diff --git a/software/controller/platformio/build_config/auto_firmware_version.py b/software/controller/platformio/build_config/auto_firmware_version.py
index 5aa7dd19d0..d900651ce1 100755
--- a/software/controller/platformio/build_config/auto_firmware_version.py
+++ b/software/controller/platformio/build_config/auto_firmware_version.py
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@
 def get_firmware_specifier_build_flag():
     repo = git.Repo(search_parent_directories=True)
     # TODO: contingency for detached heads, individual commits or some mid-rebase situations?
-    GitVersion = repo.git.describe("--tags")
+    GitVersion = repo.head.object.hexsha
+    # TODO: reintroduce semantic version info using repo.git.describe("--tags")
     GitBranch = repo.active_branch.name
     GitDirty = int(repo.is_dirty(untracked_files=True))
     PioEnv = env["PIOENV"].upper()
diff --git a/software/utils/debug/test_data.py b/software/utils/debug/test_data.py
index e63322e08b..74df79bef8 100755
--- a/software/utils/debug/test_data.py
+++ b/software/utils/debug/test_data.py
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ def __init__(self, test_scenario):
         self.start_time_utc = datetime.utcnow()
         self.platform_uname = platform.uname()
         repo = git.Repo(search_parent_directories=True)
-        self.git_version = repo.git.describe("--tags")
+        self.git_version = repo.head.object.hexsha
+        # TODO: reintroduce semantic version info using repo.git.describe("--tags")
         self.git_branch = repo.active_branch.name
         self.git_dirty = repo.is_dirty(untracked_files=True)
         try: