diff --git a/tasks/version_powershell.ps1 b/tasks/version_powershell.ps1
index eedd45a59..03094bf0c 100644
--- a/tasks/version_powershell.ps1
+++ b/tasks/version_powershell.ps1
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
-if (Test-Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Puppet Labs\Puppet') {
-  $reg = $(Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Puppet Labs\Puppet')
-  if (Test-Path $reg.RememberedInstallDir64) {
+$rootPath = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Puppet Labs\Puppet'
+
+$reg = Get-ItemProperty -Path $rootPath -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+if ($null -ne $reg) {
+  if ($null -ne $reg.RememberedInstallDir64) {
     $loc = $reg.RememberedInstallDir64+'VERSION'
-  } elseif (Test-Path $reg.RememberedInstallDir) {
+  } elseif ($null -ne $reg.RememberedInstallDir) {
     $loc = $reg.RememberedInstallDir+'VERSION'
   }
 }
 
-if ($loc -ne $null) {
-  Write-Output "{`"version`":`"$(type $loc)`",`"source`":`"$($loc.replace('\', '/'))`"}"
+if ( ($null -ne $loc) -and (Test-Path -Path $loc) ) {
+  Write-Output "{`"version`":`"$(Get-Content -Path $loc -ErrorAction Stop)`",`"source`":`"$($loc.replace('\', '/'))`"}"
 } else {
   Write-Output '{"version":null,"source":null}'
 }