diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index ad4a6e7..ae3a62f 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -32,10 +32,15 @@ def get_setup_version():
     """Return a version string that can be used with the setup method. Includes
     additional commits since the last tagged commit.
     """
-    process = subprocess.Popen(COMMAND_DESCRIBE_VERSION, **SUBPROCESS_KWARGS)
-    process.wait()
-    version = process.communicate()[0].decode("utf-8").strip()
-    return re.match(re_version, version).group(1)
+    if os.path.isdir('.git'):
+        process = subprocess.Popen(COMMAND_DESCRIBE_VERSION,
+                                   **SUBPROCESS_KWARGS)
+        process.wait()
+        version = process.communicate()[0].decode("utf-8").strip()
+        return re.match(re_version, version).group(1)
+    else:
+        from cum.version import __version__
+        return __version__
 
 
 def get_version():