diff --git a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/assign_DISTNAME b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/assign_DISTNAME
index 2b1a204491..8bcccf41e2 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/assign_DISTNAME
+++ b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/assign_DISTNAME
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 # file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
 #
 # A helper script to be sourced into the gitian descriptors
+git remote add origin https://github.com/qtumproject/qtum
+git fetch origin
 
 if RECENT_TAG="$(git describe --exact-match HEAD 2> /dev/null)"; then
     VERSION="${RECENT_TAG#v}"