diff --git a/internal/build/env.go b/internal/build/env.go
index 52fdf5a406..91a52a30e1 100644
--- a/internal/build/env.go
+++ b/internal/build/env.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package build
 import (
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
-	"log"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -118,12 +117,14 @@ func getDate(commit string) string {
 		return ""
 	}
 	out := RunGit("show", "-s", "--format=%ct", commit)
-	ti, err := strconv.ParseInt(strings.TrimSpace(out), 10, 64)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal("Could not convert gitCommit date. Trying to parse: '" + out + "' The error is: " + err.Error())
+	if out == "" {
 		return ""
 	}
-	return time.Unix(ti, 0).Format("20060102")
+	date, err := strconv.ParseInt(strings.TrimSpace(out), 10, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to parse git commit date: %v", err))
+	}
+	return time.Unix(date, 0).Format("20060102")
 }
 
 func applyEnvFlags(env Environment) Environment {
diff --git a/internal/build/util.go b/internal/build/util.go
index 319c0f2d3e..971d948c44 100644
--- a/internal/build/util.go
+++ b/internal/build/util.go
@@ -68,13 +68,14 @@ func RunGit(args ...string) string {
 	cmd := exec.Command("git", args...)
 	var stdout, stderr bytes.Buffer
 	cmd.Stdout, cmd.Stderr = &stdout, &stderr
-	if err := cmd.Run(); err == exec.ErrNotFound {
-		if !warnedAboutGit {
-			log.Println("Warning: can't find 'git' in PATH")
-			warnedAboutGit = true
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		if e, ok := err.(*exec.Error); ok && e.Err == exec.ErrNotFound {
+			if !warnedAboutGit {
+				log.Println("Warning: can't find 'git' in PATH")
+				warnedAboutGit = true
+			}
+			return ""
 		}
-		return ""
-	} else if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(strings.Join(cmd.Args, " "), ": ", err, "\n", stderr.String())
 	}
 	return strings.TrimSpace(stdout.String())