diff --git a/Makefile.base b/Makefile.base
index c26d16cbdbb4050694d69683d4d500493ad672ca..ad46f5e7c79ef11d27b5af8a9a33946762630032 100644
--- a/Makefile.base
+++ b/Makefile.base
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ endif
 OBJ = $(SRC:%.c=$(BINDIR)$(MODULE)/%.o)
 DEP = $(SRC:%.c=$(BINDIR)$(MODULE)/%.d)
 
-GIT_STRING := $(shell git describe --abbrev=4 --dirty=-`hostname`)
+GIT_STRING := $(shell git describe --always --abbrev=4 --dirty=-`hostname`)
 GIT_BRANCH := $(shell git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
 ifeq ($(strip $(GIT_BRANCH)),master)
 	GIT_VERSION = $(GIT_STRING)