests", "locale", "conftest"]
+    ignored = ["tests", "locale", "conftest","_version"]
 
     # top-level sub-packages
     lib = [
--- a/pandas/tests/test_common.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/test_common.py
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ def test_standardize_mapping():
     dd = collections.defaultdict(list)
     assert isinstance(com.standardize_mapping(dd), partial)
 
-
+@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="deb_nonversioneer_version patch")
 def test_git_version():
     # GH 21295
     git_version = pd.__git_version__
