diff --git a/contrib/semver/version.sh b/contrib/semver/version.sh
index 14dafa1..ca035ff 100644
--- a/contrib/semver/version.sh
+++ b/contrib/semver/version.sh
@@ -2,11 +2,20 @@
 
 # Get the last tag
 TAG=$(git describe --abbrev=0 --tags --match="v[0-9]*\.[0-9]*\.[0-9]*" 2>/dev/null)
-(test $? != 0 || test -z "$TAG") && (echo "unknown"; exit 1)
+
+# Did getting the tag succeed?
+if [ $? != 0 ] || [ -z "$TAG" ]; then
+  printf "unknown"
+  exit 1
+fi
 
 # Get the current branch
 BRANCH=$(git symbolic-ref -q HEAD --short 2>/dev/null)
-(test $? != 0 || test -z "$BRANCH") && BRANCH="master"
+
+# Did getting the branch succeed?
+if [ $? != 0 ] || [ -z "$BRANCH" ]; then
+  BRANCH="master"
+fi
 
 # Split out into major, minor and patch numbers
 MAJOR=$(echo $TAG | cut -c 2- | cut -d "." -f 1)
@@ -22,10 +31,15 @@ fi
 
 # Add the build tag on non-master branches
 if [ "$BRANCH" != "master" ]; then
-  BUILD=$(git rev-list $TAG..HEAD --count)
-  if [ $? = 0 ] && [ -n "$BUILD" ]; then
-    if [ $((BUILD)) -gt 0 ]; then
-        printf -- "-%04d" "$((BUILD))"
-    fi
+  BUILD=$(git rev-list $TAG..HEAD --count 2>/dev/null)
+
+  # Did getting the count of commits since the tag succeed?
+  if [ $? != 0 ] && [ -z "$BUILD" ]; then
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  # Is the build greater than zero?
+  if [ $((BUILD)) -gt 0 ]; then
+      printf -- "-%04d" "$((BUILD))"
   fi
 fi