diff --git a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index 852c41c1f..ba0518c2c 100644
--- a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -202,5 +202,7 @@ def current_commit
     end
 
     [shasum, date]
+  rescue
+    [nil, nil]
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/layouts/_footer.html.erb b/app/views/layouts/_footer.html.erb
index 57b5b54f0..909be8b49 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/_footer.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/layouts/_footer.html.erb
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@
       </div>
     </div>
     <% sha, date = current_commit %>
-    <p>Powered by <%= link_to 'Codidact', 'https://codidact.org/' %>. Version <%= 
+    <p>Powered by <%= link_to 'Codidact', 'https://codidact.org/' %>. <% if sha&.present? %>Version <%= 
       link_to sha[0..7], "https://github.com/codidact/qpixel/commit/#{sha}" 
-    %> (<%= date.to_time.utc.strftime('%F %TZ') %>)
+    %> (<%= date.to_time.utc.strftime('%F %TZ') %>)<% end %>
     </p>
   </div>
 </footer>