diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-candidate.yml b/.github/workflows/release-candidate.yml
index 429f7a98..d63e12ad 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-candidate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-candidate.yml
@@ -299,9 +299,11 @@ jobs:
           fetch-depth: 0
       - name: Get version from branch
         run: |
-          GITHUB_REF="${{ github.ref }}"
-          [[ -z "$GITHUB_REF" ]] && exit 1 # Fail if ref is unset
-          echo "PACKAGE_VERSION=${GITHUB_REF#refs/*/}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "package_version=${GITHUB_REF#refs/heads/release/}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+      - name: Fail if version is unset
+        if: ${{ env.package_version == '' }}
+        run: |
+          exit 1
       - name: Buildah build
         id: build-image
         uses: redhat-actions/buildah-build@v2
@@ -309,7 +311,7 @@ jobs:
           image: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
           build-args: |
             GUIDELLM_BUILD_TYPE=candidate
-          tags: ${{ env.package_version }}~rc
+          tags: ${{ env.package_version= }}~rc
           containerfiles: |
             ./Containerfile
       - name: Push To ghcr.io
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 6cc090cb..8938381b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -298,9 +298,11 @@ jobs:
           fetch-depth: 0
       - name: Get version from branch
         run: |
-          GITHUB_REF="${{ github.ref }}"
-          [[ -z "$GITHUB_REF" ]] && exit 1 # Fail if ref is unset
-          echo "PACKAGE_VERSION=${GITHUB_REF#refs/*/}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "package_version=${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+      - name: Fail if version is unset
+        if: ${{ env.package_version == '' }}
+        run: |
+          exit 1
       - name: Buildah build
         id: build-image
         uses: redhat-actions/buildah-build@v2