diff --git a/lib/bashly/models/script.rb b/lib/bashly/models/script.rb
index ab90eacb..8914d486 100644
--- a/lib/bashly/models/script.rb
+++ b/lib/bashly/models/script.rb
@@ -29,10 +29,16 @@ def header!
         if File.exist? custom_header_path
           File.read custom_header_path
         else
-          render('header')
+          default_header
         end
       end
 
+      def default_header
+        result = render('header')
+        result += render('bash3_bouncer') unless function_name
+        result
+      end
+
       def body
         @body ||= command.render('master_script')
       end
diff --git a/lib/bashly/views/command/initialize.erb b/lib/bashly/views/command/initialize.erb
index 4835e38e..985abc02 100644
--- a/lib/bashly/views/command/initialize.erb
+++ b/lib/bashly/views/command/initialize.erb
@@ -4,10 +4,5 @@ initialize() {
   long_usage=''
   set -e
 
-  if [[ "${BASH_VERSINFO:-0}" -lt 4 ]]; then
-    printf "<%= strings[:unsupported_bash_version] -%>\n"
-    exit 1
-  fi
-
 <%= load_user_file("initialize.sh", placeholder: false).indent 2 %>
 }
diff --git a/lib/bashly/views/script/bash3_bouncer.erb b/lib/bashly/views/script/bash3_bouncer.erb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d78f2565
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/bashly/views/script/bash3_bouncer.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# :script.bash3_bouncer
+if [[ "${BASH_VERSINFO:-0}" -lt 4 ]]; then
+  printf "<%= strings[:unsupported_bash_version] -%>\n"
+  exit 1
+fi
diff --git a/lib/bashly/views/script/header.erb b/lib/bashly/views/script/header.erb
index 150036b6..51c1f39c 100644
--- a/lib/bashly/views/script/header.erb
+++ b/lib/bashly/views/script/header.erb
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # This script was generated by bashly (https://github.com/DannyBen/bashly)
 # Modifying it manually is not recommended
+
diff --git a/spec/approvals/cli/generate/wrap-script b/spec/approvals/cli/generate/wrap-script
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5f515964
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/approvals/cli/generate/wrap-script
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# This script was generated by bashly (https://github.com/DannyBen/bashly)
+# Modifying it manually is not recommended
+
+# :script.wrapper
+function() {
+
+  # :command.version_command
+  version_command() {
+    echo "$version"
+  }
diff --git a/spec/approvals/examples/bash-3-syntax b/spec/approvals/examples/bash-3-syntax
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6f1d93ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/approvals/examples/bash-3-syntax
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+creating user files in src
+skipped src/initialize.sh (exists)
+skipped src/test_command.sh (exists)
+created ./cli
+run ./cli --help to test your bash script
+cli - Sample application
+
+Usage:
+  cli [command]
+  cli [command] --help | -h
+  cli --version | -v
+
+Commands:
+  test   Run test
+
diff --git a/spec/approvals/models/script/code b/spec/approvals/models/script/code
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..19eb8d5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/approvals/models/script/code
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# This script was generated by bashly (https://github.com/DannyBen/bashly)
+# Modifying it manually is not recommended
+
+# :script.bash3_bouncer
+if [[ "${BASH_VERSINFO:-0}" -lt 4 ]]; then
+  printf "bash version 4 or higher is required\n"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# :command.root_command
+root_command() {
+  # :spec/tmp/src/root_command.sh
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spec/approvals/models/script/code-wrapped b/spec/approvals/models/script/code-wrapped
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2a8c629
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/approvals/models/script/code-wrapped
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# This script was generated by bashly (https://github.com/DannyBen/bashly)
+# Modifying it manually is not recommended
+
+# :script.wrapper
+my_super_function() {
+  # :command.root_command
+  root_command() {
+    # :spec/tmp/src/root_command.sh
+    echo "error: cannot load file"
+  }
+
+  # :command.version_command
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spec/bashly/commands/generate_spec.rb b/spec/bashly/commands/generate_spec.rb
index 256df250..232f1632 100644
--- a/spec/bashly/commands/generate_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/bashly/commands/generate_spec.rb
@@ -75,11 +75,11 @@
       expect(success).to be true
     end
 
-    it "generates the cli script wrapped in a function" do
+    it "generates the cli script wrapped in a function without bash3 bouncer" do
       expect { subject.run %w[generate -w function] }.to output_approval('cli/generate/wrap-function')
       expect(File).to exist(cli_script)
       lines = File.readlines cli_script
-      expect(lines[5]).to eq "function() {\n"
+      expect(lines[0..10].join).to match_approval('cli/generate/wrap-script')
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/bashly/integration/bash_spec.rb b/spec/bashly/integration/bash_spec.rb
index 2aeff74b..ad99ef64 100644
--- a/spec/bashly/integration/bash_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/bashly/integration/bash_spec.rb
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@
     before { system "docker pull bash:3 >/dev/null" }
 
     it "errors gracefully" do
-      command = "docker run --rm -v $PWD:/app bash:3 bash /app/download"
+      command = "docker run --rm -v $PWD:/app bash:3 bash /app/cli"
 
-      Dir.chdir "examples/minimal" do
+      Dir.chdir "spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax" do
         system "bashly generate 2>&1 >/dev/null"
         expect(`#{command} 2>&1`).to match_approval('bash/error')
       end
diff --git a/spec/bashly/models/script_spec.rb b/spec/bashly/models/script_spec.rb
index e7fa2965..023e222c 100644
--- a/spec/bashly/models/script_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/bashly/models/script_spec.rb
@@ -10,9 +10,7 @@
     context "without function name" do
       it "returns the complete script" do
         lines = subject.code.split "\n"
-        expect(lines[0]).to eq '#!/usr/bin/env bash'
-        expect(lines[1]).to start_with '# This script was generated by'
-        expect(lines[5]).to eq 'root_command() {'
+        expect(lines[0..12].join("\n")).to match_approval('models/script/code')
         expect(lines[-1]).to eq 'run "$@"'
       end
     end
@@ -20,12 +18,9 @@
     context "with function name" do
       subject { described_class.new command, 'my_super_function' }
 
-      it "returns the complete script wrapped in a function" do
+      it "returns the complete script wrapped in a function without a bash3 bouncer" do
         lines = subject.code.split "\n"
-        expect(lines[0]).to eq '#!/usr/bin/env bash'
-        expect(lines[1]).to start_with '# This script was generated by'
-        expect(lines[5]).to eq 'my_super_function() {'
-        expect(lines[6]).to eq '  # :command.root_command'
+        expect(lines[0..12].join("\n")).to match_approval('models/script/code-wrapped')
         expect(lines[-1]).to eq '(return 0 2>/dev/null) || my_super_function "$@"'
       end
     end
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/.gitignore b/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..573c0c4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+cli
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/README.md b/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..537233b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+This fixture tests that bash 3 exits with a helpful error even when faced with syntax it doesn't understand
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/src/bashly.yml b/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/src/bashly.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e0e29a52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/src/bashly.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+name: cli
+help: Sample application
+version: 0.1.0
+
+commands:
+- name: test
+  help: Run test
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/src/initialize.sh b/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/src/initialize.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f2dbc52c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/src/initialize.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# Code here runs inside the initialize() function
+# Use it for anything that you need to run before any other function, like
+# setting environment vairables:
+# CONFIG_FILE=settings.ini
+#
+# Feel free to empty (but not delete) this file.
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/src/test_command.sh b/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/src/test_command.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2abfb888
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/src/test_command.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# this syntax (`[[ -v`) cannot be parsed by bash 3
+if [[ -v missingno ]]; then
+  echo the variable was not defined
+fi
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/test.sh b/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/test.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..12640d99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/workspaces/bash-3-syntax/test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# This fixture tests Bash 4+-only syntax
+# It is executed as part of the Runfile examples test
+
+bundle exec bashly generate
+
+./cli
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/workspaces/flag-args-with-dash/argflag b/spec/fixtures/workspaces/flag-args-with-dash/argflag
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index e4b2a7cd..4659955e
--- a/spec/fixtures/workspaces/flag-args-with-dash/argflag
+++ b/spec/fixtures/workspaces/flag-args-with-dash/argflag
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 # This script was generated by bashly (https://github.com/DannyBen/bashly)
 # Modifying it manually is not recommended
 
+# :script.bash3_bouncer
+if [[ "${BASH_VERSINFO:-0}" -lt 4 ]]; then
+  printf "bash version 4 or higher is required\n"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # :command.root_command
 root_command() {
   # :src/root_command.sh
@@ -170,11 +176,6 @@ initialize() {
   long_usage=''
   set -e
 
-  if [[ "${BASH_VERSINFO:-0}" -lt 4 ]]; then
-    printf "bash version 4 or higher is required\n"
-    exit 1
-  fi
-
   # :src/initialize.sh
   # Code here runs inside the initialize() function
   # Use it for anything that you need to run before any other function, like