diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index 09dbbfa9e..90b7f7921 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -155,9 +155,11 @@ val root = (project in file(".")).
       val old = (stage in Universal).value
       val sd = (stagingDirectory in Universal).value
       val x = IO.read(sd / "bin" / "sbt-launch-lib.bash")
-      IO.write(sd / "bin" / "sbt-launch-lib.bash", x.replaceAllLiterally("declare init_sbt_version=", s"declare init_sbt_version=$sbtVersionToRelease"))
+      IO.write(sd / "bin" / "sbt-launch-lib.bash", x.replaceAllLiterally(
+        "declare init_sbt_version=_to_be_replaced", s"declare init_sbt_version=$sbtVersionToRelease"))
       val y = IO.read(sd / "bin" / "sbt.bat")
-      IO.write(sd / "bin" / "sbt.bat", y.replaceAllLiterally("set INIT_SBT_VERSION=", s"set INIT_SBT_VERSION=$sbtVersionToRelease"))
+      IO.write(sd / "bin" / "sbt.bat", y.replaceAllLiterally(
+        "set INIT_SBT_VERSION=_TO_BE_REPLACED", s"set INIT_SBT_VERSION=$sbtVersionToRelease"))
       old
     },
 
diff --git a/src/universal/bin/sbt-launch-lib.bash b/src/universal/bin/sbt-launch-lib.bash
index 04824bf19..59d8af3d6 100755
--- a/src/universal/bin/sbt-launch-lib.bash
+++ b/src/universal/bin/sbt-launch-lib.bash
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ declare -a scalac_args
 declare -a sbt_commands
 declare java_cmd=java
 declare java_version
-declare init_sbt_version=
+declare init_sbt_version=_to_be_replaced
 
 declare SCRIPT=$0
 while [ -h "$SCRIPT" ] ; do
diff --git a/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat b/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
index 884248abc..6035dc357 100644
--- a/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
+++ b/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ rem We use the value of the JAVA_OPTS environment variable if defined, rather th
 set _JAVA_OPTS=%JAVA_OPTS%
 if "%_JAVA_OPTS%"=="" set _JAVA_OPTS=%CFG_OPTS%
 
-set INIT_SBT_VERSION=
+set INIT_SBT_VERSION=_TO_BE_REPLACED
 
 :args_loop
 if "%~1" == "" goto args_end