diff --git a/scripts/generate_git_version.sh b/scripts/generate_git_version.sh
index ab4eb3f..49e07a0 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_git_version.sh
+++ b/scripts/generate_git_version.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 INC_DIR=$1
 
-GIT_VERSION=$(git describe --always --tags)
+GIT_VERSION=$(git describe --always --tags --long)
 
 echo "#define SEQWISH_GIT_VERSION" \"$GIT_VERSION\" > $1/seqwish_git_version.hpp.tmp
 diff $1/seqwish_git_version.hpp.tmp $1/seqwish_git_version.hpp >/dev/null || cp $1/seqwish_git_version.hpp.tmp $1/seqwish_git_version.hpp