diff --git a/doc/source/conf.py b/doc/source/conf.py
index 13a6fea7..c4c1a656 100644
--- a/doc/source/conf.py
+++ b/doc/source/conf.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
+import warnings
 
 on_rtd = os.environ.get('READTHEDOCS', None) == 'True'
 
@@ -150,8 +151,12 @@ html_static_path = ['_static']
 #html_last_updated_fmt = '%b %d, %Y'
 git_cmd = ["git", "log", "--pretty=format:'%ad, commit %h'", "--date=local",
            "-n1"]
-html_last_updated_fmt = subprocess.Popen(git_cmd,
-                                         stdout=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()[0]
+try:
+    html_last_updated_fmt = subprocess.Popen(
+        git_cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()[0]
+except Exception:
+    warnings.warn('Cannot get last updated time from git repository. '
+                  'Not setting "html_last_updated_fmt".')
 
 # If true, SmartyPants will be used to convert quotes and dashes to
 # typographically correct entities.