diff --git a/config/auto/git_describe.pm b/config/auto/git_describe.pm
index 502587ab91..e795a44bd5 100644
--- a/config/auto/git_describe.pm
+++ b/config/auto/git_describe.pm
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ sub _init {
 sub runstep {
     my ( $self, $conf ) = @_;
 
+    return 1 unless -e '.git';
+
     my $describe = $Parrot::Git::Describe::current;
 
     if ( defined($describe) and $describe !~ /^REL(EASE)?_\d+_\d+_\d+(-\d+-g[0-9A-Fa-f]{7})?$/ ) {
diff --git a/config/auto/sha1.pm b/config/auto/sha1.pm
index c05fcd3758..9a716a63c2 100644
--- a/config/auto/sha1.pm
+++ b/config/auto/sha1.pm
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ sub _init {
 sub runstep {
     my ( $self, $conf ) = @_;
 
+    return 1 unless -e '.git';
+
     my $sha1 = $Parrot::SHA1::current;
     my $abbrev_sha1;