diff --git a/common/environment/setup/git.sh b/common/environment/setup/git.sh
index a7395ef53f..5f9b157a89 100644
--- a/common/environment/setup/git.sh
+++ b/common/environment/setup/git.sh
@@ -7,9 +7,12 @@ fi
 
 if [ -n "$XBPS_USE_BUILD_MTIME" ]; then
 	unset SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH
-elif [ -z "${SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH}" -a -n "$IN_CHROOT" ]; then
+elif [ -z "${SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH}" ]; then
+	if [ -n "$IN_CHROOT" ]; then
+		msg_error "xbps-src's BUG: SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH is undefined\n"
+	fi
 	# check if the template is under version control:
-	if [ -z "$($XBPS_GIT_CMD -C ${XBPS_SRCPKGDIR}/${basepkg} ls-files template)" ]; then
+	if [ -n "$basepkg" -a -z "$($XBPS_GIT_CMD -C ${XBPS_SRCPKGDIR}/${basepkg} ls-files template)" ]; then
 		export SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH="$(stat -c %Y ${XBPS_SRCPKGDIR}/${basepkg}/template)"
 	else
 		export SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH="$($XBPS_GIT_CMD -C ${XBPS_DISTDIR} log --pretty='%ct' -n1 HEAD)"