diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index fcf70d9aa9..362c68984e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -75,7 +75,9 @@ idf_get_git_revision()
 idf_check_config_target()
 
 ## get PROJECT_VER
-app_get_revision("${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}")
+if(NOT BOOTLOADER_BUILD)
+    app_get_revision("${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}")
+endif()
 
 # Add some idf-wide definitions
 idf_set_global_compile_options()
diff --git a/components/app_update/component.mk b/components/app_update/component.mk
index 28125e242b..4d4097f267 100644
--- a/components/app_update/component.mk
+++ b/components/app_update/component.mk
@@ -11,11 +11,13 @@ ifndef IS_BOOTLOADER_BUILD
 GET_PROJECT_VER ?=
 ifeq ("${PROJECT_VER}", "")
 ifeq ("$(wildcard ${PROJECT_PATH}/version.txt)","")
-GET_PROJECT_VER := $(shell cd ${PROJECT_PATH} && git describe --always --tags --dirty || echo "Not found git repo")
-ifeq ("${GET_PROJECT_VER}", "Not found git repo")
-$(info Project do not have git repo, it needs to get PROJECT_VER from `git describe` command.)
-GET_PROJECT_VER := ""
+
+GET_PROJECT_VER := $(shell cd ${PROJECT_PATH} && git describe --always --tags --dirty 2> /dev/null)
+ifeq ("${GET_PROJECT_VER}", "")
+GET_PROJECT_VER := "1"
+$(info Project is not inside a git repository, will not use 'git describe' to determine PROJECT_VER.)
 endif
+
 else
 # read from version.txt
 GET_PROJECT_VER := $(shell cat ${PROJECT_PATH}/version.txt)
@@ -24,7 +26,7 @@ endif
 # If ``PROJECT_VER`` variable set in project Makefile file, its value will be used.
 # Else, if the ``$PROJECT_PATH/version.txt`` exists, its contents will be used as ``PROJECT_VER``.
 # Else, if the project is located inside a Git repository, the output of git describe will be used.
-# Otherwise, ``PROJECT_VER`` will be empty.
+# Otherwise, ``PROJECT_VER`` will be "1".
 
 ifeq ("${PROJECT_VER}", "")
 PROJECT_VER:= $(GET_PROJECT_VER)
diff --git a/docs/en/api-guides/build-system-cmake.rst b/docs/en/api-guides/build-system-cmake.rst
index e142b2a71e..24f8b651fe 100644
--- a/docs/en/api-guides/build-system-cmake.rst
+++ b/docs/en/api-guides/build-system-cmake.rst
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ The following variables are set at the project level, but available for use in c
 * If ``PROJECT_VER`` variable set in project CMakeLists.txt file, its value will be used.
 * Else, if the ``$PROJECT_PATH/version.txt`` exists, its contents will be used as ``PROJECT_VER``.
 * Else, if the project is located inside a Git repository, the output of git describe will be used.
-* Otherwise, ``PROJECT_VER`` will be empty.
+* Otherwise, ``PROJECT_VER`` will be "1".
 
 If you modify any of these variables inside ``CMakeLists.txt`` then this will not prevent other components from building but it may make your component hard to build and/or debug.
 
diff --git a/docs/en/api-guides/build-system.rst b/docs/en/api-guides/build-system.rst
index f52143cc8c..a489d5e456 100644
--- a/docs/en/api-guides/build-system.rst
+++ b/docs/en/api-guides/build-system.rst
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ The following variables are set at the project level, but exported for use in th
 * If ``PROJECT_VER`` variable set in project Makefile file, its value will be used.
 * Else, if the ``$PROJECT_PATH/version.txt`` exists, its contents will be used as ``PROJECT_VER``.
 * Else, if the project is located inside a Git repository, the output of git describe will be used.
-* Otherwise, ``PROJECT_VER`` will be empty.
+* Otherwise, ``PROJECT_VER`` will be "1".
 
 If you modify any of these variables inside ``component.mk`` then this will not prevent other components from building but it may make your component hard to build and/or debug.
 
diff --git a/tools/cmake/idf_functions.cmake b/tools/cmake/idf_functions.cmake
index a06aa81298..230ac96a48 100644
--- a/tools/cmake/idf_functions.cmake
+++ b/tools/cmake/idf_functions.cmake
@@ -227,19 +227,24 @@ endfunction()
 # If PROJECT_VER variable set in project CMakeLists.txt file, its value will be used.
 # Else, if the _project_path/version.txt exists, its contents will be used as PROJECT_VER.
 # Else, if the project is located inside a Git repository, the output of git describe will be used.
-# Otherwise, PROJECT_VER will be empty.
+# Otherwise, PROJECT_VER will be "1".
 function(app_get_revision _project_path)
-    git_describe(PROJECT_VER_GIT "${_project_path}")
     if(NOT DEFINED PROJECT_VER)
         if(EXISTS "${_project_path}/version.txt")
             file(STRINGS "${_project_path}/version.txt" PROJECT_VER)
             set_property(DIRECTORY APPEND PROPERTY CMAKE_CONFIGURE_DEPENDS "${_project_path}/version.txt")
         else()
-            set(PROJECT_VER ${PROJECT_VER_GIT})
+            git_describe(PROJECT_VER_GIT "${_project_path}")
+            if(PROJECT_VER_GIT)
+                set(PROJECT_VER ${PROJECT_VER_GIT})
+            else()
+                message(STATUS "Project is not inside a git repository, \
+                        will not use 'git describe' to determine PROJECT_VER.")
+                set(PROJECT_VER "1")
+            endif()
         endif()
     endif()
     message(STATUS "Project version: ${PROJECT_VER}")
-    git_submodule_check("${_project_path}")
     set(PROJECT_VER ${PROJECT_VER} PARENT_SCOPE)
 endfunction()