Index: sys/conf/newvers.sh
===================================================================
--- sys/conf/newvers.sh
+++ sys/conf/newvers.sh
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@
 	cd ${SYSDIR}/..
 	while [ $(pwd) != "/" ]; do
 		if [ -e "./$1" ]; then
-			VCSDIR=$(pwd)"/$1"
+			VCSTOP=$(pwd)
+			VCSDIR=${VCSTOP}"/$1"
 			cd ${savedir}
 			return 0
 		fi
@@ -75,6 +76,32 @@
 	return 1
 }
 
+git_tree_modified()
+{
+	# git diff-index lists both files that are known to have changes as
+	# well as those with metadata that does not match what is recorded in
+	# git's internal state.  The later case is indicated by an all-zero
+	# destination file SHA.
+	fifo=$(mktemp -u)
+	mkfifo -m 600 $fifo
+	$git_cmd --work-tree=${VCSTOP} diff-index HEAD > $fifo &
+
+	while read smode dmode ssha dsha status file; do
+		if ! expr $dsha : '^00*$' >/dev/null; then
+			rm $fifo
+			return 0
+		fi
+		if ! (cd "${VCSTOP}" && $git_cmd diff --quiet -- "$file"); then
+			rm $fifo
+			return 0
+		fi
+	done < $fifo
+	# No files with content differences.
+	rm $fifo
+	return 1
+}
+
+
 if [ -z "${SYSDIR}" ]; then
     SYSDIR=$(dirname $0)/..
 fi
@@ -239,8 +266,7 @@
 	if [ -n "$git_b" ] ; then
 		git="${git}(${git_b})"
 	fi
-	if $git_cmd --work-tree=${VCSDIR}/.. diff-index \
-	    --name-only HEAD | read dummy; then
+	if git_tree_modified; then
 		git="${git}-dirty"
 		modified=true
 	fi