diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 7ac71ae..5c21ed0 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ configure_file(config_h.cmake.in config.h)
 # get our git tag
 set(GIT_TAG UNRELEASED)
 execute_process(
-        COMMAND git describe --dirty --tags --always
+        COMMAND git describe --exclude=debian* --dirty --tags --always
         WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}
         OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_TAG
         OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 3f1251f..958a535 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST = gitrev.h dump.hh expr.hh grammar.hh log.hh prod.hh		\
     dut.hh postgres.hh monetdb.hh log-v1.0-to-v1.2.sql boring_sqlstates.txt
 
 gitrev.h: $(HEADERS) $(SOURCES)
-	-if git describe --dirty --tags --always > /dev/null ; then \
-	echo "#define GITREV \"$$(git describe --dirty --tags --always)\"" > $@ ;\
+	-if git describe --exclude='debian*' --dirty --tags --always > /dev/null ; then \
+	echo "#define GITREV \"$$(git describe --exclude='debian*' --dirty --tags --always)\"" > $@ ;\
 	else \
 	echo "#define GITREV \"unreleased\"" > $@ ;\
 	fi