diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 5b47701b7..423ae9988 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -29,9 +29,7 @@ Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
 AC_PREREQ(2.61)
 
 AC_INIT([GNU Guile],
-        m4_esyscmd([build-aux/git-version-gen					\
-          .tarball-version							\
-          's/^release_\([0-9][0-9]*\)-\([0-9][0-9]*\)-\([0-9][0-9]*\)/v\1.\2\.\3/g']),
+        m4_esyscmd([build-aux/git-version-gen .tarball-version]),
         [bug-guile@gnu.org])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([build-aux])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])