diff --git a/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Core/Version.php b/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Core/Version.php
index b21227ff07..d0e92e5ac2 100644
--- a/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Core/Version.php
+++ b/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Core/Version.php
@@ -13,14 +13,27 @@ namespace Alchemy\Phrasea\Core;
 
 class Version
 {
+    /**
+     * @var string
+     */
     private $number = '4.0.0-alpha.2';
+
+    /**
+     * @var string
+     */
     private $name = 'Herrerasaurus';
 
+    /**
+     * @return string
+     */
     public function getNumber()
     {
         return $this->number;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @return string
+     */
     public function getName()
     {
         return $this->name;
diff --git a/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Core/Version/AppboxVersionRepository.php b/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Core/Version/AppboxVersionRepository.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..db7415de97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Core/Version/AppboxVersionRepository.php
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Alchemy\Phrasea\Core\Version;
+
+use Alchemy\Phrasea\Core\Version;
+use Doctrine\DBAL\Connection;
+
+class AppboxVersionRepository implements VersionRepository
+{
+    /**
+     * @var Connection
+     */
+    private $connection;
+
+    /**
+     * @param Connection $connection
+     */
+    public function __construct(Connection $connection)
+    {
+        $this->connection = $connection;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function getVersion()
+    {
+        $result = $this->connection->fetchAssoc('SELECT version FROM sitepreff');
+
+        if ($result !== false) {
+            return $result['version'];
+        }
+
+        return VersionRepository::DEFAULT_VERSION;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param Version $version
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function saveVersion(Version $version)
+    {
+        $statement = $this->connection->executeQuery(
+            'UPDATE sitepreff SET version = :version WHERE id = 1',
+            [ ':version' => $version->getNumber() ]
+        );
+
+        return $statement->rowCount() == 1;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Core/Version/DataboxVersionRepository.php b/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Core/Version/DataboxVersionRepository.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dd9f5d1ad0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Core/Version/DataboxVersionRepository.php
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Alchemy\Phrasea\Core\Version;
+
+use Alchemy\Phrasea\Core\Version;
+use Doctrine\DBAL\Connection;
+
+class DataboxVersionRepository implements VersionRepository
+{
+    /**
+     * @var Connection
+     */
+    private $connection;
+
+    /**
+     * @param Connection $connection
+     */
+    public function __construct(Connection $connection)
+    {
+        $this->connection = $connection;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function getVersion()
+    {
+        $result = $this->connection->fetchAssoc('SELECT value AS version FROM pref WHERE prop="version"');
+
+        if ($result !== false) {
+            return $result['version'];
+        }
+
+        return VersionRepository::DEFAULT_VERSION;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param Version $version
+     * @return bool
+     * @throws \Doctrine\DBAL\DBALException
+     */
+    public function saveVersion(Version $version)
+    {
+        $this->connection->exec("DELETE FROM pref WHERE prop='version'");
+
+        $statement = $this->connection->executeQuery(
+            'INSERT INTO pref (prop, value, locale, updated_on) VALUES ("version", :version, "", NOW())',
+            [ ':version' => $version->getNumber() ]
+        );
+
+        return $statement->rowCount() == 1;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Core/Version/VersionRepository.php b/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Core/Version/VersionRepository.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f6734f4363
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Core/Version/VersionRepository.php
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Alchemy\Phrasea\Core\Version;
+
+use Alchemy\Phrasea\Core\Version;
+
+interface VersionRepository
+{
+
+    const DEFAULT_VERSION = '0.0.0.0';
+
+    /**
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function getVersion();
+
+    /**
+     * @param Version $version
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function saveVersion(Version $version);
+}
diff --git a/lib/classes/appbox.php b/lib/classes/appbox.php
index 255ff5df88..207d3db2e7 100644
--- a/lib/classes/appbox.php
+++ b/lib/classes/appbox.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 use Alchemy\Phrasea\Application;
 use Alchemy\Phrasea\Core\Configuration\AccessRestriction;
 use Alchemy\Phrasea\Core\Connection\ConnectionSettings;
+use Alchemy\Phrasea\Core\Version\AppboxVersionRepository;
 use Alchemy\Phrasea\Databox\DataboxRepositoryInterface;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Tools\SchemaTool;
 use MediaAlchemyst\Alchemyst;
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ class appbox extends base
     public function __construct(Application $app)
     {
         $connectionConfig = $app['conf']->get(['main', 'database']);
+        $connection = $app['db.provider']($connectionConfig);
 
         $connectionSettings = new ConnectionSettings(
             $connectionConfig['host'],
@@ -54,9 +56,9 @@ class appbox extends base
             $connectionConfig['password']
         );
 
-        $connection = $app['db.provider']($connectionConfig);
+        $versionRepository = new AppboxVersionRepository($connection);
 
-        parent::__construct($app, $connection, $connectionSettings);
+        parent::__construct($app, $connection, $connectionSettings, $versionRepository);
     }
 
     public function write_collection_pic(Alchemyst $alchemyst, Filesystem $filesystem, collection $collection, SymfoFile $pathfile = null, $pic_type)
diff --git a/lib/classes/base.php b/lib/classes/base.php
index 66ddea5f59..c09369c276 100644
--- a/lib/classes/base.php
+++ b/lib/classes/base.php
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ use Alchemy\Phrasea\Application;
 use Alchemy\Phrasea\Core\Connection\ConnectionSettings;
 use Alchemy\Phrasea\Core\Database\DatabaseMaintenanceService;
 use Alchemy\Phrasea\Core\Version as PhraseaVersion;
-use vierbergenlars\SemVer\version;
 use Doctrine\DBAL\Connection;
 
 abstract class base implements cache_cacheableInterface
@@ -53,16 +52,26 @@ abstract class base implements cache_cacheableInterface
      */
     protected $app;
 
+    /**
+     * @var PhraseaVersion\VersionRepository
+     */
+    protected $versionRepository;
+
     /**
      * @param Application $application
      * @param Connection $connection
      * @param ConnectionSettings $connectionSettings
+     * @param PhraseaVersion\VersionRepository $versionRepository
      */
-    public function __construct(Application $application, Connection $connection, ConnectionSettings $connectionSettings)
+    public function __construct(Application $application,
+        Connection $connection,
+        ConnectionSettings $connectionSettings,
+        PhraseaVersion\VersionRepository $versionRepository)
     {
         $this->app = $application;
         $this->connection = $connection;
         $this->connectionSettings = $connectionSettings;
+        $this->versionRepository = $versionRepository;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -199,31 +208,21 @@ abstract class base implements cache_cacheableInterface
     public function get_version()
     {
         if (! $this->version) {
-            $version = '0.0.0';
-            $sql = '';
-
-            if ($this->get_base_type() == self::APPLICATION_BOX) {
-                $sql = 'SELECT version FROM sitepreff';
-            }
-
-            if ($this->get_base_type() == self::DATA_BOX) {
-                $sql = 'SELECT value AS version FROM pref WHERE prop="version" LIMIT 1;';
-            }
-
-            if ($sql !== '') {
-                $row = $this->connection->fetchAssoc($sql);
-
-                if ($row) {
-                    $version = $row['version'];
-                }
-            }
-
-            $this->version = $version;
+            $this->version = $this->versionRepository->getVersion($this);
         }
 
         return $this->version;
     }
 
+    protected function setVersion(PhraseaVersion $version)
+    {
+        try {
+            return $this->versionRepository->saveVersion($this, $version);
+        } catch (\Exception $e) {
+            throw new Exception('Unable to set the database version : ' . $e->getMessage());
+        }
+    }
+
     protected function upgradeDb($applyPatches)
     {
         $service = new DatabaseMaintenanceService($this->app, $this->connection);
@@ -231,32 +230,6 @@ abstract class base implements cache_cacheableInterface
         return $service->upgradeDatabase($this, $applyPatches);
     }
 
-    protected function setVersion(PhraseaVersion $version)
-    {
-        try {
-            $sql = '';
-            if ($this->get_base_type() === self::APPLICATION_BOX) {
-                $sql = 'UPDATE sitepreff SET version = :version WHERE id = 1';
-            }
-            if ($this->get_base_type() === self::DATA_BOX) {
-                $sql = 'DELETE FROM pref WHERE prop="version"';
-                $this->get_connection()->query($sql);
-                $sql = 'INSERT INTO pref (prop, value, locale, updated_on) VALUES ("version", :version, "", NOW())';
-            }
-            if ($sql !== '') {
-                $stmt = $this->get_connection()->prepare($sql);
-                $stmt->execute([':version' => $version->getNumber()]);
-                $stmt->closeCursor();
-
-                $this->version = $version->getNumber();
-
-                return true;
-            }
-        } catch (\Exception $e) {
-            throw new Exception('Unable to set the database version : ' . $e->getMessage());
-        }
-    }
-
     /**
      * @return base
      * @throws Exception
diff --git a/lib/classes/databox.php b/lib/classes/databox.php
index ac1197272b..e554b865af 100644
--- a/lib/classes/databox.php
+++ b/lib/classes/databox.php
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 use Alchemy\Phrasea\Application;
 use Alchemy\Phrasea\Core\Connection\ConnectionSettings;
+use Alchemy\Phrasea\Core\Version\DataboxVersionRepository;
 use Alchemy\Phrasea\Databox\DataboxFieldRepositoryInterface;
 use Alchemy\Phrasea\Model\Entities\User;
 use Alchemy\Phrasea\Exception\InvalidArgumentException;
@@ -80,6 +81,8 @@ class databox extends base
         }
 
         $connectionConfig = $connectionConfigs[$sbas_id];
+        $connection = $app['db.provider']($connectionConfig);
+
         $connectionSettings = new ConnectionSettings(
             $connectionConfig['host'],
             $connectionConfig['port'],
@@ -88,9 +91,9 @@ class databox extends base
             $connectionConfig['password']
         );
 
-        $connection = $app['db.provider']($connectionConfig);
+        $versionRepository = new DataboxVersionRepository($connection);
 
-        parent::__construct($app, $connection, $connectionSettings);
+        parent::__construct($app, $connection, $connectionSettings, $versionRepository);
 
         $this->loadFromRow($row);
     }