diff --git a/build_tools/git_version_gen.sh b/build_tools/git_version_gen.sh
index 36f0c88bd..0cbd3c693 100755
--- a/build_tools/git_version_gen.sh
+++ b/build_tools/git_version_gen.sh
@@ -9,14 +9,26 @@ set -e
 # Find the fish directory as two levels up from script directory.
 FISH_BASE_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "$( dirname "$0" )" )" && pwd )"
 DEF_VER=unknown
+git_permission_failed=0
 
 # First see if there is a version file (included in release tarballs),
 # then try git-describe, then default.
 if test -f version
 then
 	VN=$(cat version) || VN="$DEF_VER"
-elif ! VN=$(git -C "$FISH_BASE_DIR" describe --always --dirty 2>/dev/null); then
-	VN="$DEF_VER"
+else
+    if VN=$(git -C "$FISH_BASE_DIR" describe --always --dirty 2>/dev/null); then
+       :
+    else
+        if test $? = 128; then
+            # Current git versions return status 128
+            # when run in a repo owned by another user.
+            # Even for describe and everything.
+            # This occurs for `sudo make install`.
+            git_permission_failed=1
+        fi
+	    VN="$DEF_VER"
+    fi
 fi
 
 # If the first param is --stdout, then output to stdout and exit.
@@ -30,6 +42,15 @@ fi
 test -n "$1" && OUTPUT_DIR=$1/ || OUTPUT_DIR=
 FBVF="${OUTPUT_DIR}FISH-BUILD-VERSION-FILE"
 
+if test "$VN" = unknown && test -r "$FBVF" && test "$git_permission_failed" = 1
+then
+    # HACK: Git failed, so we keep the current version file.
+    # This helps in case you built fish as a normal user
+    # and then try to `sudo make install` it.
+    date +%s > ${OUTPUT_DIR}fish-build-version-witness.txt
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 if test -r "$FBVF"
 then
 	VC=$(grep -v '^#' "$FBVF" | tr -d '"' | sed -e 's/^FISH_BUILD_VERSION=//')