diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index aaf08be2ef..359b892bab 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,8 +5,19 @@ if (NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
             "Build type options: Debug Release RelWithDebInfo MinSizeRel" FORCE)
 endif ()
 
-# obtain revision info from git
-find_package(Git)
+set(DUSK_VERSION_OVERRIDE "" CACHE STRING "Override version string (skips git detection and format validation)")
+
+if (DUSK_VERSION_OVERRIDE)
+    set(DUSK_WC_DESCRIBE "${DUSK_VERSION_OVERRIDE}")
+    set(DUSK_VERSION_STRING "0.0.0.0")
+    set(DUSK_SHORT_VERSION_STRING "0.0.0")
+    set(DUSK_WC_REVISION "")
+    set(DUSK_WC_BRANCH "")
+    set(DUSK_WC_DATE "")
+    message(STATUS "Dusklight version overridden to ${DUSK_WC_DESCRIBE}")
+else ()
+    # obtain revision info from git
+    find_package(Git)
 if (GIT_FOUND)
     # make sure version information gets re-run when the current Git HEAD changes
     execute_process(WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR} COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} rev-parse --git-path HEAD
@@ -63,6 +74,8 @@ else ()
     set(DUSK_SHORT_VERSION_STRING "0.0.0")
 endif ()
 
+endif ()
+
 # Add version information to CI environment variables
 if(DEFINED ENV{GITHUB_ENV})
     file(APPEND "$ENV{GITHUB_ENV}" "DUSK_VERSION=${DUSK_WC_DESCRIBE}\n")