diff --git a/moose-core/CMakeLists.txt b/moose-core/CMakeLists.txt
index 390904c58e1e4ebd1f8a9c4e1337014f7676d173..7e4a21d1b7632aadfe565cd1642b4cb7bf72d26a 100644
--- a/moose-core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/moose-core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -31,7 +31,12 @@ if( (NOT MOOSE_VERSION) AND GIT_EXEC)
     file(WRITE ${VERSION_FILE} ${MOOSE_VERSION})
 elseif( (NOT MOOSE_VERSION) AND (NOT GIT_EXEC) )
     message(STATUS "+ Reading ${VERSION_FILE}" )
-    file(READ ${VERSION_FILE} GIT_VERSION_OUTPUT )
+    if(EXISTS ${VERSION_FILE} )
+        file(READ ${VERSION_FILE} MOOSE_VERSION )
+    else()
+        string(TIMESTAMP MOOSE_VERSION "nightly-%Y%m%d" )
+        set(GIT_VERSION_OUTPUT "nightly" )
+    endif( )
 elseif(MOOSE_VERSION)
     message(STATUS "+ Using user specified VERSION = ${MOOSE_VERSION}" )
     file(WRITE ${VERSION_FILE} ${MOOSE_VERSION})