diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate.yml b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
index daa0811440d..fdaea301ef2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ jobs:
           apk add bash curl sudo jq pkgconfig \
           zlib-dev zlib-static binutils-gold curl \
           gcc g++ gmp-dev libc-dev libffi-dev make \
-          musl-dev ncurses-dev perl tar xz
+          musl-dev ncurses-dev perl tar xz git
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
@@ -368,9 +368,20 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           echo 'executable-static: true' >> cabal.validate.project
 
+      # Try to figure out why we have no git info, part 1
+      # The output is kinda nonsense because we don't tag or branch the way it expects,
+      # but in this case the only worrisome situation is it erroring.
+      - run: git describe
+
       - name: Build
         run: sh validate.sh $FLAGS -s build
 
+      # Try to figure out why we have no git info, part 2
+      - run: |
+          if $(cabal list-bin --builddir=dist-newstyle-validate-ghc-${{ env.GHC_FOR_RELEASE }} --project-file=cabal.validate.project cabal-install:exe:cabal) --version 2>&1 | grep ' , '; then
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
       - name: Tar cabal head executable
         run: |
           CABAL_EXEC=$(cabal list-bin --builddir=dist-newstyle-validate-ghc-${{ env.GHC_FOR_RELEASE }} --project-file=cabal.validate.project cabal-install:exe:cabal)