diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 45332a3d3..543451b4a 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ import subprocess
 plugins = [s for s in os.listdir('plugins') if
            os.path.exists(os.path.join('plugins', s, 'plugin.py'))]
 
+version = None
 try:
     proc = subprocess.Popen('git show HEAD --format=%ci', shell=True,
             stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
@@ -60,14 +61,17 @@ try:
             .replace(' +', '+') \
             .replace(' ', 'T')
 
-    try:
-        os.unlink(os.path.join('src', 'version.py'))
-    except OSError: # Does not exist
-        pass
-    open(os.path.join('src', 'version.py'), 'a').write(
-            "version = '0.83.4.1+limnoria %s'\n" % version)
 except:
-    raise
+    pass
+if not version:
+    from time import gmtime, strftime
+    version = 'installed on ' + strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S+0000", gmtime())
+try:
+    os.unlink(os.path.join('src', 'version.py'))
+except OSError: # Does not exist
+    pass
+open(os.path.join('src', 'version.py'), 'a').write(
+        "version = '0.83.4.1+limnoria %s'\n" % version)
 
 from src.version import version