diff --git a/configure b/configure
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -6662,28 +6662,6 @@ fi
 
 
 
-if test "x`git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree 2>/dev/null`" = "xtrue" ; then
-        rm -f "${srcroot}VERSION"
-  for pattern in '[0-9].[0-9].[0-9]' '[0-9].[0-9].[0-9][0-9]' \
-                 '[0-9].[0-9][0-9].[0-9]' '[0-9].[0-9][0-9].[0-9][0-9]' \
-                 '[0-9][0-9].[0-9].[0-9]' '[0-9][0-9].[0-9].[0-9][0-9]' \
-                 '[0-9][0-9].[0-9][0-9].[0-9]' \
-                 '[0-9][0-9].[0-9][0-9].[0-9][0-9]'; do
-    if test ! -e "${srcroot}VERSION" ; then
-      git describe --long --abbrev=40 --match="${pattern}" > "${srcroot}VERSION.tmp" 2>/dev/null
-      if test $? -eq 0 ; then
-        mv "${srcroot}VERSION.tmp" "${srcroot}VERSION"
-        break
-      fi
-    fi
-  done
-fi
-rm -f "${srcroot}VERSION.tmp"
-if test ! -e "${srcroot}VERSION" ; then
-  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: Missing VERSION file, and unable to generate it; creating bogus VERSION" >&5
-$as_echo "Missing VERSION file, and unable to generate it; creating bogus VERSION" >&6; }
-  echo "0.0.0-0-g0000000000000000000000000000000000000000" > "${srcroot}VERSION"
-fi
 jemalloc_version=`cat "${srcroot}VERSION"`
 jemalloc_version_major=`echo ${jemalloc_version} | tr ".g-" " " | awk '{print $1}'`
 jemalloc_version_minor=`echo ${jemalloc_version} | tr ".g-" " " | awk '{print $2}'`
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1055,32 +1055,6 @@ dnl ============================================================================
 dnl jemalloc configuration.
 dnl 
 
-dnl Set VERSION if source directory is inside a git repository.
-if test "x`git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree 2>/dev/null`" = "xtrue" ; then
-  dnl Pattern globs aren't powerful enough to match both single- and
-  dnl double-digit version numbers, so iterate over patterns to support up to
-  dnl version 99.99.99 without any accidental matches.
-  rm -f "${srcroot}VERSION"
-  for pattern in ['[0-9].[0-9].[0-9]' '[0-9].[0-9].[0-9][0-9]' \
-                 '[0-9].[0-9][0-9].[0-9]' '[0-9].[0-9][0-9].[0-9][0-9]' \
-                 '[0-9][0-9].[0-9].[0-9]' '[0-9][0-9].[0-9].[0-9][0-9]' \
-                 '[0-9][0-9].[0-9][0-9].[0-9]' \
-                 '[0-9][0-9].[0-9][0-9].[0-9][0-9]']; do
-    if test ! -e "${srcroot}VERSION" ; then
-      git describe --long --abbrev=40 --match="${pattern}" > "${srcroot}VERSION.tmp" 2>/dev/null
-      if test $? -eq 0 ; then
-        mv "${srcroot}VERSION.tmp" "${srcroot}VERSION"
-        break
-      fi
-    fi
-  done
-fi
-rm -f "${srcroot}VERSION.tmp"
-if test ! -e "${srcroot}VERSION" ; then
-  AC_MSG_RESULT(
-    [Missing VERSION file, and unable to generate it; creating bogus VERSION])
-  echo "0.0.0-0-g0000000000000000000000000000000000000000" > "${srcroot}VERSION"
-fi
 jemalloc_version=`cat "${srcroot}VERSION"`
 jemalloc_version_major=`echo ${jemalloc_version} | tr ".g-" " " | awk '{print [$]1}'`
 jemalloc_version_minor=`echo ${jemalloc_version} | tr ".g-" " " | awk '{print [$]2}'`