diff --git a/software/picard/collectmultiplemetrics/main.nf b/software/picard/collectmultiplemetrics/main.nf
index ff0c0835..b9f8e496 100644
--- a/software/picard/collectmultiplemetrics/main.nf
+++ b/software/picard/collectmultiplemetrics/main.nf
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@ process PICARD_COLLECTMULTIPLEMETRICS {
         mode: params.publish_dir_mode,
         saveAs: { filename -> saveFiles(filename:filename, options:params.options, publish_dir:getSoftwareName(task.process), publish_id:meta.id) }
 
-    conda (params.enable_conda ? "bioconda::picard=2.23.6" : null)
+    conda (params.enable_conda ? "bioconda::picard=2.23.8" : null)
     if (workflow.containerEngine == 'singularity' && !params.pull_docker_container) {
-        container "https://depot.galaxyproject.org/singularity/picard:2.23.6--0"
+        container "https://depot.galaxyproject.org/singularity/picard:2.23.8--0"
     } else {
-        container "quay.io/biocontainers/picard:2.23.6--0"
+        container "quay.io/biocontainers/picard:2.23.8--0"
     }
 
     input:
@@ -45,6 +45,6 @@ process PICARD_COLLECTMULTIPLEMETRICS {
         OUTPUT=${prefix}.CollectMultipleMetrics \\
         REFERENCE_SEQUENCE=$fasta
 
-    echo \$(picard CollectMultipleMetrics --version 2>&1) | awk -F' ' '{print \$NF}' > ${software}.version.txt
+    echo \$(picard CollectMultipleMetrics --version 2>&1) | grep -o 'Version.*' | cut -f2- -d: > ${software}.version.txt
     """
 }
diff --git a/software/picard/markduplicates/main.nf b/software/picard/markduplicates/main.nf
index 924f8a94..94c46b82 100644
--- a/software/picard/markduplicates/main.nf
+++ b/software/picard/markduplicates/main.nf
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@ process PICARD_MARKDUPLICATES {
         mode: params.publish_dir_mode,
         saveAs: { filename -> saveFiles(filename:filename, options:params.options, publish_dir:getSoftwareName(task.process), publish_id:meta.id) }
 
-    conda (params.enable_conda ? "bioconda::picard=2.23.6" : null)
+    conda (params.enable_conda ? "bioconda::picard=2.23.8" : null)
     if (workflow.containerEngine == 'singularity' && !params.pull_docker_container) {
-        container "https://depot.galaxyproject.org/singularity/picard:2.23.6--0"
+        container "https://depot.galaxyproject.org/singularity/picard:2.23.8--0"
     } else {
-        container "quay.io/biocontainers/picard:2.23.6--0"
+        container "quay.io/biocontainers/picard:2.23.8--0"
     }
 
     input:
@@ -44,6 +44,6 @@ process PICARD_MARKDUPLICATES {
         OUTPUT=${prefix}.bam \\
         METRICS_FILE=${prefix}.MarkDuplicates.metrics.txt
 
-    echo \$(picard MarkDuplicates --version 2>&1) | awk -F' ' '{print \$NF}' > ${software}.version.txt
+    echo \$(picard MarkDuplicates --version 2>&1) | grep -o 'Version:.*' | cut -f2- -d: > ${software}.version.txt
     """
 }
diff --git a/software/picard/mergesamfiles/main.nf b/software/picard/mergesamfiles/main.nf
index 295cc259..09c36ebf 100644
--- a/software/picard/mergesamfiles/main.nf
+++ b/software/picard/mergesamfiles/main.nf
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@ process PICARD_MERGESAMFILES {
         mode: params.publish_dir_mode,
         saveAs: { filename -> saveFiles(filename:filename, options:params.options, publish_dir:getSoftwareName(task.process), publish_id:meta.id) }
 
-    conda (params.enable_conda ? "bioconda::picard=2.23.6" : null)
+    conda (params.enable_conda ? "bioconda::picard=2.23.8" : null)
     if (workflow.containerEngine == 'singularity' && !params.pull_docker_container) {
-        container "https://depot.galaxyproject.org/singularity/picard:2.23.6--0"
+        container "https://depot.galaxyproject.org/singularity/picard:2.23.8--0"
     } else {
-        container "quay.io/biocontainers/picard:2.23.6--0"
+        container "quay.io/biocontainers/picard:2.23.8--0"
     }
 
     input:
@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@ process PICARD_MERGESAMFILES {
             $options.args \\
             ${'INPUT='+bam_files.join(' INPUT=')} \\
             OUTPUT=${prefix}.bam
-        echo \$(picard MergeSamFiles --version 2>&1) | awk -F' ' '{print \$NF}' > ${software}.version.txt
+        echo \$(picard MergeSamFiles --version 2>&1) | grep -o 'Version:.*' | cut -f2- -d: > ${software}.version.txt
         """
     } else {
         """
         ln -s ${bam_files[0]} ${prefix}.bam
-        echo \$(picard MergeSamFiles --version 2>&1) | awk -F' ' '{print \$NF}' > ${software}.version.txt
+        echo \$(picard MergeSamFiles --version 2>&1) | grep -o 'Version:.*' | cut -f2- -d: > ${software}.version.txt
         """
     }
 }