diff --git a/tools/helios-build/src/main.rs b/tools/helios-build/src/main.rs
index 0c12ad3..a0a2837 100644
--- a/tools/helios-build/src/main.rs
+++ b/tools/helios-build/src/main.rs
@@ -555,7 +555,11 @@ fn regen_illumos_sh<P: AsRef<Path>>(
          * numbers:
          */
         BuildType::Quick | BuildType::QuickDebug | BuildType::Full => {
-            let vers = "$(git describe --long --all HEAD | cut -d/ -f2-)";
+            let vers = "$($(git describe --all --long --dirty \
+                --match $(git branch --show-current) --exact-match \
+                    2>/dev/null || \
+                git describe --all --long --dirty) | \
+                cut -d/ -f2-)";
             (999999, vers.into(), "Oxide Helios Version ^v ^w-bit (onu)")
         }
     };
@@ -599,7 +603,12 @@ fn regen_illumos_sh<P: AsRef<Path>>(
                 smatch,$SMATCHBIN,smatch\"\n";
         }
     }
-    env += "export BUILDVERSION_EXEC=\"git describe --all --long --dirty\"\n";
+    env += "helios_build_buildversion_exec_function() { \n\
+        git describe --all --long --dirty \
+        --match $(git branch --show-current) --exact-match 2>/dev/null || \
+        git describe --all --long --dirty \n\
+        }\n";
+    env += "export BUILDVERSION_EXEC=helios_build_buildversion_exec_function\n";
     env += &format!("export DMAKE_MAX_JOBS={}\n", maxjobs);
     env += "export ENABLE_SMB_PRINTING='#'\n";
     match relver {