diff --git a/packages/app-cli/app/main.js b/packages/app-cli/app/main.js
index ba51809fc7..47cd17d94a 100644
--- a/packages/app-cli/app/main.js
+++ b/packages/app-cli/app/main.js
@@ -59,7 +59,12 @@ try {
 	keytar = null;
 }
 
-shimInit(sharp, keytar);
+function appVersion() {
+	const p = require('./package.json');
+	return p.version;
+}
+
+shimInit(sharp, keytar, null, appVersion);
 
 const application = app();
 
diff --git a/packages/app-desktop/main-html.js b/packages/app-desktop/main-html.js
index cb032c654c..33588318cf 100644
--- a/packages/app-desktop/main-html.js
+++ b/packages/app-desktop/main-html.js
@@ -87,7 +87,12 @@ try {
 	keytar = null;
 }
 
-shimInit(null, keytar, React);
+function appVersion() {
+	const p = require('./packageInfo.js');
+	return p.version;
+}
+
+shimInit(null, keytar, React, appVersion);
 
 // Disable drag and drop of links inside application (which would
 // open it as if the whole app was a browser)
diff --git a/packages/lib/shim-init-node.js b/packages/lib/shim-init-node.js
index 6d9f595fe0..81a57aef6e 100644
--- a/packages/lib/shim-init-node.js
+++ b/packages/lib/shim-init-node.js
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ const gunzipFile = function(source, destination) {
 	});
 };
 
-function shimInit(sharp = null, keytar = null, React = null) {
+function shimInit(sharp = null, keytar = null, React = null, appVersion = null) {
 	keytar = (shim.isWindows() || shim.isMac()) && !shim.isPortable() ? keytar : null;
 
 	shim.fsDriver = () => {
@@ -513,12 +513,10 @@ function shimInit(sharp = null, keytar = null, React = null) {
 	shim.waitForFrame = () => {};
 
 	shim.appVersion = () => {
-		if (shim.isElectron()) {
-			const p = require('../packageInfo.js');
-			return p.version;
-		}
-		const p = require('../package.json');
-		return p.version;
+		if (appVersion) return appVersion();
+		// Should not happen but don't throw an error because version number is
+		// used in error messages.
+		return 'unknown-version!';
 	};
 
 	shim.pathRelativeToCwd = (path) => {