diff --git a/config/environment.rb.tmpl b/config/environment.rb.tmpl
index 56e80221..8ab4ade4 100644
--- a/config/environment.rb.tmpl
+++ b/config/environment.rb.tmpl
@@ -99,6 +99,11 @@ TRACKS_COOKIES_SECURE = false
 MOBILE_CONTENT_TYPE = 'tracks/mobile'
 Mime::Type.register(MOBILE_CONTENT_TYPE, :m)
 
-TRACKS_VERSION='1.7-devel'
-info=`git log --pretty=format:"%ai" -1`
-TRACKS_VERSION=TRACKS_VERSION+' ('+info+')'
\ No newline at end of file
+tracks_version='1.7-devel'
+
+# comment out next two lines if you do not want (or can not) the date of the 
+# last git commit in the footer
+info=`git log --pretty=format:"%ai" -1`+
+tracks_version=tracks_version + ' ('+info+')'
+
+TRACKS_VERSION=tracks_version
\ No newline at end of file