diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 7379e265..bcffbf29 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@
 sbin_PROGRAMS = tincd tinc sptps_test sptps_keypair
 
 ## Make sure version.c is always rebuilt with the latest git information
-$(eval include version_git.mak)
+.PHONY: ${srcdir}/version.c version_git.h
+version_git.h:
+	echo >$@
+	-(cd $(srcdir) && git describe) && echo '#define GIT_DESCRIPTION "'`(cd $(srcdir) && git describe) | sed 's/release-//'`'"' >$@
 ${srcdir}/version.c: version_git.h
 
 if LINUX
diff --git a/src/version_git.mak b/src/version_git.mak
deleted file mode 100644
index f4dfecf8..00000000
--- a/src/version_git.mak
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-gitdescription_new=$(shell git describe | sed 's/^release-//')
-gitdescription_old=$(shell sed 's/.*"\(.*\)".*/\1/' version_git.h)
-
-ifneq ($(gitdescription_new), $(gitdescription_old))
-version_git.h:
-	echo $(gitdescription_new)
-	echo $(gitdescription_old)
-	echo '#define GIT_DESCRIPTION "$(gitdescription_new)"' >$@
-endif