diff --git a/bjam b/bjam
index 1cea4fb15..eda8970dc 100755
--- a/bjam
+++ b/bjam
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@ if
   bjam="$(which bjam 2>/dev/null)" && #exists
   [ ${#bjam} != 0 ] && #paranoia about which printing nothing then returning true
   ! grep UFIHGUFIHBDJKNCFZXAEVA "${bjam}" </dev/null >/dev/null && #bjam in path isn't this script
-  "${bjam}" --version |grep "Boost.Build 201" >/dev/null 2>/dev/null && #It's recent enough.  
-  "${bjam}" --help >/dev/null 2>/dev/null #bjam in path isn't broken (i.e. has boost-build)
+  "${bjam}" --sanity-test 2>/dev/null |grep Sane >/dev/null #The test in jam-files/sanity.jam passes
 then
   #Delegate to system bjam
   exec "${bjam}" "$@"
diff --git a/jam-files/sanity.jam b/jam-files/sanity.jam
index c846bec6c..817e52689 100644
--- a/jam-files/sanity.jam
+++ b/jam-files/sanity.jam
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import os ;
 import path ;
 import project ;
 import build-system ;
+import version ;
 
 #Shell with trailing line removed http://lists.boost.org/boost-build/2007/08/17051.php
 rule trim-nl ( str extras * ) {
@@ -244,3 +245,12 @@ rule always-if-changed ( file current : targets * ) {
     }
   }
 }
+
+if [ option.get "sanity-test" : : "yes" ] {
+  local current_version = [ modules.peek : JAM_VERSION ] ;
+  if ( $(current_version[0]) < 2000 && [ version.check-jam-version 3 1 16 ] ) || [ version.check-jam-version 2011 0 0 ] {
+    EXIT "Sane" : 0 ;
+  } else {
+    EXIT "Bad" : 1 ;
+  }
+}