diff --git a/swank-loader.lisp b/swank-loader.lisp
index 5452dc4..93c391a 100644
--- a/swank-loader.lisp
+++ b/swank-loader.lisp
@@ -142,17 +142,7 @@ operating system, and hardware architecture."
 (defun string-starts-with (string prefix)
   (string-equal string prefix :end1 (min (length string) (length prefix))))
 
-(defun slime-version-string ()
-  "Return a string identifying the SLIME version.
-Return nil if nothing appropriate is available."
-  (with-open-file (s (merge-pathnames "slime.el" *source-directory*)
-                     :if-does-not-exist nil)
-    (when s
-      (loop with prefix = ";; Version: "
-            for line = (read-line s nil :eof)
-            until (eq line :eof)
-            when (string-starts-with line prefix)
-              return (subseq line (length prefix))))))
+(defun slime-version-string () "2.24")
 
 (defun default-fasl-dir ()
   (merge-pathnames