diff --git a/CMakeModules/gitid.cmake b/CMakeModules/gitid.cmake
index 3d85482..270786b 100644
--- a/CMakeModules/gitid.cmake
+++ b/CMakeModules/gitid.cmake
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ if (GIT_EXECUTABLE)
   endif()
   message("Current git revision is ${MANUAL_GIT_ID}")
   set(MANUAL_GIT_ID "gitid: ${MANUAL_GIT_ID}")
+  set(MANUAL_GIT_ID "(MANUAL_GIT_ID)")
 else()
   set (MANUAL_GIT_ID)
 endif()
@@ -25,6 +26,6 @@ endif()
 set (GIT_HEADER "gitid.tex")
 set (NEW_GIT_HEADER "new_gitid.tex")
 string(REPLACE "_" "\\_" SANITIZED_PROJECT_VERSION "${PROJECT_VERSION}")
-file(WRITE ${NEW_GIT_HEADER} "\\newcommand{\\gitid}{${SANITIZED_PROJECT_VERSION} (${MANUAL_GIT_ID})}\n")
+file(WRITE ${NEW_GIT_HEADER} "\\newcommand{\\gitid}{${SANITIZED_PROJECT_VERSION} ${MANUAL_GIT_ID}}\n")
 execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_if_different ${NEW_GIT_HEADER} ${GIT_HEADER})
 execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E remove ${NEW_GIT_HEADER})
diff --git a/reference/CMakeLists.txt b/reference/CMakeLists.txt
index 55ec39d..b63f890 100644
--- a/reference/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/reference/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 add_custom_command(OUTPUT ${CURRENT_DIR}/csgid.tex
     COMMAND VOTCASHARE=${CSG_SHARE} ${CSG_CALL} --help > csg_call.help
-    COMMAND sed -n -e "'s/.*version \\(.*\\)/\\\\newcommand{\\\\csgid}{\\1}/p'" csg_call.help
-      > ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${CURRENT_DIR}/csgid.tex
+    COMMAND sed -n -e "'s/.*version \\(.*\\)/\\1/p'" csg_call.help > csg_call.version
+    COMMAND sed -e "'s/_/\\\\&/g'" -e "'s/.*/\\\\newcommand{\\\\csgid}{&}/'" csg_call.version > ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${CURRENT_DIR}/csgid.tex
     DEPENDS ${CSG_CALL})