diff --git a/app/Makefile.am b/app/Makefile.am
index 8af86cbb5e..1f7e897759 100644
--- a/app/Makefile.am
+++ b/app/Makefile.am
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ dist-hook: dist-check-gimp-console dist-dump-gimprc
 # in which case the git-version.h we ship is correct.
 git-version.h: update-git-version-header
 	@if test -d "$(top_srcdir)/.git"; then \
-	  echo "#define GIMP_GIT_VERSION \"`git log -n1 --reverse --pretty=%H`\"" > "$@.tmp"; \
+	  echo "#define GIMP_GIT_VERSION \"`git describe`\"" > "$@.tmp"; \
 	elif test ! -f "$@"; then \
 	  echo "#define GIMP_GIT_VERSION \"Unknown, shouldn't happen\"" > "$@.tmp"; \
 	fi
diff --git a/app/version.c b/app/version.c
index f286d3dd83..c1e7b62c62 100644
--- a/app/version.c
+++ b/app/version.c
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ gimp_version_show (gboolean be_verbose)
 
   if (be_verbose)
     {
-      g_print ("git commit %s", GIMP_GIT_VERSION);
+      g_print ("git-describe: %s", GIMP_GIT_VERSION);
       g_print ("\n");
 
       g_print ("\n");