diff --git a/lib/util/versioning.js b/lib/util/versioning.js
index 92c13347..cae0c694 100644
--- a/lib/util/versioning.js
+++ b/lib/util/versioning.js
@@ -70,7 +70,13 @@ function get_runtime_abi(runtime, target_version) {
     if (runtime === 'node-webkit') {
         return get_node_webkit_abi(runtime, target_version || process.versions['node-webkit']);
     } else if (runtime === 'electron') {
-        return get_electron_abi(runtime, target_version || process.versions.electron);
+        var electron_version = target_version || process.versions.electron
+        if (!electron_version) {
+            // TODO PR something to electron to pass in the version number for forks
+            try { electron_version = require('electron/package.json').version }
+            catch (_) {}
+        }
+        return get_electron_abi(runtime, electron_version);
     } else {
         if (runtime != 'node') {
             throw new Error("Unknown Runtime: '" + runtime + "'");
@@ -245,12 +251,9 @@ function get_process_runtime(versions) {
     var runtime = 'node';
     if (versions['node-webkit']) {
         runtime = 'node-webkit';
-    } else if (versions.electron) {
-        runtime = 'electron';
-    } else if (process.env.ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE) {
-        // Running in a childProcess.fork of electron
+    } else if (versions.electron || process.env.ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE) {
+        // Running in electron or a childProcess.fork of electron
         runtime = 'electron';
-        process.versions.electron = require('electron/package.json').version;
     }
     return runtime;
 }
diff --git a/test/versioning.test.js b/test/versioning.test.js
index 69b66c05..1057911d 100644
--- a/test/versioning.test.js
+++ b/test/versioning.test.js
@@ -73,6 +73,12 @@ describe('versioning', function() {
             "node-webkit": '0.37.3',
         };
         assert.equal(versioning.get_process_runtime(mock_process_versions3),'node-webkit');
+        var mock_process_versions4 = {
+            "node": '0.8.0'
+        }
+        process.env.ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE = 1
+        assert.equal(versioning.get_process_runtime(mock_process_versions4),'electron');
+        delete process.env.ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE
     });
 
     it('should detect abi for electron runtime', function() {