diff --git a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml
index 3da8510cf..82f4c7e0a 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@ script: |
   export PATH=${WRAP_DIR}:${PATH}
 
   # Create the release tarball using (arbitrarily) the first host
-  export GIT_DIR="$PWD/.git"
   ./autogen.sh
   CONFIG_SITE=${BASEPREFIX}/`echo "${HOSTS}" | awk '{print $1;}'`/share/config.site ./configure --prefix=/
   make dist
@@ -145,6 +144,9 @@ script: |
   find bitcoin-* | sort | tar --no-recursion --mode='u+rw,go+r-w,a+X' --owner=0 --group=0 -c -T - | gzip -9n > ../$SOURCEDIST
   popd
 
+  # Workaround for tarball not building with the bare tag version (prep)
+  make -C src obj/build.h
+
   ORIGPATH="$PATH"
   # Extract the release tarball into a dir for each host and build
   for i in ${HOSTS}; do
@@ -155,6 +157,11 @@ script: |
     mkdir -p ${INSTALLPATH}
     tar --strip-components=1 -xf ../$SOURCEDIST
 
+    # Workaround for tarball not building with the bare tag version
+    echo '#!/bin/true' >share/genbuild.sh
+    mkdir src/obj
+    cp ../src/obj/build.h src/obj/
+
     CONFIG_SITE=${BASEPREFIX}/${i}/share/config.site ./configure --prefix=/ --disable-ccache --disable-maintainer-mode --disable-dependency-tracking ${CONFIGFLAGS} CFLAGS="${HOST_CFLAGS}" CXXFLAGS="${HOST_CXXFLAGS}" LDFLAGS="${HOST_LDFLAGS}"
     make ${MAKEOPTS}
     make ${MAKEOPTS} -C src check-security
diff --git a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-osx.yml b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-osx.yml
index 206db7c19..35dee579a 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-osx.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-osx.yml
@@ -101,7 +101,6 @@ script: |
   export PATH=${WRAP_DIR}:${PATH}
 
   # Create the release tarball using (arbitrarily) the first host
-  export GIT_DIR="$PWD/.git"
   ./autogen.sh
   CONFIG_SITE=${BASEPREFIX}/`echo "${HOSTS}" | awk '{print $1;}'`/share/config.site ./configure --prefix=/
   make dist
@@ -115,6 +114,9 @@ script: |
   find bitcoin-* | sort | tar --no-recursion --mode='u+rw,go+r-w,a+X' --owner=0 --group=0 -c -T - | gzip -9n > ../$SOURCEDIST
   popd
 
+  # Workaround for tarball not building with the bare tag version (prep)
+  make -C src obj/build.h
+
   ORIGPATH="$PATH"
   # Extract the release tarball into a dir for each host and build
   for i in ${HOSTS}; do
@@ -125,6 +127,11 @@ script: |
     mkdir -p ${INSTALLPATH}
     tar --strip-components=1 -xf ../$SOURCEDIST
 
+    # Workaround for tarball not building with the bare tag version
+    echo '#!/bin/true' >share/genbuild.sh
+    mkdir src/obj
+    cp ../src/obj/build.h src/obj/
+
     CONFIG_SITE=${BASEPREFIX}/${i}/share/config.site ./configure --prefix=/ --disable-ccache --disable-maintainer-mode --disable-dependency-tracking ${CONFIGFLAGS}
     make ${MAKEOPTS}
     make install-strip DESTDIR=${INSTALLPATH}
diff --git a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win.yml b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win.yml
index 1d4d70494..b39611659 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win.yml
@@ -116,7 +116,6 @@ script: |
   export PATH=${WRAP_DIR}:${PATH}
 
   # Create the release tarball using (arbitrarily) the first host
-  export GIT_DIR="$PWD/.git"
   ./autogen.sh
   CONFIG_SITE=${BASEPREFIX}/`echo "${HOSTS}" | awk '{print $1;}'`/share/config.site ./configure --prefix=/
   make dist
@@ -132,6 +131,9 @@ script: |
   cp ../$SOURCEDIST $OUTDIR/src
   popd
 
+  # Workaround for tarball not building with the bare tag version (prep)
+  make -C src obj/build.h
+
   ORIGPATH="$PATH"
   # Extract the release tarball into a dir for each host and build
   for i in ${HOSTS}; do
@@ -142,6 +144,11 @@ script: |
     mkdir -p ${INSTALLPATH}
     tar --strip-components=1 -xf ../$SOURCEDIST
 
+    # Workaround for tarball not building with the bare tag version
+    echo '#!/bin/true' >share/genbuild.sh
+    mkdir src/obj
+    cp ../src/obj/build.h src/obj/
+
     CONFIG_SITE=${BASEPREFIX}/${i}/share/config.site ./configure --prefix=/ --disable-ccache --disable-maintainer-mode --disable-dependency-tracking ${CONFIGFLAGS} CFLAGS="${HOST_CFLAGS}" CXXFLAGS="${HOST_CXXFLAGS}"
     make ${MAKEOPTS}
     make ${MAKEOPTS} -C src check-security