diff --git a/src/extra/python/isca/codebase.py b/src/extra/python/isca/codebase.py
index 8cfe0ef62..bc36cc134 100644
--- a/src/extra/python/isca/codebase.py
+++ b/src/extra/python/isca/codebase.py
@@ -162,7 +162,8 @@ def write_source_control_status(self, outfile):
 
             # write out the git commit id of GFDL_BASE
             file.write("\n\n*---commit hash used for code in GFDL_BASE, including this python module---*:\n")
-            check_for_sh_stdout(file.write(gfdl_git.log('-1', '--format="%H"')))
+            gfdl_git_out = check_for_sh_stdout(gfdl_git.log('-1', '--format="%H"'))
+            file.write(gfdl_git_out)
 
             # if there are any uncommited changes in the working directory,
             # add those to the file too