diff --git a/.github/workflows/package.yml b/.github/workflows/package.yml
index b0bbcea9dd..f580ceb516 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/package.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/package.yml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
       hashes: ${{ steps.hash.outputs.hashes }}
-      version: ${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
+      version: ${{ steps.gettag.outputs.version }}
     name: "build"
     steps:
       - name: Install packages
@@ -26,15 +26,10 @@ jobs:
           version: 1.0
       - name: Checkout c-ares
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - name: "build c-ares tarball"
-        run: |
-          autoreconf -fi
-          ./configure
-          make dist
       - name: Get Tag version
-        id: version
+        id: gettag
         run: |
-          version=${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/v}
+          version=`echo ${GITHUB_REF} | sed -e 's|^refs/tags/v\(.*\)|\1|'`
           echo version=$version
           if [ "$version" = "" ] ; then
             version="prerelease"
@@ -42,6 +37,11 @@ jobs:
           fi
           echo "version=${version}"
           echo "version=${version}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+      - name: "build c-ares tarball"
+        run: |
+          autoreconf -fi
+          ./configure
+          make dist
       - name: Upload artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with: