diff --git a/src/compiler/scala/tools/nsc/Interpreter.scala b/src/compiler/scala/tools/nsc/Interpreter.scala
index 2984dd298..9c398a219 100644
--- a/src/compiler/scala/tools/nsc/Interpreter.scala
+++ b/src/compiler/scala/tools/nsc/Interpreter.scala
@@ -60,6 +60,13 @@ import nsc.{InterpreterResults=>IR}
 class Interpreter(val settings: Settings, out: PrintWriter) {
   import symtab.Names
 
+  /* If the interpreter is running on pre-jvm-1.5 JVM, 
+     it is necessary to force the target setting to jvm-1.4 */
+  val major = System.getProperty("java.class.version").split("\\.")(0)
+  if (Integer.valueOf(major).intValue < 49) {
+    this.settings.target.value = "jvm-1.4"
+  }
+
   /** the compiler to compile expressions with */
   val compiler: scala.tools.nsc.Global = newCompiler(settings, reporter)
 
diff --git a/src/compiler/scala/tools/nsc/InterpreterLoop.scala b/src/compiler/scala/tools/nsc/InterpreterLoop.scala
index 54d14847a..ab2859f22 100644
--- a/src/compiler/scala/tools/nsc/InterpreterLoop.scala
+++ b/src/compiler/scala/tools/nsc/InterpreterLoop.scala
@@ -278,11 +278,6 @@ class InterpreterLoop(in0: Option[BufferedReader], out: PrintWriter) {
   def main(settings: Settings) {
     this.settings = settings
 
-    val major = System.getProperty("java.class.version").split("\\.")(0)
-    if (Integer.valueOf(major).intValue < 49) {
-      this.settings.target.value = "jvm-1.4"
-    }
-
     in = 
       in0 match {
         case Some(in0) =>
diff --git a/src/compiler/scala/tools/nsc/ScriptRunner.scala b/src/compiler/scala/tools/nsc/ScriptRunner.scala
index 6cd396b00..1be66c6ed 100644
--- a/src/compiler/scala/tools/nsc/ScriptRunner.scala
+++ b/src/compiler/scala/tools/nsc/ScriptRunner.scala
@@ -271,6 +271,13 @@ object ScriptRunner {
         : Unit =
   {
     import Interpreter.deleteRecursively
+ 
+    /* If the script is running on pre-jvm-1.5 JVM, 
+       it is necessary to force the target setting to jvm-1.4 */
+    val major = System.getProperty("java.class.version").split("\\.")(0)
+    if (Integer.valueOf(major).intValue < 49) {
+      settings.target.value = "jvm-1.4"
+    }
 
     /** Compiles the script file, and returns two things:
       * the directory with the compiled class files,
@@ -385,11 +392,6 @@ object ScriptRunner {
       return
     }
 
-    val major = System.getProperty("java.class.version").split("\\.")(0)
-    if (Integer.valueOf(major).intValue < 49) {
-      settings.target.value = "jvm-1.4"
-    }
-
     withCompiledScript(settings, scriptFile){compiledLocation =>
       runCompiled(settings, compiledLocation, scriptArgs)
     }
@@ -410,11 +412,6 @@ object ScriptRunner {
       str.close()
     }
 
-    val major = System.getProperty("java.class.version").split("\\.")(0)
-    if (Integer.valueOf(major).intValue < 49) {
-      settings.target.value = "jvm-1.4"
-    }
-
     withCompiledScript(settings, scriptFile.getPath){compiledLocation =>
       scriptFile.delete()
       runCompiled(settings, compiledLocation, scriptArgs)