diff --git a/tools/main.js b/tools/main.js
index 4d853f10ae..ab885d7fe3 100644
--- a/tools/main.js
+++ b/tools/main.js
@@ -949,25 +949,15 @@ Fiber(function () {
       // Let's do some processing here. If the user/release file specified a
       // track, we need to display that correctly, and if they didn't, we should
       // make it clear that we are talking about the default track.
-      var releases = releaseName.split('@');
-      var track;
-      var version;
-      if (releases.length === 1) {
-        track = catalog.DEFAULT_TRACK;
-        version = releases[0];
-      } else {
-        track = releases[0];
-        // Do we forbid '@' sign in release versions? I sure hope so, but let's
-        // be careful.
-        version = releases.slice(1).join("@");
-      }
       var utils = require('./utils.js');
-      var displayRelease = utils.displayRelease(track, version);
+      var trackAndVersion = utils.splitReleaseName(releaseName);
+      var displayRelease = utils.displayRelease(
+        trackAndVersion[0], trackAndVersion[1]);
       // Now, let's process this.
       if (releaseOverride) {
         Console.error(displayRelease + ": unknown release.");
       } else if (appDir) {
-        if (track !== catalog.DEFAULT_TRACK) {
+        if (trackAndVersion[0] !== catalog.DEFAULT_TRACK) {
           displayRelease = "Meteor release " + displayRelease;
         }
         if (catalog.refreshFailed) {
@@ -979,9 +969,9 @@ Fiber(function () {
 "release, or go online.");
         } else {
           Console.error(
-"This project says that it uses " + displayRelease + ", but you \n" +
-"don't have that version of Meteor installed and the Meteor update \n" +
-"servers don't have it either. Please edit the .meteor/release file in \n" +
+"This project says that it uses " + displayRelease + ", but you don't have\n" +
+"that version of Meteor installed and the Meteor update servers\n" +
+"don't have it either. Please edit the .meteor/release file in\n" +
 "the project and change it to a valid Meteor release.");
         }
       } else {
@@ -1332,7 +1322,7 @@ commandName + ": You're not in a Meteor project directory.\n" +
   if (command.requiresApp && release.current.isCheckout() &&
       appRelease && appRelease !== "none") {
     var utils = require("./utils.js");
-    var appReleaseParts = appRelease.split("@");
+    var appReleaseParts = utils.splitReleaseName(appRelease);
     // For commands that work with apps, if we have overridden the
     // app's usual release by using a checkout, print a reminder banner.
     Console.warn(
diff --git a/tools/tests/releases.js b/tools/tests/releases.js
index e504808c2d..810b54c31e 100644
--- a/tools/tests/releases.js
+++ b/tools/tests/releases.js
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ selftest.define("springboard", ['checkout', 'net'], function () {
   // Suppose you ask for a release that doesn't exist.
   s.set('METEOR_TEST_FAIL_RELEASE_DOWNLOAD', 'not-found');
   run = s.run("--release", "weird");
-  run.readErr("weird: unknown release.\n");
+  run.readErr("Meteor weird: unknown release.\n");
   run.expectEnd();
   run.expectExit(1);
 
@@ -78,15 +78,15 @@ selftest.define("springboard", ['checkout', 'net'], function () {
     s.write(".meteor/release", "strange");
     s.set('METEOR_TEST_FAIL_RELEASE_DOWNLOAD', 'not-found');
     run = s.run();
-    run.matchErr("version strange of Meteor");
-    run.matchErr("valid Meteor release");
+    run.matchErr("uses Meteor strange");
+    run.matchErr("don't have it either");
     run.expectExit(1);
 
     // You're offline and project asks for non-cached release.
     s.set('METEOR_TEST_FAIL_RELEASE_DOWNLOAD', 'offline');
     run = s.run();
     run.matchErr("offline");
-    run.matchErr("version strange of Meteor");
+    run.matchErr("it uses Meteor strange");
     run.matchErr("don't have that version of Meteor installed");
     run.matchErr("update servers");
     run.expectExit(1);
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ selftest.define("checkout", ['checkout'], function () {
     s.write(".meteor/release", "something");
     run = s.run("list");
     run.readErr("=> Running Meteor from a checkout");
-    run.matchErr("project version (something)\n");
+    run.matchErr("project version (Meteor something)\n");
     run.expectExit(0);
   });
 });
diff --git a/tools/utils.js b/tools/utils.js
index 92e99cfab7..89774ac6d4 100644
--- a/tools/utils.js
+++ b/tools/utils.js
@@ -402,6 +402,22 @@ exports.displayRelease = function (track, version, options) {
   return track + '@' + version;
 };
 
+exports.splitReleaseName = function (releaseName) {
+  var parts = releaseName.split('@');
+  var track, version;
+  if (parts.length === 1) {
+    var catalog = require('./catalog.js');
+    track = catalog.DEFAULT_TRACK;
+    version = parts[0];
+  } else {
+    track = parts[0];
+    // Do we forbid '@' sign in release versions? I sure hope so, but let's
+    // be careful.
+    version = parts.slice(1).join("@");
+  }
+  return [track, version];
+};
+
 // Calls cb with each subset of the array "total", with non-decreasing size,
 // until all subsets have been used or cb returns true. The array passed
 // to cb may be safely mutated or retained by cb.