diff --git a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml
index 6e8203be82..aa5508c1ba 100755
--- a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ script: |
   export PATH=${WRAP_DIR}:${PATH}
 
   # Create the release tarball using (arbitrarily) the first host
+  export GIT_DIR="$PWD/.git"
   ./autogen.sh
   CONFIG_SITE=${BASEPREFIX}/`echo "${HOSTS}" | awk '{print $1;}'`/share/config.site ./configure --prefix=/
   make dist
diff --git a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-osx.yml b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-osx.yml
index 2995b31939..ab5b5d9b68 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-osx.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-osx.yml
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ script: |
   export PATH=${WRAP_DIR}:${PATH}
 
   # Create the release tarball using (arbitrarily) the first host
+  export GIT_DIR="$PWD/.git"
   ./autogen.sh
   CONFIG_SITE=${BASEPREFIX}/`echo "${HOSTS}" | awk '{print $1;}'`/share/config.site ./configure --prefix=/
   make dist
diff --git a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win.yml b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win.yml
index ee1a171498..ff38be782a 100755
--- a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win.yml
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ script: |
   export PATH=${WRAP_DIR}:${PATH}
 
   # Create the release tarball using (arbitrarily) the first host
+  export GIT_DIR="$PWD/.git"
   ./autogen.sh
   CONFIG_SITE=${BASEPREFIX}/`echo "${HOSTS}" | awk '{print $1;}'`/share/config.site ./configure --prefix=/
   make dist
diff --git a/share/genbuild.sh b/share/genbuild.sh
index eecac4bd00..32ef2a5755 100755
--- a/share/genbuild.sh
+++ b/share/genbuild.sh
@@ -17,9 +17,13 @@ else
     exit 1
 fi
 
+git_check_in_repo() {
+    ! { git status --porcelain -uall --ignored "$@" 2>/dev/null || echo '??'; } | grep -q '?'
+}
+
 DESC=""
 SUFFIX=""
-if [ -e "$(which git 2>/dev/null)" -a "$(git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree 2>/dev/null)" = "true" ]; then
+if [ "${BITCOIN_GENBUILD_NO_GIT}" != "1" -a -e "$(which git 2>/dev/null)" -a "$(git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree 2>/dev/null)" = "true" ] && git_check_in_repo share/genbuild.sh; then
     # clean 'dirty' status of touched files that haven't been modified
     git diff >/dev/null 2>/dev/null