diff --git a/plugin/builtin/AnnotationsTransformer.go b/plugin/builtin/AnnotationsTransformer.go
index 32c0e2a02..969e39243 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/AnnotationsTransformer.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/AnnotationsTransformer.go
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // Code generated by pluginator on AnnotationsTransformer; DO NOT EDIT.
+// pluginator {Version:unknown GitCommit:$Format:%H$ BuildDate:1970-01-01T00:00:00Z GoOs:linux GoArch:amd64}
+
 package builtin
 
 import (
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/ConfigMapGenerator.go b/plugin/builtin/ConfigMapGenerator.go
index 54c42da07..fbc9e203c 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/ConfigMapGenerator.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/ConfigMapGenerator.go
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // Code generated by pluginator on ConfigMapGenerator; DO NOT EDIT.
+// pluginator {Version:unknown GitCommit:$Format:%H$ BuildDate:1970-01-01T00:00:00Z GoOs:linux GoArch:amd64}
+
 package builtin
 
 import (
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/HashTransformer.go b/plugin/builtin/HashTransformer.go
index 04ce3c7e9..1a6650fd3 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/HashTransformer.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/HashTransformer.go
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // Code generated by pluginator on HashTransformer; DO NOT EDIT.
+// pluginator {Version:unknown GitCommit:$Format:%H$ BuildDate:1970-01-01T00:00:00Z GoOs:linux GoArch:amd64}
+
 package builtin
 
 import (
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/ImageTagTransformer.go b/plugin/builtin/ImageTagTransformer.go
index e5ab9dd14..3d1cf4fd6 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/ImageTagTransformer.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/ImageTagTransformer.go
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // Code generated by pluginator on ImageTagTransformer; DO NOT EDIT.
+// pluginator {Version:unknown GitCommit:$Format:%H$ BuildDate:1970-01-01T00:00:00Z GoOs:linux GoArch:amd64}
+
 package builtin
 
 import (
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/InventoryTransformer.go b/plugin/builtin/InventoryTransformer.go
index 32edf52df..609d9cb1e 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/InventoryTransformer.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/InventoryTransformer.go
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // Code generated by pluginator on InventoryTransformer; DO NOT EDIT.
+// pluginator {Version:unknown GitCommit:$Format:%H$ BuildDate:1970-01-01T00:00:00Z GoOs:linux GoArch:amd64}
+
 package builtin
 
 import (
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/LabelTransformer.go b/plugin/builtin/LabelTransformer.go
index 277ab982b..3ecb6f4ae 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/LabelTransformer.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/LabelTransformer.go
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // Code generated by pluginator on LabelTransformer; DO NOT EDIT.
+// pluginator {Version:unknown GitCommit:$Format:%H$ BuildDate:1970-01-01T00:00:00Z GoOs:linux GoArch:amd64}
+
 package builtin
 
 import (
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/LegacyOrderTransformer.go b/plugin/builtin/LegacyOrderTransformer.go
index b4eb161e2..5454655a9 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/LegacyOrderTransformer.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/LegacyOrderTransformer.go
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // Code generated by pluginator on LegacyOrderTransformer; DO NOT EDIT.
+// pluginator {Version:unknown GitCommit:$Format:%H$ BuildDate:1970-01-01T00:00:00Z GoOs:linux GoArch:amd64}
+
 package builtin
 
 import (
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/NamespaceTransformer.go b/plugin/builtin/NamespaceTransformer.go
index fd7a84c01..7966c5c98 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/NamespaceTransformer.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/NamespaceTransformer.go
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // Code generated by pluginator on NamespaceTransformer; DO NOT EDIT.
+// pluginator {Version:unknown GitCommit:$Format:%H$ BuildDate:1970-01-01T00:00:00Z GoOs:linux GoArch:amd64}
+
 package builtin
 
 import (
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/PatchJson6902Transformer.go b/plugin/builtin/PatchJson6902Transformer.go
index 82fedf077..eac9a768a 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/PatchJson6902Transformer.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/PatchJson6902Transformer.go
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // Code generated by pluginator on PatchJson6902Transformer; DO NOT EDIT.
+// pluginator {Version:unknown GitCommit:$Format:%H$ BuildDate:1970-01-01T00:00:00Z GoOs:linux GoArch:amd64}
+
 package builtin
 
 import (
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer.go b/plugin/builtin/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer.go
index f032608cd..8b1f8b283 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer.go
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // Code generated by pluginator on PatchStrategicMergeTransformer; DO NOT EDIT.
+// pluginator {Version:unknown GitCommit:$Format:%H$ BuildDate:1970-01-01T00:00:00Z GoOs:linux GoArch:amd64}
+
 package builtin
 
 import (
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/PatchTransformer.go b/plugin/builtin/PatchTransformer.go
index 8a86939cc..5b9132660 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/PatchTransformer.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/PatchTransformer.go
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // Code generated by pluginator on PatchTransformer; DO NOT EDIT.
+// pluginator {Version:unknown GitCommit:$Format:%H$ BuildDate:1970-01-01T00:00:00Z GoOs:linux GoArch:amd64}
+
 package builtin
 
 import (
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/PrefixSuffixTransformer.go b/plugin/builtin/PrefixSuffixTransformer.go
index be9138796..c47433504 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/PrefixSuffixTransformer.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/PrefixSuffixTransformer.go
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // Code generated by pluginator on PrefixSuffixTransformer; DO NOT EDIT.
+// pluginator {Version:unknown GitCommit:$Format:%H$ BuildDate:1970-01-01T00:00:00Z GoOs:linux GoArch:amd64}
+
 package builtin
 
 import (
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/ReplicaCountTransformer.go b/plugin/builtin/ReplicaCountTransformer.go
index 5f63ac0b3..5ef805127 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/ReplicaCountTransformer.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/ReplicaCountTransformer.go
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // Code generated by pluginator on ReplicaCountTransformer; DO NOT EDIT.
+// pluginator {Version:unknown GitCommit:$Format:%H$ BuildDate:1970-01-01T00:00:00Z GoOs:linux GoArch:amd64}
+
 package builtin
 
 import (
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/SecretGenerator.go b/plugin/builtin/SecretGenerator.go
index 3c93ecf60..9d0f18000 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/SecretGenerator.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/SecretGenerator.go
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // Code generated by pluginator on SecretGenerator; DO NOT EDIT.
+// pluginator {Version:unknown GitCommit:$Format:%H$ BuildDate:1970-01-01T00:00:00Z GoOs:linux GoArch:amd64}
+
 package builtin
 
 import (
diff --git a/travis/pre-commit.sh b/travis/pre-commit.sh
index 108bfda66..7af43cd6c 100755
--- a/travis/pre-commit.sh
+++ b/travis/pre-commit.sh
@@ -14,8 +14,25 @@ function installHelm {
   sudo mv linux-amd64/helm /usr/local/bin/helm
 }
 
+function removeBin {
+  local d=$(go env GOPATH)/bin/$1
+  echo "Removing binary $d"
+  /bin/rm -f $d
+}
+
 function installTools {
-  go install sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/pluginator
+  # TODO(19Oct2019): After the API is in place, and
+  # there's a new pluginator compiled against that API,
+  # switch back to this:
+  #  go install sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/pluginator
+  # in the meantime, use the local copy.
+  # go module rules, and the existing violations of
+  # semver mean that simply using the replace directive
+  # in the go.mod won't work.
+
+  removeBin pluginator
+  # Install from whatever code is on disk.
+  (cd pluginator; go install .)
 }
 
 function runFunc {
@@ -60,7 +77,7 @@ function testGoTests {
 }
 
 function testExamplesAgainstLatestRelease {
-  /bin/rm -f $(go env GOPATH)/bin/kustomize
+  removeBin kustomize
   # Install latest release.
   (cd ~; go get sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/v3/cmd/kustomize@v3.2.0)
 
@@ -78,7 +95,7 @@ function testExamplesAgainstLatestRelease {
 }
 
 function testExamplesAgainstHead {
-  /bin/rm -f $(go env GOPATH)/bin/kustomize
+  removeBin kustomize
   # Install from head.
   (cd kustomize; go install .)
   # To test examples of unreleased features, add