diff --git a/semantic.cabal b/semantic.cabal
index b3d7abcff..42b6c8ed4 100644
--- a/semantic.cabal
+++ b/semantic.cabal
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ library
                      , StrictData
                      , TypeApplications
   if flag(release)
-    ghc-options:       -Wall -Werror -Wmissing-export-lists -Wcompat -Wincomplete-record-updates -Wincomplete-uni-patterns -Wredundant-constraints -fno-warn-name-shadowing -O1 -j
+    ghc-options:       -Wall -Werror -Wmissing-export-lists -Wcompat -Wincomplete-record-updates -Wincomplete-uni-patterns -Wredundant-constraints -fno-warn-name-shadowing -O1 -j -DCOMPUTE_GIT_SHA
   else
     ghc-options:       -Wall -Wmissing-export-lists -Wcompat -Wincomplete-record-updates -Wincomplete-uni-patterns -Wredundant-constraints -fno-warn-name-shadowing -O0 -j
   ghc-prof-options:    -fprof-auto
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ executable semantic
   hs-source-dirs:      app
   main-is:             Main.hs
   if flag(release)
-    ghc-options:       -threaded -rtsopts "-with-rtsopts=-N -A4m -n2m" -static -j -O1 -j
+    ghc-options:       -threaded -rtsopts "-with-rtsopts=-N -A4m -n2m" -static -j -O1 -j -DCOMPUTE_GIT_SHA
   else
     ghc-options:       -threaded -rtsopts "-with-rtsopts=-N -A4m -n2m" -static -j -O0 -j
   cc-options:          -DU_STATIC_IMPLEMENTATION=1
diff --git a/src/Semantic/Version.hs b/src/Semantic/Version.hs
index 782cbc1f8..bba60272e 100644
--- a/src/Semantic/Version.hs
+++ b/src/Semantic/Version.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
+#ifdef COMPUTE_GIT_SHA
 {-# OPTIONS_GHC -fforce-recomp #-} -- So that gitHash is correct.
+#endif
 {-# LANGUAGE TemplateHaskell #-}
 module Semantic.Version
   ( buildSHA
@@ -6,12 +9,19 @@ module Semantic.Version
   ) where
 
 import Data.Version (showVersion)
+#ifdef COMPUTE_GIT_SHA
 import Development.GitRev
+#endif
 import Paths_semantic (version)
 
 -- The SHA1 hash of this build of semantic.
+-- If compiled as a development build, this will be all zeroes.
 buildSHA :: String
+#ifdef COMPUTE_GIT_SHA
 buildSHA = $(gitHash)
+#else
+buildSHA = "<development>"
+#endif
 
 -- The version string of this build of semantic.
 buildVersion :: String