diff --git a/.scripts/update-config-settings b/.scripts/update-config-settings
index f63893a2..82a632f1 100755
--- a/.scripts/update-config-settings
+++ b/.scripts/update-config-settings
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ fi
 # stellar-cli's major version tracks the protocol it supports. If testnet has
 # advanced beyond it, `stellar network settings` silently omits settings the
 # older XDR doesn't know about, so fail loudly to prompt bumping the pinned CLI.
-cli_protocol="$(stellar version | head -n1 | sed -E 's/^stellar ([0-9]+).*/\1/')"
+cli_protocol="$(stellar version --only-version-major)"
 if [ "$protocol" -gt "$cli_protocol" ]; then
   echo "error: testnet is on protocol $protocol but stellar-cli supports protocol $cli_protocol; bump the pinned stellar-cli version" >&2
   exit 1