diff --git a/menus/base.cson b/menus/base.cson
index 7a991d552..aac14ac9d 100644
--- a/menus/base.cson
+++ b/menus/base.cson
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     label: 'Atom'
     submenu: [
       { label: 'About Atom', command: 'application:about' }
-      { label: "VERSION", enabled: false }
+      { label: "Version #{@version}", enabled: false }
       { label: "Install update", command: 'application:install-update', visible: false }
       { type: 'separator' }
       { label: 'Preferences...', command: 'application:show-settings' }
diff --git a/src/browser/application-menu.coffee b/src/browser/application-menu.coffee
index c3d0c1d99..e4577b0fd 100644
--- a/src/browser/application-menu.coffee
+++ b/src/browser/application-menu.coffee
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@ class ApplicationMenu
   #   An Object where the keys are commands and the values are Arrays containing
   #   the keystrokes.
   update: (template, keystrokesByCommand) ->
-    @translateTemplate(template, keystrokesByCommand)
-    @substituteVersion(template)
+    @translateTemplate template, keystrokesByCommand
     @menu = Menu.buildFromTemplate(template)
     Menu.setApplicationMenu(@menu)
 
@@ -35,24 +34,11 @@ class ApplicationMenu
   #   A complete menu configuration object for atom-shell's menu API.
   #
   # Returns an Array of native menu items.
-  flattenMenuItems: (menu) ->
+  allItems: (menu=@menu) ->
     items = []
     for index, item of menu.items or {}
       items.push(item)
-      items = items.concat(@flattenMenuItems(item.submenu)) if item.submenu
-    items
-
-  # Private: Flattens the given menu template into an single Array.
-  #
-  # * template:
-  #   An object describing the menu item.
-  #
-  # Returns an Array of native menu items.
-  flattenMenuTemplate: (template) ->
-    items = []
-    for item in template
-      items.push(item)
-      items = items.concat(@flattenMenuTemplate(item.submenu)) if item.submenu
+      items = items.concat(@allItems(item.submenu)) if item.submenu
     items
 
   # Public: Used to make all window related menu items are active.
@@ -61,14 +47,9 @@ class ApplicationMenu
   #   If true enables all window specific items, if false disables all  window
   #   specific items.
   enableWindowSpecificItems: (enable) ->
-    for item in @flattenMenuItems(@menu)
+    for item in @allItems()
       item.enabled = enable if item.metadata?['windowSpecific']
 
-  # Private: Replaces VERSION with the current version.
-  substituteVersion: (template) ->
-    if (item = _.find(@flattenMenuTemplate(template), (i) -> i.label == 'VERSION'))
-      item.label = "Version #{@version}"
-
   # Public: Makes the download menu item visible if available.
   #
   # Note: The update menu item's must match 'Install update' exactly otherwise
@@ -79,9 +60,10 @@ class ApplicationMenu
   # * quitAndUpdateCallback:
   #   Function to call when the install menu item has been clicked.
   showDownloadUpdateItem: (newVersion, quitAndUpdateCallback) ->
-    if (item = _.find(@flattenMenuItems(@menu), (i) -> i.label == 'Install update'))
-      item.visible = true
-      item.click = quitAndUpdateCallback
+    downloadUpdateItem = _.find @allItems(), (item) -> item.label == 'Install update'
+    if downloadUpdateItem
+      downloadUpdateItem.visible = true
+      downloadUpdateItem.click = quitAndUpdateCallback
 
   # Private: Default list of menu items.
   #