diff --git a/scripts/release.sh b/scripts/release.sh
index 059096d..276048b 100755
--- a/scripts/release.sh
+++ b/scripts/release.sh
@@ -56,20 +56,18 @@ fi
 
 echo "==> Bumping to v$VERSION"
 
-# Root package.json
-node -e '
-  var fs=require("fs"); var f="package.json";
-  var p=JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(f)); p.version=process.argv[1];
-  fs.writeFileSync(f, JSON.stringify(p, null, 2) + "\n");
-' "$VERSION"
-echo "    updated package.json"
+# Bump a package.json "version" field without needing node/jq.
+# Only touches the first top-level "version": "…" line, which is the
+# canonical location npm puts it. Fragile only if someone hand-wrote
+# a nested "version" ABOVE the top-level one.
+bump_pkg_version() {
+  local file="$1" new="$2"
+  sed -i -E "0,/(\"version\"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*\")[^\"]+(\")/ s//\1${new}\2/" "$file"
+}
 
-# Mobile package.json
-node -e '
-  var fs=require("fs"); var f="mobile/package.json";
-  var p=JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(f)); p.version=process.argv[1];
-  fs.writeFileSync(f, JSON.stringify(p, null, 2) + "\n");
-' "$VERSION"
+bump_pkg_version package.json "$VERSION"
+echo "    updated package.json"
+bump_pkg_version mobile/package.json "$VERSION"
 echo "    updated mobile/package.json"
 
 # Android build.gradle