diff --git a/utils/packpack/startpackpack.sh b/utils/packpack/startpackpack.sh
index 9f010d190..d5ca7ff71 100755
--- a/utils/packpack/startpackpack.sh
+++ b/utils/packpack/startpackpack.sh
@@ -119,8 +119,8 @@ setdebpkgver () {
 
     # DEBUG
     git describe --long --always
-    sed -n 's/^\([0-9\.]*\)-\([0-9]*\)-\([a-z0-9]*\)/\1/p')
-    sed -n 's/^\([0-9\.]*\)-\([0-9]*\)-\([a-z0-9]*\)/\2/p')
+    git describe --long --always | sed -n 's/^\([0-9\.]*\)-\([0-9]*\)-\([a-z0-9]*\)/\1/p'
+    git describe --long --always | sed -n 's/^\([0-9\.]*\)-\([0-9]*\)-\([a-z0-9]*\)/\2/p'
     
     # Set VERSION to x.xx.x+x e.g. 1.30.2+15
     # the last x is number of commits since release