diff --git a/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/lang/JavaVersion.java b/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/lang/JavaVersion.java
index 710140809485..c33fcf21018b 100644
--- a/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/lang/JavaVersion.java
+++ b/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/lang/JavaVersion.java
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright 2000-2018 JetBrains s.r.o. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+// Copyright 2000-2019 JetBrains s.r.o. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 package com.intellij.util.lang;
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
@@ -182,7 +182,8 @@ public final class JavaVersion implements Comparable<JavaVersion> {
    *   - values of Java compiler -source/-target/--release options ("$MAJOR", "1.$MAJOR")</br>
    *   - output of "{@code java -version}" (usually "java version \"$VERSION\"")<br>
    *   - a second line of the above command (something like to "Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build $VERSION)")<br>
-   *   - output of "{@code java --full-version}" ("java $VERSION")</p>
+   *   - output of "{@code java --full-version}" ("java $VERSION")<br>
+   *   - a line of "release" file ("JAVA_VERSION=\"$VERSION\"")</p>
    *
    * <p>See com.intellij.util.lang.JavaVersionTest for examples.</p>
    *
diff --git a/platform/util/testSrc/com/intellij/util/lang/JavaVersionTest.kt b/platform/util/testSrc/com/intellij/util/lang/JavaVersionTest.kt
index 41310fa195ed..06254cd087ca 100644
--- a/platform/util/testSrc/com/intellij/util/lang/JavaVersionTest.kt
+++ b/platform/util/testSrc/com/intellij/util/lang/JavaVersionTest.kt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright 2000-2018 JetBrains s.r.o. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+// Copyright 2000-2019 JetBrains s.r.o. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 package com.intellij.util.lang
 
 import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat
@@ -110,7 +110,9 @@ class JavaVersionTest {
       "OpenJDK Runtime Environment 18.3 (build $versionString)",
       // "java --full-version" (9+)
       "java $versionString",
-      "openjdk $versionString"
+      "openjdk $versionString",
+      // `release` file (1.7+)
+      "JAVA_VERSION=\"$versionString\""
     ).forEach { assertThat(JavaVersion.parse(it)).describedAs(it).isEqualTo(expected) }
   }