diff --git a/version_string.sh b/version_string.sh
index 998f9eed..2f9cac3f 100755
--- a/version_string.sh
+++ b/version_string.sh
@@ -115,14 +115,11 @@ if [ -n "$dirty" ] && ! $allow_modified; then
 fi
 
 # Use the "git describe" command to form the version string and append $dirty.
-extragitflags=
-set +e
-error=`git describe --match="$version_tag_glob" 2>&1 1>/dev/null`
-desc=`git describe --match="$version_tag_glob" 2>/dev/null`
-set -e
+# This ugly construction is required for use on machines with bash version 3.
+error="$(git describe --match="$version_tag_glob" 2>&1 1>/dev/null)" || true
 
-if [ "x$error" == "x" ]; then
-   echo $desc$dirty
+if [ -z "$error" ]; then
+   echo "$(git describe --match="$version_tag_glob")"$dirty
    exit 0
 fi