diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/version.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/version.dart
index a57787931d1..ae26f300a55 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/version.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/version.dart
@@ -1049,23 +1049,47 @@ class GitTagVersion {
       }
     }
 
-    // If we're not currently on a tag, use git describe to find the most
-    // recent tag and number of commits past.
-    return parse(
-      git
-          .runSync([
-            'describe',
-            '--match',
-            '*.*.*',
-            '--long',
-            '--tags',
-            gitRef,
-          ], workingDirectory: workingDirectory)
-          .stdout
-          .trim(),
+    // If we don't exist in a tag, use git to find the latest tag.
+    return _useNewestTagAndCommitsPastFallback(
+      git: git,
+      workingDirectory: workingDirectory,
+      gitRef: gitRef,
     );
   }
 
+  static GitTagVersion _useNewestTagAndCommitsPastFallback({
+    required Git git,
+    required String? workingDirectory,
+    required String gitRef,
+  }) {
+    final String latestTag = git
+        .runSync([
+          'for-each-ref',
+          '--sort=-v:refname',
+          '--count=1',
+          '--format=%(refname:short)',
+          'refs/tags/[0-9]*.*.*',
+        ], workingDirectory: workingDirectory)
+        .stdout
+        .trim();
+
+    final String ancestorRef = git
+        .runSync(['merge-base', gitRef, latestTag], workingDirectory: workingDirectory)
+        .stdout
+        .trim();
+
+    final String commitCount = git
+        .runSync([
+          'rev-list',
+          '--count',
+          '$ancestorRef..$gitRef',
+        ], workingDirectory: workingDirectory)
+        .stdout
+        .trim();
+
+    return parse('$latestTag-$commitCount');
+  }
+
   /// Parse a version string.
   ///
   /// The version string can either be an exact release tag (e.g. '1.2.3' for
@@ -1109,6 +1133,7 @@ class GitTagVersion {
     );
   }
 
+  @visibleForTesting
   static GitTagVersion parse(String version) {
     GitTagVersion gitTagVersion;
 
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/commands.shard/permeable/upgrade_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/commands.shard/permeable/upgrade_test.dart
index 05d07a83b39..f8c86e0d7c9 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/commands.shard/permeable/upgrade_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/commands.shard/permeable/upgrade_test.dart
@@ -291,9 +291,8 @@ void main() {
             command: <String>['git', 'rev-parse', '--verify', '@{upstream}'],
             stdout: revision,
           ),
-          const FakeCommand(command: <String>['git', 'tag', '--points-at', revision]),
           const FakeCommand(
-            command: <String>['git', 'describe', '--match', '*.*.*', '--long', '--tags', revision],
+            command: <String>['git', 'tag', '--points-at', revision],
             stdout: version,
           ),
         ]);
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/version_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/version_test.dart
index 2498032f8b1..3b08c903976 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/version_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/version_test.dart
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import 'package:flutter_tools/src/features.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_tools/src/git.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_tools/src/globals.dart' as globals;
 import 'package:flutter_tools/src/version.dart';
+import 'package:meta/meta.dart';
 import 'package:test/fake.dart';
 
 import '../src/common.dart';
@@ -57,6 +58,34 @@ void main() {
     );
   });
 
+  /// Mocks the series of commands used to determine the Flutter version for `master`.
+  @useResult
+  List<FakeCommand> mockGitTagHistory({
+    required String latestTag,
+    required String headRef,
+    required String ancestorRef,
+    required int commitsBetweenRefs,
+  }) {
+    return [
+      FakeCommand(
+        command: const [
+          'git',
+          'for-each-ref',
+          '--sort=-v:refname',
+          '--count=1',
+          '--format=%(refname:short)',
+          'refs/tags/[0-9]*.*.*',
+        ],
+        stdout: latestTag,
+      ),
+      FakeCommand(command: ['git', 'merge-base', headRef, latestTag], stdout: ancestorRef),
+      FakeCommand(
+        command: ['git', 'rev-list', '--count', '$ancestorRef..$headRef'],
+        stdout: '$commitsBetweenRefs',
+      ),
+    ];
+  }
+
   for (final String channel in kOfficialChannels) {
     DateTime getChannelUpToDateVersion() {
       return _testClock.ago(VersionFreshnessValidator.versionAgeConsideredUpToDate(channel) ~/ 2);
@@ -100,17 +129,11 @@ void main() {
               stdout: '1234abcd',
             ),
             const FakeCommand(command: <String>['git', 'tag', '--points-at', '1234abcd']),
-            const FakeCommand(
-              command: <String>[
-                'git',
-                'describe',
-                '--match',
-                '*.*.*',
-                '--long',
-                '--tags',
-                '1234abcd',
-              ],
-              stdout: '0.1.2-3-1234abcd',
+            ...mockGitTagHistory(
+              latestTag: '',
+              headRef: '1234abcd',
+              ancestorRef: '',
+              commitsBetweenRefs: 0,
             ),
             FakeCommand(
               command: const <String>['git', 'symbolic-ref', '--short', 'HEAD'],
@@ -278,17 +301,11 @@ void main() {
               ],
             ),
             const FakeCommand(command: <String>['git', 'tag', '--points-at', '1234abcd']),
-            const FakeCommand(
-              command: <String>[
-                'git',
-                'describe',
-                '--match',
-                '*.*.*',
-                '--long',
-                '--tags',
-                '1234abcd',
-              ],
-              stdout: '0.1.2-3-1234abcd',
+            ...mockGitTagHistory(
+              latestTag: '0.1.2-3',
+              headRef: '1234abcd',
+              ancestorRef: 'abcd1234',
+              commitsBetweenRefs: 170,
             ),
             FakeCommand(
               command: const <String>['git', 'symbolic-ref', '--short', 'HEAD'],
@@ -467,17 +484,11 @@ void main() {
               stdout: '1234abcd',
             ),
             const FakeCommand(command: <String>['git', 'tag', '--points-at', '1234abcd']),
-            const FakeCommand(
-              command: <String>[
-                'git',
-                'describe',
-                '--match',
-                '*.*.*',
-                '--long',
-                '--tags',
-                '1234abcd',
-              ],
-              stdout: '0.1.2-3-1234abcd',
+            ...mockGitTagHistory(
+              latestTag: '0.1.2-3',
+              headRef: '1234abcd',
+              ancestorRef: 'abcd1234',
+              commitsBetweenRefs: 170,
             ),
             FakeCommand(
               command: const <String>['git', 'symbolic-ref', '--short', 'HEAD'],
@@ -859,9 +870,11 @@ void main() {
           stdout: '1234abcd',
         ),
         const FakeCommand(command: <String>['git', 'tag', '--points-at', '1234abcd']),
-        const FakeCommand(
-          command: <String>['git', 'describe', '--match', '*.*.*', '--long', '--tags', '1234abcd'],
-          stdout: '0.1.2-3-1234abcd',
+        ...mockGitTagHistory(
+          latestTag: '0.1.2-3',
+          headRef: '1234abcd',
+          ancestorRef: 'abcd1234',
+          commitsBetweenRefs: 170,
         ),
         const FakeCommand(
           command: <String>['git', 'symbolic-ref', '--short', 'HEAD'],
@@ -907,9 +920,11 @@ void main() {
           stdout: '1234abcd',
         ),
         const FakeCommand(command: <String>['git', 'tag', '--points-at', '1234abcd']),
-        const FakeCommand(
-          command: <String>['git', 'describe', '--match', '*.*.*', '--long', '--tags', '1234abcd'],
-          stdout: '0.1.2-3-1234abcd',
+        ...mockGitTagHistory(
+          latestTag: '0.1.2-3',
+          headRef: '1234abcd',
+          ancestorRef: 'abcd1234',
+          commitsBetweenRefs: 170,
         ),
         const FakeCommand(
           command: <String>['git', 'symbolic-ref', '--short', 'HEAD'],
@@ -1148,9 +1163,11 @@ void main() {
           stdout: '1234abcd',
         ),
         const FakeCommand(command: <String>['git', 'tag', '--points-at', '1234abcd']),
-        const FakeCommand(
-          command: <String>['git', 'describe', '--match', '*.*.*', '--long', '--tags', '1234abcd'],
-          stdout: '0.1.2-3-1234abcd',
+        ...mockGitTagHistory(
+          latestTag: '0.1.2-3',
+          headRef: '1234abcd',
+          ancestorRef: 'abcd1234',
+          commitsBetweenRefs: 170,
         ),
         const FakeCommand(
           command: <String>['git', 'symbolic-ref', '--short', 'HEAD'],
@@ -1400,15 +1417,16 @@ void main() {
   testUsingContext('determine reports correct git describe version if HEAD is not at a tag', () {
     const devTag = '1.2.0-2.0.pre';
     const headRevision = 'abcd1234';
-    const commitsAhead = '12';
     processManager.addCommands(<FakeCommand>[
       const FakeCommand(
         command: <String>['git', 'tag', '--points-at', 'HEAD'],
         // no output, since there's no tag
       ),
-      const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>['git', 'describe', '--match', '*.*.*', '--long', '--tags', 'HEAD'],
-        stdout: '$devTag-$commitsAhead-g$headRevision',
+      ...mockGitTagHistory(
+        latestTag: devTag,
+        headRef: 'HEAD',
+        ancestorRef: 'abcd1234',
+        commitsBetweenRefs: 12,
       ),
     ]);
     final platform = FakePlatform();
@@ -1425,9 +1443,11 @@ void main() {
   testUsingContext('determine does not call fetch --tags', () {
     processManager.addCommands(<FakeCommand>[
       const FakeCommand(command: <String>['git', 'tag', '--points-at', 'HEAD']),
-      const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>['git', 'describe', '--match', '*.*.*', '--long', '--tags', 'HEAD'],
-        stdout: 'v0.1.2-3-1234abcd',
+      ...mockGitTagHistory(
+        latestTag: 'v0.1.2-3',
+        headRef: 'HEAD',
+        ancestorRef: 'abcd1234',
+        commitsBetweenRefs: 12,
       ),
     ]);
     final platform = FakePlatform();
@@ -1443,9 +1463,11 @@ void main() {
         stdout: 'beta',
       ),
       const FakeCommand(command: <String>['git', 'tag', '--points-at', 'HEAD']),
-      const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>['git', 'describe', '--match', '*.*.*', '--long', '--tags', 'HEAD'],
-        stdout: 'v0.1.2-3-1234abcd',
+      ...mockGitTagHistory(
+        latestTag: 'v0.1.2-3',
+        headRef: 'HEAD',
+        ancestorRef: 'abcd1234',
+        commitsBetweenRefs: 12,
       ),
     ]);
     final platform = FakePlatform();
@@ -1464,9 +1486,11 @@ void main() {
         command: <String>['git', 'fetch', 'https://github.com/flutter/flutter.git', '--tags', '-f'],
       ),
       const FakeCommand(command: <String>['git', 'tag', '--points-at', 'HEAD']),
-      const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>['git', 'describe', '--match', '*.*.*', '--long', '--tags', 'HEAD'],
-        stdout: 'v0.1.2-3-1234abcd',
+      ...mockGitTagHistory(
+        latestTag: 'v0.1.2-3',
+        headRef: 'HEAD',
+        ancestorRef: 'abcd1234',
+        commitsBetweenRefs: 12,
       ),
     ]);
     final platform = FakePlatform();
@@ -1485,9 +1509,11 @@ void main() {
         command: <String>['git', 'fetch', 'https://githubmirror.com/flutter.git', '--tags', '-f'],
       ),
       const FakeCommand(command: <String>['git', 'tag', '--points-at', 'HEAD']),
-      const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>['git', 'describe', '--match', '*.*.*', '--long', '--tags', 'HEAD'],
-        stdout: 'v0.1.2-3-1234abcd',
+      ...mockGitTagHistory(
+        latestTag: 'v0.1.2-3',
+        headRef: 'HEAD',
+        ancestorRef: 'abcd1234',
+        commitsBetweenRefs: 12,
       ),
     ]);
     final platform = FakePlatform(