diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 0fe5008ab..e3b376130 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -225,10 +225,14 @@ git = find_program('git', required: false)
 time_epoch = run_command(sh, '-c', 'echo "$SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH"', check: true).stdout().strip()
 if time_epoch == '' and git.found() and run_command('test', '-e', '.git', check: false).returncode() == 0
     # If we're in a git repository, use the creation time of the latest git tag.
-    latest_tag = run_command(git, 'describe', '--abbrev=0', '--tags', check: true).stdout().strip()
-    time_epoch = run_command(git, 'log', '--no-show-signature', '-1', '--format=%at', latest_tag, check: true).stdout()
-else
-    # Fallback to current epoch.
+    latest_tag = run_command(git, 'describe', '--abbrev=0', '--tags', check: false).stdout().strip()
+    if latest_tag != ''
+      time_epoch = run_command(git, 'log', '--no-show-signature', '-1', '--format=%at', latest_tag, check: true).stdout()
+    endif
+endif
+
+# Fallback to current epoch.
+if time_epoch == ''
     time_epoch = run_command(date, '+%s', check: true).stdout()
 endif
 generate_date = run_command(date, '--utc', '--date=@' + time_epoch, '+%Y-%m-%d', check: true).stdout().strip()