diff --git a/build.gradle.kts b/build.gradle.kts
index 9a3d83627b3..7e852a6a997 100644
--- a/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/build.gradle.kts
@@ -393,6 +393,7 @@ allprojects {
     normalization {
         runtimeClasspath {
             ignore("META-INF/MANIFEST.MF")
+            ignore("META-INF/compiler.version")
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/core/util.runtime/build.gradle.kts b/core/util.runtime/build.gradle.kts
index cf32b853d82..2af07e5767f 100644
--- a/core/util.runtime/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/core/util.runtime/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import org.apache.tools.ant.filters.ReplaceTokens
 
 plugins {
     java
@@ -8,6 +9,8 @@ plugins {
 jvmTarget = "1.6"
 javaHome = rootProject.extra["JDK_16"] as String
 
+val kotlinVersion: String by rootProject.extra
+
 dependencies {
     compileOnly(kotlinStdlib())
 }
@@ -22,5 +25,9 @@ tasks.withType<JavaCompile> {
     targetCompatibility = "1.6"
 }
 
-if (project.hasProperty("teamcity"))
-tasks["compileJava"].dependsOn(":prepare:build.version:writeCompilerVersion")
\ No newline at end of file
+tasks.named<ProcessResources>("processResources") {
+    inputs.property("compilerVersion", kotlinVersion)
+    filesMatching("META-INF/compiler.version") {
+        filter<ReplaceTokens>("tokens" to mapOf("snapshot" to kotlinVersion))
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/util.runtime/resources/META-INF/compiler.version b/core/util.runtime/resources/META-INF/compiler.version
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3291b664484
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/util.runtime/resources/META-INF/compiler.version
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+@snapshot@
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/util.runtime/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/config/KotlinCompilerVersion.java b/core/util.runtime/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/config/KotlinCompilerVersion.java
index 7b26d9e3bbe..3c72e919971 100644
--- a/core/util.runtime/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/config/KotlinCompilerVersion.java
+++ b/core/util.runtime/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/config/KotlinCompilerVersion.java
@@ -18,10 +18,13 @@ package org.jetbrains.kotlin.config;
 
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
+import java.io.BufferedReader;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.InputStreamReader;
+
 public class KotlinCompilerVersion {
-    // The value of this constant is generated by the build script
-    // DON'T MODIFY IT
-    public static final String VERSION = "@snapshot@";
+    public static final String VERSION_FILE_PATH = "/META-INF/compiler.version";
+    public static final String VERSION;
 
     // True if the latest stable language version supported by this compiler has not yet been released.
     // Binaries produced by this compiler with that language version (or any future language version) are going to be marked
@@ -45,12 +48,27 @@ public class KotlinCompilerVersion {
      */
     @Nullable
     public static String getVersion() {
-        //noinspection ConstantConditions
         return VERSION.equals("@snapshot@") ? null : VERSION;
     }
 
+    private static String loadKotlinCompilerVersion() throws IOException {
+        BufferedReader versionReader = new BufferedReader(
+                new InputStreamReader(KotlinCompilerVersion.class.getResourceAsStream(VERSION_FILE_PATH)));
+        try {
+            return versionReader.readLine();
+        } finally {
+            versionReader.close();
+        }
+    }
+
     static {
-        //noinspection ConstantConditions
+        try {
+            VERSION = loadKotlinCompilerVersion();
+        }
+        catch (IOException e) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException("Failed to read compiler version from " + VERSION_FILE_PATH);
+        }
+
         if (!VERSION.equals("@snapshot@") && !VERSION.contains("-") && IS_PRE_RELEASE) {
             throw new IllegalStateException(
                     "IS_PRE_RELEASE cannot be true for a compiler without '-' in its version.\n" +
diff --git a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/compilerRunner/reportUtils.kt b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/compilerRunner/reportUtils.kt
index bece3e0b5e8..7de9fbea8c0 100644
--- a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/compilerRunner/reportUtils.kt
+++ b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/compilerRunner/reportUtils.kt
@@ -52,12 +52,22 @@ internal fun loadCompilerVersion(compilerClasspath: List<File>): String {
         for (cpFile in compilerClasspath) {
             if (cpFile.isFile && cpFile.extension.toLowerCase() == "jar") {
                 ZipFile(cpFile).use { jar ->
-                    val bytes = jar.getInputStream(jar.getEntry(versionClassFileName)).use { it.readBytes() }
-                    checkVersion(bytes)
+                    val versionFileEntry = jar.getEntry(KotlinCompilerVersion.VERSION_FILE_PATH)
+                    if (versionFileEntry != null) {
+                        result = jar.getInputStream(versionFileEntry).bufferedReader().use { it.readText() }
+                    } else {
+                        val bytes = jar.getInputStream(jar.getEntry(versionClassFileName)).use { it.readBytes() }
+                        checkVersion(bytes)
+                    }
                 }
             } else if (cpFile.isDirectory) {
-                File(cpFile, versionClassFileName).takeIf { it.isFile }?.let {
-                    checkVersion(it.readBytes())
+                val versionFile = File(cpFile, KotlinCompilerVersion.VERSION_FILE_PATH)
+                if (versionFile.isFile) {
+                    result = versionFile.readText()
+                } else {
+                    File(cpFile, versionClassFileName).takeIf { it.isFile }?.let {
+                        checkVersion(it.readBytes())
+                    }
                 }
             }
             if (result != null) break
diff --git a/prepare/build.version/build.gradle.kts b/prepare/build.version/build.gradle.kts
index 0f428feb18c..6907a4cef1b 100644
--- a/prepare/build.version/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/prepare/build.version/build.gradle.kts
@@ -44,18 +44,6 @@ val writeStdlibVersion by tasks.registering {
     }
 }
 
-val writeCompilerVersion by tasks.registering {
-    val versionFile = rootDir.resolve("core/util.runtime/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/config/KotlinCompilerVersion.java")
-    inputs.property("version", kotlinVersion)
-    outputs.file(versionFile)
-    doLast {
-        replaceVersion(versionFile, """public static final String VERSION = "([^"]+)"""") {
-            logger.lifecycle("Writing new compiler version: $kotlinVersion")
-            kotlinVersion
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 val writePluginVersion by tasks.registering {
     val versionFile = project(":idea").projectDir.resolve("resources/META-INF/plugin.xml")
     val pluginVersion = rootProject.findProperty("pluginVersion") as String?
@@ -71,5 +59,5 @@ val writePluginVersion by tasks.registering {
 }
 
 val writeVersions by tasks.registering {
-    dependsOn(writeBuildNumber, writeStdlibVersion, writeCompilerVersion)
+    dependsOn(writeBuildNumber, writeStdlibVersion)
 }