--- /dev/null
+Description: set a static version string rather than discern it from git
+--- a/meson.build
++++ b/meson.build
+@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ add_project_arguments(
+
+ conf = configuration_data()
+ conf.set_quoted('PACKAGE_NAME', meson.project_name())
++conf.set('VCS_TAG', meson.project_version())
+ conf.set('_GNU_SOURCE', 1, description : 'Enable GNU extensions on systems that have them.')
+
+ build_arping = get_option('BUILD_ARPING')
+@@ -207,10 +208,10 @@ foreach h : [
+ endif
+ endforeach
+
+-git_version_h = vcs_tag(
++git_version_h = configure_file(
+ input : 'git-version.h.meson',
+ output : 'git-version.h',
+- fallback : meson.project_version()
++ configuration: conf
+ )
+
+ config_h = configure_file(