diff --git a/collects/version/utils.ss b/collects/version/utils.ss
index 909e67ef4f..a6da14b213 100644
--- a/collects/version/utils.ss
+++ b/collects/version/utils.ss
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@
     [else #f]))
 
 ;; general sanity check, performed once when loaded
-(when (>= (string->number (car (regexp-match #rx"^[0-9]+" (version)))) 49)
+(unless (and (< (string->number (car (regexp-match #rx"^[0-9]+" (version)))) 49)
+             (integer? (version->integer version)))
   ;; When this happens, we got to numbers that can be confused with old version
   ;; numbers, and the above code should be modified.  With the current rate of
   ;; changes, this should happen in more 150 years.  Either programming is