diff --git a/src/cc65/make/gcc.mak b/src/cc65/make/gcc.mak
index 6116331f1..76b0f08a9 100644
--- a/src/cc65/make/gcc.mak
+++ b/src/cc65/make/gcc.mak
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ LDFLAGS = -lm
 # Determine the svn version number if possible
 ifneq "$(shell which svnversion 2>/dev/null)" ""
 SVNVERSION=$(shell svnversion)
+ifeq "$(SVNVERSION)" "exported"
+SVNVERSION=unknown
+endif
+ifeq "$(SVNVERSION)" "Unversioned directory"
+SVNVERSION=unknown
+endif
 else
 SVNVERSION=unknown
 endif
diff --git a/src/cc65/make/watcom.mak b/src/cc65/make/watcom.mak
index ea83b0e1b..a5f2887cd 100644
--- a/src/cc65/make/watcom.mak
+++ b/src/cc65/make/watcom.mak
@@ -29,9 +29,11 @@ EXE	= cc65.exe
 
 # Determine the svn version number if possible
 ifneq "$(shell which svnversion 2>/dev/null)" ""
-ifneq "$(wildcard .svn)" ""
 SVNVERSION=$(shell svnversion)
-else
+ifeq "$(SVNVERSION)" "exported"
+SVNVERSION=unknown
+endif
+ifeq "$(SVNVERSION)" "Unversioned directory"
 SVNVERSION=unknown
 endif
 else