diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3d67fd27f..54d345f08 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ $(set_target_defaults)
 # holding the same names in the current directory.
 
 ifeq ($(IGNOREGIT),)
-VERSION := $(shell [ -d .git/. ] && ref=`(git describe --tags --match 'v*' --abbrev=0) 2>/dev/null` && ref=$${ref%-g*} && echo "$${ref\#v}")
+VERSION := $(shell [ -d .git/. ] && (git describe --tags --match 'v*' --abbrev=0 | cut -c 2-) 2>/dev/null)
 ifneq ($(VERSION),)
 # OK git is there and works.
 SUBVERS := $(shell comms=`git log --format=oneline --no-merges v$(VERSION).. 2>/dev/null | wc -l | tr -d '[:space:]'`; commit=`(git log -1 --pretty=%h --abbrev=6) 2>/dev/null`; [ $$comms -gt 0 ] && echo "-$$commit-$$comms")