--- configure.ac.orig	2019-10-19 12:02:23.000000000 -0700
+++ configure.ac	2020-03-25 00:20:31.000000000 -0700
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 # if autoconf is used not in a git source tree, use version=2.5.9
 AC_INIT([balsa],
-        m4_esyscmd([test -d .git && echo -n `git describe --tags` || echo -n 2.5.9]),
+        [2.5.9],
         [])
 
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE