diff --git a/build.rs b/build.rs
index 3f0cbcc69..8a3834f4d 100644
--- a/build.rs
+++ b/build.rs
@@ -1,15 +1,10 @@
 fn main() {
-    let commit_id = std::process::Command::new("git")
-        .args([
-            "describe",
-            "--always",
-            "--match",
-            "__EXCLUDE__",
-            "--abbrev=7",
-        ])
+    if let Some(commit_id) = std::process::Command::new("git")
+        .args(["describe", "--always", "--dirty", "--exclude", "*"])
         .output()
-        .map(|r| String::from_utf8(r.stdout).unwrap())
-        .unwrap();
-
-    println!("cargo:rustc-env=AXON_COMMIT_ID={}", commit_id);
+        .ok()
+        .and_then(|r| String::from_utf8(r.stdout).ok())
+    {
+        println!("cargo:rustc-env=AXON_COMMIT_ID={}", commit_id);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/common/version/src/lib.rs b/common/version/src/lib.rs
index 0d122e671..6272cf7af 100644
--- a/common/version/src/lib.rs
+++ b/common/version/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 use std::fmt::{Display, Formatter};
 use std::str::FromStr;
 
+pub const DEFAULT_COMMIT_ID: &str = "unknown";
+
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord)]
 pub struct Version {
     inner: semver::Version,
@@ -22,7 +24,9 @@ impl Display for Version {
 
 impl Version {
     pub fn new(ver: &str) -> Self {
-        Version::from_str(ver).unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("Parse version error {:?}", e))
+        Version::from_str(ver)
+            .unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("Parse version error {:?}", e))
+            .set_commit_id(DEFAULT_COMMIT_ID)
     }
 
     pub fn new_with_commit_id(ver: &str, commit_id: &str) -> Self {
@@ -40,3 +44,17 @@ impl Version {
         self
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use semver::BuildMetadata;
+    use std::str::FromStr;
+
+    use crate::DEFAULT_COMMIT_ID;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_parse_default_commit_id() {
+        let build = BuildMetadata::from_str(DEFAULT_COMMIT_ID);
+        assert_eq!(build.unwrap().as_str(), DEFAULT_COMMIT_ID);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/core/cli/src/lib.rs b/core/cli/src/lib.rs
index 340d055c0..83f673b3b 100644
--- a/core/cli/src/lib.rs
+++ b/core/cli/src/lib.rs
@@ -47,14 +47,15 @@ pub struct CheckingVersionError {
 pub type Result<T, E = Error> = std::result::Result<T, E>;
 
 pub struct AxonCli {
-    version: Version,
-    matches: ArgMatches,
+    kernel_version:      Version,
+    application_version: Version,
+    matches:             ArgMatches,
 }
 
 impl AxonCli {
-    pub fn init(axon_version: Version) -> Self {
+    pub fn init(kernel_version: Version, application_version: Version) -> Self {
         let matches = Command::new("axon")
-            .version(axon_version.to_string())
+            .version(kernel_version.to_string())
             .subcommand_required(true)
             .subcommand(
                 Command::new("run")
@@ -78,7 +79,8 @@ impl AxonCli {
             );
 
         AxonCli {
-            version: axon_version,
+            kernel_version,
+            application_version,
             matches: matches.get_matches(),
         }
     }
@@ -112,7 +114,7 @@ impl AxonCli {
 
                     register_log(&config);
 
-                    Axon::new(self.version.to_string(), config, genesis)
+                    Axon::new(self.application_version.to_string(), config, genesis)
                         .run(key_provider)
                         .map_err(Error::Running)
                 }
@@ -128,7 +130,7 @@ impl AxonCli {
         // Won't panic because parent of data_path_for_version() is data_path.
         check_version(
             &config.data_path_for_version(),
-            &self.version,
+            &self.kernel_version,
             latest_compatible_version(),
         )
     }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 8498c4d6b..31cc88b42 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -13,8 +13,15 @@ use core_executor::FEE_ALLOCATOR;
 pub fn run(
     fee_allocator: impl FeeAllocate + 'static,
     key_provider: impl KeyProvider,
-    version: &'static str,
+    app_version: &'static str,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     FEE_ALLOCATOR.swap(Arc::new(Box::new(fee_allocator)));
-    AxonCli::init(version.parse().unwrap()).start_with_custom_key_provider(Some(key_provider))
+
+    AxonCli::init(
+        clap::crate_version!()
+            .parse()
+            .expect("Parse kernel version"),
+        app_version.parse().expect("Parse application version"),
+    )
+    .start_with_custom_key_provider(Some(key_provider))
 }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 55cb63b67..d71b32246 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -4,9 +4,12 @@ use common_version::Version;
 use core_cli::AxonCli;
 
 fn main() {
-    let version = Version::new_with_commit_id(crate_version!(), env!("AXON_COMMIT_ID"));
+    let crate_version = crate_version!();
+    let kernel_version = option_env!("AXON_COMMIT_ID")
+        .map(|commit_id| Version::new_with_commit_id(crate_version, commit_id))
+        .unwrap_or_else(|| Version::new(crate_version));
 
-    if let Err(e) = AxonCli::init(version).start() {
+    if let Err(e) = AxonCli::init(kernel_version.clone(), kernel_version).start() {
         eprintln!("Error {e}");
         std::process::exit(1);
     }