diff --git a/plugin/syntastic.vim b/plugin/syntastic.vim
index 707cd88e..942d4975 100644
--- a/plugin/syntastic.vim
+++ b/plugin/syntastic.vim
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ if has('reltime')
     let g:syntastic_start = reltime()
 endif
 
-let g:syntastic_version = '3.4.0-8'
+let g:syntastic_version = '3.4.0-9'
 
 " Sanity checks {{{1
 
diff --git a/syntax_checkers/javascript/jshint.vim b/syntax_checkers/javascript/jshint.vim
index 7c53c121..712fe16e 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/javascript/jshint.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/javascript/jshint.vim
@@ -25,18 +25,20 @@ function! SyntaxCheckers_javascript_jshint_IsAvailable() dict
     if !exists('g:syntastic_jshint_exec')
         let g:syntastic_jshint_exec = self.getExec()
     endif
-    return executable(expand(g:syntastic_jshint_exec))
+    if !executable(expand(g:syntastic_jshint_exec))
+        return 0
+    endif
+    let s:jshint_version = syntastic#util#getVersion(syntastic#util#shexpand(g:syntastic_jshint_exec) . ' --version')
+    return syntastic#util#versionIsAtLeast(s:jshint_version, [1])
 endfunction
 
 function! SyntaxCheckers_javascript_jshint_GetLocList() dict
-    let exe = syntastic#util#shexpand(g:syntastic_jshint_exec)
     if !exists('s:jshint_new')
-        let s:jshint_new =
-            \ syntastic#util#versionIsAtLeast(syntastic#util#getVersion(exe . ' --version'), [1, 1])
+        let s:jshint_new = syntastic#util#versionIsAtLeast(s:jshint_version, [1, 1])
     endif
 
     let makeprg = self.makeprgBuild({
-        \ 'exe': exe,
+        \ 'exe': syntastic#util#shexpand(g:syntastic_jshint_exec),
         \ 'args': (g:syntastic_javascript_jshint_conf != '' ?
         \       '--config ' . syntastic#util#shexpand(g:syntastic_javascript_jshint_conf) : ''),
         \ 'args_after': (s:jshint_new ? '--verbose ' : '') })