diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c4bd3d0cc..3229a1973 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ update-ui-version:
 	else \
 		echo "==> Setting to latest commit matching '$(UI_COMMITISH)'"; \
 	fi; \
-	./scripts/uiclone.sh && ./scripts/uiupdate.sh
+	./scripts/uiupdate.sh
 
 .PHONY: build-ui
 build-ui:
diff --git a/scripts/uiupdate.sh b/scripts/uiupdate.sh
index 3e9bd9ae7..0e65a29bd 100755
--- a/scripts/uiupdate.sh
+++ b/scripts/uiupdate.sh
@@ -1,22 +1,27 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 set -e
 
 if [ -z "$UI_VERSION_FILE" ]; then
 	echo "Must set UI_VERSION_FILE"; exit 1
 fi
-if [ -z "$UI_CLONE_DIR" ]; then
-	echo "Must set UI_CLONE_DIR"; exit 1
+if [ -z "$UI_COMMITISH" ]; then
+	echo "Must set UI_COMMITISH"; exit 1
 fi
 
 shafileabs="$(pwd)/${UI_VERSION_FILE}"
-cd "${UI_CLONE_DIR}"
-V="$(git log -n1 --pretty=oneline)"
-echo "==> Setting UI version to: $V"
+V="$(git ls-remote https://github.com/hashicorp/boundary-ui ${UI_COMMITISH})"
+
+if [ -z "$V" ]; then
+	V=$UI_COMMITISH;
+fi
+
+SHA=${V:0:40}
+echo "==> Setting UI version to: $SHA"
 
 # Write the version file.
 {
-	echo "$V"
+	echo "$SHA"
 	echo "# This file determines the version of the UI to embed in the boundary binary."
 	echo "# Update this file by running 'make update-ui-version' from the root of this repo."
 	echo "# Set UI_COMMITISH when running the above target to update to a specific version."