--- autoconf.py.orig	2026-08-08 21:56:03.604885112 +0000
+++ autoconf.py	2026-08-08 21:56:22.498353654 +0000
@@ -32,6 +32,13 @@
     return shutil.which("perl")
 
 def get_latest_semver_tag():
+    """Return the version, honoring MLDONKEY_VERSION when set.
+
+    Distributors build from a tarball, where no git repository (and
+    possibly no git at all) is available."""
+    override = os.environ.get("MLDONKEY_VERSION")
+    if override:
+        return override
     try:
         latest_tag = subprocess.check_output(
             ["git", "describe", "--tags", "--abbrev=0"],
@@ -39,10 +46,13 @@
         ).strip()
         match = re.search(r'(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)', latest_tag)
         return match.group(1) if match else None
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, FileNotFoundError):
         return None
 
 def get_git_version_description():
+    override = os.environ.get("MLDONKEY_SCM_VERSION")
+    if override:
+        return override
     try:
         result = subprocess.run(
             ["git", "describe", "--tags", "--long"],
@@ -52,8 +62,8 @@
             check=True
         )
         return result.stdout.strip()
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-        print(f"Error running git describe: {e.stderr.strip()}")
+    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, FileNotFoundError) as e:
+        print(f"Error running git describe: {e}")
         return None
 
 def extract_semver(s):
@@ -95,13 +105,15 @@
     return f"{system} {machine} {kernel}"
 
 def is_commit_tagged():
+    if os.environ.get("MLDONKEY_VERSION"):
+        return True
     try:
         tags = subprocess.check_output(
             ["git", "tag", "--points-at", "HEAD"],
             text=True
         ).strip()
         return bool(tags)
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, FileNotFoundError):
         return False
 
 perl_path = get_perl_path()