diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index f8bbb82..5fadb6a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -53,13 +53,14 @@ elseif (CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "Profiling")
 endif()
 
 ## ion-c Build Version
-set(IONC_FULL_VERSION ${CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION})
+set(IONC_FULL_VERSION "v${CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION}-0-g000000") # Format cmake project version to match git describe output
 find_program(GIT_EXECUTABLE "git")
 add_custom_target(
    version
    ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -D SRC=${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/build_version.h.in
                     -D DST=${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/build_version.h
                     -D GIT_EXECUTABLE=${GIT_EXECUTABLE}
+                    -D IONC_FULL_VERSION=${IONC_FULL_VERSION}
                     -P ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/VersionHeader.cmake
 )
 
diff --git a/cmake/VersionHeader.cmake b/cmake/VersionHeader.cmake
index 2bdcd36..c05e291 100644
--- a/cmake/VersionHeader.cmake
+++ b/cmake/VersionHeader.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-set(IONC_FULL_VERSION "${CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION}")
 if (GIT_EXECUTABLE)
    execute_process(
       COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} describe --long --tags --dirty --match "v*"