diff --git a/tasks/release.rb b/tasks/release.rb
index 650b381e0f..cf5b6d6843 100644
--- a/tasks/release.rb
+++ b/tasks/release.rb
@@ -23,20 +23,8 @@ directory "pkg"
       file = Dir[glob].first
       ruby = File.read(file)
 
-      major, minor, tiny, pre = version.split('.')
-      pre = pre ? pre.inspect : "nil"
-
-      ruby.gsub!(/^(\s*)MAJOR = .*?$/, "\\1MAJOR = #{major}")
-      raise "Could not insert MAJOR in #{file}" unless $1
-
-      ruby.gsub!(/^(\s*)MINOR = .*?$/, "\\1MINOR = #{minor}")
-      raise "Could not insert MINOR in #{file}" unless $1
-
-      ruby.gsub!(/^(\s*)TINY  = .*?$/, "\\1TINY  = #{tiny}")
-      raise "Could not insert TINY in #{file}" unless $1
-
-      ruby.gsub!(/^(\s*)PRE   = .*?$/, "\\1PRE   = #{pre}")
-      raise "Could not insert PRE in #{file}" unless $1
+      ruby.gsub!(/^(\s*)Gem::Version\.new .*?$/, "\\1Gem::Version.new \"#{version}\"")
+      raise "Could not insert Gem::Version in #{file}" unless $1
 
       File.open(file, 'w') { |f| f.write ruby }
     end