diff --git a/zebrad/build.rs b/zebrad/build.rs
index 34c707c3..b4ae359f 100644
--- a/zebrad/build.rs
+++ b/zebrad/build.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,107 @@
-extern crate vergen;
+#![allow(clippy::try_err)]
+
+use std::{env, fs, fs::File, io::Read, path::PathBuf};
 
 use vergen::{generate_cargo_keys, ConstantsFlags};
 
 fn main() {
-    // Setup the flags, toggling off the 'SEMVER_FROM_CARGO_PKG' flag
     let mut flags = ConstantsFlags::empty();
     flags.toggle(ConstantsFlags::SHA_SHORT);
-    flags.toggle(ConstantsFlags::REBUILD_ON_HEAD_CHANGE);
+
+    // We want to use REBUILD_ON_HEAD_CHANGE here, but vergen assumes that the
+    // git directory is in the crate directory, and Zebra uses a workspace.
+    // See rustyhorde/vergen#15 and rustyhorde/vergen#21 for details.
+    let result = generate_rebuild_key();
+    if let Err(err) = result {
+        eprintln!("Error generating 'cargo:rerun-if-changed': {:?}", err);
+    }
 
     // Generate the 'cargo:' key output
     generate_cargo_keys(flags).expect("Unable to generate the cargo keys!");
 }
+
+/// Generate the `cargo:` rebuild keys output
+///
+/// The keys that can be generated include:
+/// * `cargo:rustc-rerun-if-changed=<git dir>/HEAD`
+/// * `cargo:rustc-rerun-if-changed=<file git HEAD points to>`
+fn generate_rebuild_key() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    // Look for .git and ../.git
+    // We should really use the `git2` crate here, see rustyhorde/vergen#15
+    let mut git_dir_or_file = env::current_dir()?.join(".git");
+    let mut metadata = fs::metadata(&git_dir_or_file);
+    // git searches all the ancestors of the current directory, but Zebra's
+    // crates are direct children of the workspace directory, so we only
+    // need to look at the parent directory
+    if metadata.is_err() {
+        git_dir_or_file = env::current_dir()?
+            .parent()
+            .ok_or("finding crate's parent directory")?
+            .to_path_buf()
+            .join(".git");
+        metadata = fs::metadata(&git_dir_or_file);
+    }
+
+    // Modified from vergen's REBUILD_ON_HEAD_CHANGE implementation:
+    // https://github.com/rustyhorde/vergen/blob/master/src/output/envvar.rs#L46
+    if let Ok(metadata) = metadata {
+        if metadata.is_dir() {
+            // Echo the HEAD path
+            let git_head_path = git_dir_or_file.join("HEAD");
+            println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", git_head_path.display());
+
+            // Determine where HEAD points and echo that path also.
+            let mut f = File::open(&git_head_path)?;
+            let mut git_head_contents = String::new();
+            let _ = f.read_to_string(&mut git_head_contents)?;
+            eprintln!("HEAD contents: {}", git_head_contents);
+            let ref_vec: Vec<&str> = git_head_contents.split(": ").collect();
+
+            if ref_vec.len() == 2 {
+                let current_head_file = ref_vec[1].trim();
+                let git_refs_path = git_dir_or_file.join(current_head_file);
+                println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", git_refs_path.display());
+            } else {
+                eprintln!("You are most likely in a detached HEAD state");
+            }
+        } else if metadata.is_file() {
+            // We are in a worktree, so find out where the actual worktrees/<name>/HEAD file is.
+            let mut git_file = File::open(&git_dir_or_file)?;
+            let mut git_contents = String::new();
+            let _ = git_file.read_to_string(&mut git_contents)?;
+            let dir_vec: Vec<&str> = git_contents.split(": ").collect();
+            eprintln!(".git contents: {}", git_contents);
+            let git_path = dir_vec[1].trim();
+
+            // Echo the HEAD path
+            let git_head_path = PathBuf::from(git_path).join("HEAD");
+            println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", git_head_path.display());
+
+            // Find out what the full path to the .git dir is.
+            let mut actual_git_dir = PathBuf::from(git_path);
+            actual_git_dir.pop();
+            actual_git_dir.pop();
+
+            // Determine where HEAD points and echo that path also.
+            let mut f = File::open(&git_head_path)?;
+            let mut git_head_contents = String::new();
+            let _ = f.read_to_string(&mut git_head_contents)?;
+            eprintln!("HEAD contents: {}", git_head_contents);
+            let ref_vec: Vec<&str> = git_head_contents.split(": ").collect();
+
+            if ref_vec.len() == 2 {
+                let current_head_file = ref_vec[1].trim();
+                let git_refs_path = actual_git_dir.join(current_head_file);
+                println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", git_refs_path.display());
+            } else {
+                eprintln!("You are most likely in a detached HEAD state");
+            }
+        } else {
+            Err("Invalid .git format (Not a directory or a file)")?;
+        };
+    } else {
+        Err(".git directory or file not found in crate dir or parent dir")?;
+    };
+
+    Ok(())
+}