diff --git a/scripts/build-headless.js b/scripts/build-headless.js
index 5a86a477b..42b8789ac 100644
--- a/scripts/build-headless.js
+++ b/scripts/build-headless.js
@@ -12,15 +12,15 @@ const {
   buildFolder,
   compile,
   compileDefaultPlugins,
+  getVersionNumber,
 } = require('./build-utils.js');
 
-function preludeBundle(dir) {
+function preludeBundle(dir, versionNumber) {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) =>
     lineReplace({
       file: path.join(dir, 'bundle.js'),
       line: 1,
-      text:
-        'var __DEV__=false; global.electronRequire = require; global.performance = require("perf_hooks").performance;',
+      text: `var __DEV__=false; global.electronRequire = require; global.performance = require("perf_hooks").performance;global.__VERSION__="${versionNumber}";`,
       addNewLine: true,
       callback: resolve,
     }),
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ function preludeBundle(dir) {
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
   console.log('Created build directory', buildDir);
   await compile(buildDir, path.join(__dirname, '..', 'headless', 'index.js'));
-  await preludeBundle(buildDir);
+  const versionNumber = getVersionNumber();
+  await preludeBundle(buildDir, versionNumber);
   await compileDefaultPlugins(path.join(distDir, 'plugins'));
   await createBinary([
     path.join(buildDir, 'bundle.js'),
diff --git a/scripts/build-release.js b/scripts/build-release.js
index e21ce017c..fba296a7e 100755
--- a/scripts/build-release.js
+++ b/scripts/build-release.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const {
   compile,
   die,
   compileDefaultPlugins,
+  getVersionNumber,
 } = require('./build-utils.js');
 
 function generateManifest(versionNumber) {
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ function generateManifest(versionNumber) {
   );
 }
 
-function modifyPackageManifest(buildFolder) {
+function modifyPackageManifest(buildFolder, versionNumber) {
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
   console.log('Creating package.json manifest');
   const manifest = require('../package.json');
@@ -40,28 +41,11 @@ function modifyPackageManifest(buildFolder) {
   // because all dependencies from the root-folder are already bundled by metro.
   manifest.dependencies = manifestStatic.dependencies;
   manifest.main = 'index.js';
-
-  const buildNumber = process.argv.join(' ').match(/--version=(\d+)/);
-  if (buildNumber && buildNumber.length > 0) {
-    manifest.version = [
-      ...manifest.version.split('.').slice(0, 2),
-      buildNumber[1],
-    ].join('.');
-  }
-
-  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-    fs.writeFile(
-      path.join(buildFolder, 'package.json'),
-      JSON.stringify(manifest, null, '  '),
-      err => {
-        if (err) {
-          reject(err);
-        } else {
-          resolve(manifest.version);
-        }
-      },
-    );
-  }).catch(die);
+  manifest.version = versionNumber;
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    path.join(buildFolder, 'package.json'),
+    JSON.stringify(manifest, null, '  '),
+  );
 }
 
 function buildDist(buildFolder) {
@@ -112,32 +96,20 @@ function buildDist(buildFolder) {
 }
 
 function copyStaticFolder(buildFolder) {
-  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-    fs.copy(
-      path.join(__dirname, '..', 'static'),
-      buildFolder,
-      {
-        dereference: true,
-      },
-      err => {
-        if (err) {
-          reject(err);
-        } else {
-          resolve();
-        }
-      },
-    );
-  }).catch(die);
+  fs.copySync(path.join(__dirname, '..', 'static'), buildFolder, {
+    dereference: true,
+  });
 }
 
 (async () => {
   const dir = await buildFolder();
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
   console.log('Created build directory', dir);
-  await copyStaticFolder(dir);
+  copyStaticFolder(dir);
   await compileDefaultPlugins(path.join(dir, 'defaultPlugins'));
   await compile(dir, path.join(__dirname, '..', 'src', 'init.js'));
-  const versionNumber = await modifyPackageManifest(dir);
+  const versionNumber = getVersionNumber();
+  modifyPackageManifest(dir, versionNumber);
   generateManifest(versionNumber);
   await buildDist(dir);
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
diff --git a/scripts/build-utils.js b/scripts/build-utils.js
index fa94e0ac2..dae354468 100644
--- a/scripts/build-utils.js
+++ b/scripts/build-utils.js
@@ -86,9 +86,19 @@ function buildFolder() {
   }).catch(die);
 }
 
+function getVersionNumber() {
+  let {version} = require('../package.json');
+  const buildNumber = process.argv.join(' ').match(/--version=(\d+)/);
+  if (buildNumber && buildNumber.length > 0) {
+    version = [...version.split('.').slice(0, 2), buildNumber[1]].join('.');
+  }
+  return version;
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   buildFolder,
   compile,
   die,
   compileDefaultPlugins,
+  getVersionNumber,
 };