diff --git a/tools/getnodeversion.py b/tools/getnodeversion.py
index c9f82160c0f386..b362950dd3661a 100644
--- a/tools/getnodeversion.py
+++ b/tools/getnodeversion.py
@@ -1,21 +1,21 @@
 from __future__ import print_function
 import os
-import re
 
-node_version_h = os.path.join(
-    os.path.dirname(__file__),
-    '..',
-    'src',
-    'node_version.h')
 
-f = open(node_version_h)
+def get_major_minor_patch(text):
+  for line in text.splitlines():
+    if line.startswith('#define NODE_MAJOR_VERSION'):
+      major = line.split()[2]
+    elif line.startswith('#define NODE_MINOR_VERSION'):
+      minor = line.split()[2]
+    elif line.startswith('#define NODE_PATCH_VERSION'):
+      patch = line.split()[2]
+  return major, minor, patch
 
-for line in f:
-  if re.match('^#define NODE_MAJOR_VERSION', line):
-    major = line.split()[2]
-  if re.match('^#define NODE_MINOR_VERSION', line):
-    minor = line.split()[2]
-  if re.match('^#define NODE_PATCH_VERSION', line):
-    patch = line.split()[2]
 
-print('%(major)s.%(minor)s.%(patch)s'% locals())
+node_version_h = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
+                              '..',
+                              'src',
+                              'node_version.h')
+with open(node_version_h) as in_file:
+  print('.'.join(get_major_minor_patch(in_file.read())))