diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/main.py b/lib/spack/spack/main.py
index 1bab26c2e1a2ee93e396a012d71e1600fc7804a5..d19578007b4d976c681fbeecca9544bd523e005e 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/main.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/main.py
@@ -128,8 +128,8 @@ def get_version():
         git = exe.which("git")
         if git:
             with fs.working_dir(spack.paths.prefix):
-                desc = git(
-                    "describe", "--tags", output=str, fail_on_error=False)
+                desc = git("describe", "--tags", "--match", "v*",
+                           output=str, error=os.devnull, fail_on_error=False)
 
             if git.returncode == 0:
                 match = re.match(r"v([^-]+)-([^-]+)-g([a-f\d]+)", desc)