diff --git a/lib/build.js b/lib/build.js
index fa0a00423645..2cc5720f181f 100644
--- a/lib/build.js
+++ b/lib/build.js
@@ -52,9 +52,27 @@ const touchOverriddenFiles = () => {
   })
 }
 
+/**
+ * Checks to make sure the src/chrome/VERSION matches brave-browser's package.json version
+ */
+const checkVersionsMatch = () => {
+  const srcChromeVersionDir = path.resolve(path.join(__dirname, '..', 'src', 'chrome', 'VERSION'))
+  const versionData = fs.readFileSync(srcChromeVersionDir, 'utf8')
+  const re = /MAJOR=(\d+)\s+MINOR=(\d+)\s+BUILD=(\d+)\s+PATCH=(\d+)/
+  const found = versionData.match(re)
+  const braveVersionFromChromeFile = `${found[2]}.${found[3]}.${found[4]}`
+  if (braveVersionFromChromeFile !== config.braveVersion) {
+    console.warn(`Version files do not match!\nsrc/chrome/VERSION: ${braveVersionFromChromeFile}\nbrave-browser package.json version: ${config.braveVersion}`)
+    if (config.buildConfig === 'Release') {
+      process.exit(1)
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 const build = (buildConfig = config.defaultBuildConfig, options) => {
   config.buildConfig = buildConfig
   config.update(options)
+  checkVersionsMatch()
 
   touchOverriddenFiles()
 
diff --git a/lib/config.js b/lib/config.js
index 9a080051dccc..4a1f27c0512b 100644
--- a/lib/config.js
+++ b/lib/config.js
@@ -8,8 +8,11 @@ const packages = require('../package')
 const getNPMConfig = (path) => {
   const key = path.join('_').replace('-', '_')
   const npm_prefix = 'npm_config_'
-  const package_prefix = 'npm_package_config_'
-  return process.env[npm_prefix + key] || process.env[package_prefix + key]
+  const package_config_prefix = 'npm_package_config_'
+  const package_prefix = 'npm_package_'
+  return process.env[npm_prefix + key] ||
+    process.env[package_config_prefix + key] ||
+    process.env[package_prefix + key]
 }
 
 const Config = function () {
@@ -36,10 +39,9 @@ const Config = function () {
   this.googleApiEndpoint = getNPMConfig(['brave_google_api_endpoint']) || 'https://www.googleapis.com/geolocation/v1/geolocate?key='
   this.safeBrowsingApiEndpoint = getNPMConfig(['safe_browsing_api_endpoint']) || 'safebrowsing.brave.com'
   this.buildProjects()
-  const braveCoreDirPackage = path.join(this.projects['brave-core'].dir, 'package')
-  this.braveCoreVersion = (fs.existsSync(braveCoreDirPackage + '.json') && require(braveCoreDirPackage)['version']) || '0.0.0'
+  this.braveVersion = getNPMConfig(['version']) || '0.0.0.0'
   this.chromeVersion = getNPMConfig(['projects', 'chrome', 'tag']) || '0.0.0.0'
-  this.releaseTag = this.braveCoreVersion.split('+')[0]
+  this.releaseTag = this.braveVersion.split('+')[0]
   this.mac_signing_identifier = getNPMConfig(['mac_signing_identifier']) || ''
   this.mac_signing_keychain = getNPMConfig(['mac_signing_keychain']) || 'login'
   this.channel = ''
@@ -47,7 +49,7 @@ const Config = function () {
 }
 
 Config.prototype.buildArgs = function () {
-  const version = this.braveCoreVersion
+  const version = this.braveVersion
   let version_parts = version.split('+')[0]
   version_parts = version_parts.split('.')