diff --git a/scripts/config_version.rb b/scripts/config_version.rb
index 52f32c5..30b6b67 100755
--- a/scripts/config_version.rb
+++ b/scripts/config_version.rb
@@ -1,17 +1,23 @@
-require 'rugged'
+begin
+  require 'rugged'
+rescue LoadError => e
+  t = Time.new
+  puts t.to_i
+else
 
-environmentpath = ARGV[0]
-environment     = ARGV[1]
+  environmentpath = ARGV[0]
+  environment     = ARGV[1]
 
-repo = Rugged::Repository.discover(File.join(environmentpath, environment))
-head  = repo.head
+  repo = Rugged::Repository.discover(File.join(environmentpath, environment))
+  head  = repo.head
 
-#sha1 hash of the newest commit
-head_sha = head.target_id
+  #sha1 hash of the newest commit
+  head_sha = head.target_id
 
-#the commit message associated the newest commit
-commit = repo.lookup(head_sha)
+  #the commit message associated the newest commit
+  commit = repo.lookup(head_sha)
 
-#add something to find the remote url
+  #add something to find the remote url
 
-puts head_sha
+  puts head_sha 
+end
diff --git a/scripts/config_version.sh b/scripts/config_version.sh
index 543ec26..b4e6556 100755
--- a/scripts/config_version.sh
+++ b/scripts/config_version.sh
@@ -3,5 +3,7 @@ if [ -e /opt/puppetlabs/server/pe_version ]
 then 
   /opt/puppetlabs/puppet/bin/ruby $1/$2/scripts/config_version.rb $1 $2  
 else
-  /usr/bin/git --git-dir $1/$2/.git rev-parse HEAD
-fi
+  /usr/bin/git --version > /dev/null 2>&1 &&
+  /usr/bin/git --git-dir $1/$2/.git rev-parse HEAD ||
+  date +%s
+fi