diff --git a/build_tools/git_version_gen.sh b/build_tools/git_version_gen.sh
index 0cbd3c693..fde954793 100755
--- a/build_tools/git_version_gen.sh
+++ b/build_tools/git_version_gen.sh
@@ -53,16 +53,16 @@ fi
 
 if test -r "$FBVF"
 then
-	VC=$(grep -v '^#' "$FBVF" | tr -d '"' | sed -e 's/^FISH_BUILD_VERSION=//')
+	VC=$(cat "$FBVF")
 else
 	VC="unset"
 fi
 
 # Maybe output the FBVF
-# It looks like FISH_BUILD_VERSION="2.7.1-621-ga2f065e6"
+# It looks like "2.7.1-621-ga2f065e6"
 test "$VN" = "$VC" || {
-	echo >&2 "FISH_BUILD_VERSION=$VN"
-	echo "FISH_BUILD_VERSION=\"$VN\"" >"$FBVF"
+	echo >&2 "$VN"
+	echo "$VN" >"$FBVF"
 }
 
 # Output the fish-build-version-witness.txt
diff --git a/cmake/Install.cmake b/cmake/Install.cmake
index 16025801d..2d8012c6d 100644
--- a/cmake/Install.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Install.cmake
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ configure_file(fish.pc.in fish.pc.noversion @ONLY)
 add_custom_command(OUTPUT fish.pc
     COMMAND sed '/Version/d' fish.pc.noversion > fish.pc
     COMMAND printf "Version: " >> fish.pc
-    COMMAND sed 's/FISH_BUILD_VERSION=//\;s/\"//g' ${FBVF} >> fish.pc
+    COMMAND cat ${FBVF} >> fish.pc
     WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
     DEPENDS CHECK-FISH-BUILD-VERSION-FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/fish.pc.noversion)