diff --git a/gradle/app-version.gradle b/gradle/app-version.gradle
index c0f4c3c4c23fa00d78ca1a4d5d4af2e67101f91c..c86b4d8c3bf3ebe1bdbc249074424c678c3af536 100644
--- a/gradle/app-version.gradle
+++ b/gradle/app-version.gradle
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 
 tasks.withType(JavaCompile) {
   doFirst {
-    try {
-      apply plugin: "com.palantir.git-version"
+    apply plugin: "com.palantir.git-version"
+
+    def versionFile = new File("${projectDir}/src/main/resources/version/nshmp-haz-version.json")
+    new File(versionFile.getParent()).mkdirs()
 
-      def versionFile = new File("${projectDir}/src/main/resources/version/nshmp-haz-version.json")
-      new File(versionFile.getParent()).mkdirs()
+    try {
       def details = versionDetails()
       def ciProjectUrl = System.getenv("CI_PROJECT_URL")
       def branch = System.getenv("CI_COMMIT_BRANCH")
@@ -23,7 +24,8 @@ tasks.withType(JavaCompile) {
       def json = groovy.json.JsonOutput.toJson(versionInfo)
       versionFile.write(groovy.json.JsonOutput.prettyPrint(json))
     } catch (Exception e) {
-      println("Failed to create version file.")
+      println("Failed to create version file. Writing blank file.")
+      versionFile.write('{}')
     }
   }
 }