diff --git a/vcsh b/vcsh
index f9bea25db43dca013dc9e43a4619b547f76a5b80..de1b419f4ce57ee0d74233d4156358d418f3055a 100755
--- a/vcsh
+++ b/vcsh
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ write_gitignore() {
 
 	use
 	cd "$VCSH_BASE" || fatal "could not enter '$VCSH_BASE'" 11
-	local GIT_VERSION=$(git --version)
+	local GIT_VERSION="$(git --version)"
 	local GIT_VERSION_MAJOR=$(echo $GIT_VERSION | sed -n 's/.* \([0-9]\)\..*/\1/p')
 	local GIT_VERSION_MINOR=$(echo $GIT_VERSION | sed -n 's/.* \([0-9]\)\.\([0-9]\)\..*/\2/p')
 	OLDIFS=$IFS