diff --git a/platformio/builder/tools/platformio.py b/platformio/builder/tools/platformio.py
index 8bd92913..bb9b5786 100644
--- a/platformio/builder/tools/platformio.py
+++ b/platformio/builder/tools/platformio.py
@@ -9,19 +9,11 @@ from os.path import basename, dirname, isdir, isfile, join, normpath
 from SCons.Script import Exit, SConscript, SConscriptChdir
 from SCons.Util import case_sensitive_suffixes
 
-from platformio import __version__
+from platformio.util import pioversion_to_intstr
 
 
 def BuildFirmware(env):
 
-    def _append_pioversion():
-        vermatch = re.match(r"^([\d\.]+)", __version__)
-        assert vermatch
-        intparts = [int(i) for i in vermatch.group(1).split(".")[:3]]
-        firmenv.Append(
-            CPPDEFINES=["PLATFORMIO={:02d}{:02d}{:02d}".format(*intparts)]
-        )
-
     # fix ASM handling under non-casitive OS
     if not case_sensitive_suffixes('.s', '.S'):
         env.Replace(
@@ -63,7 +55,10 @@ def BuildFirmware(env):
     if _srcbuild_flags:
         firmenv.MergeFlags(_srcbuild_flags)
 
-    _append_pioversion()
+    firmenv.Append(
+        CPPDEFINES=["PLATFORMIO={0:02d}{1:02d}{2:02d}".format(
+            *pioversion_to_intstr())]
+    )
 
     return firmenv.Program(
         join("$BUILD_DIR", "firmware"),
diff --git a/platformio/util.py b/platformio/util.py
index 2965e020..95e7a623 100644
--- a/platformio/util.py
+++ b/platformio/util.py
@@ -58,6 +58,12 @@ def get_systype():
     return ("%s_%s" % (data[0], data[4])).lower()
 
 
+def pioversion_to_intstr():
+    vermatch = re.match(r"^([\d\.]+)", __version__)
+    assert vermatch
+    return [int(i) for i in vermatch.group(1).split(".")[:3]]
+
+
 def _get_projconf_option_dir(name, default=None):
     _env_name = "PLATFORMIO_%s" % name.upper()
     if _env_name in os.environ: