diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b694dbc..4cf7dac 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ Makefile.in
 /install-sh
 /missing
 /stamp-h1
+/configure
 /config.guess
 /config.h.in
 /config.rpath
diff --git a/build-aux/git-version-gen b/build-aux/git-version-gen
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..106538f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build-aux/git-version-gen
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+GIT_VERSION=$(git --no-pager describe --tags --dirty |sed 's/\([^-]*-g\)/r\1/;s/-/./g')
+echo -ne ${GIT_VERSION}
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a46d795..6e01a3b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 # Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
 
 AC_PREREQ([2.69])
-AC_INIT([ptouch], [m4_esyscmd_s([git describe --tags])], [blip@mockmoon-cybernetics.ch])
+AC_INIT([ptouch], [m4_esyscmd_s([build-aux/git-version-gen])], [blip@mockmoon-cybernetics.ch])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/libptouch.c])
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])