diff --git a/.github/workflows/ecs-deploy-v2.yml b/.github/workflows/ecs-deploy-v2.yml
index 298ee5f..fec32dd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ecs-deploy-v2.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ecs-deploy-v2.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ on:
         default: ""
       docker_image_tag:
         type: string
-        required: true
+        required: false
+        description: "DEPRECATED: use version instead"
       environment:
         type: string
         required: true
@@ -37,6 +38,13 @@ on:
       terraform_version:
         type: string
         required: false
+      use_version_as_docker_image_tag:
+        type: boolean
+        default: true
+        required: false
+      version:
+        type: string
+        required: false
       wait_for_stabilization:
         type: boolean
         default: true
@@ -55,7 +63,6 @@ jobs:
       CI_IAM_ROLE: ${{ inputs.ci_iam_role }}
       DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG: ${{ inputs.docker_image_tag }}
       ENV: ${{ inputs.environment }}
-      EXTRA_ARGS: ${{ inputs.extra_args }}
       GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
       GITHUB_REPOSITORY_URL: ${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}
       GITHUB_ACTIONS_URL: ${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}
@@ -90,27 +97,50 @@ jobs:
       - name: Terraform validate
         run: terraform validate
 
-      - name: Get current version
-        id: current_version
+      - name: Get former version from ECS
+        if: inputs.docker_image_tag || inputs.use_version_as_docker_image_tag
+        id: ecs_lookup
         run: |
           CURRENT_TASK_DEFINITION="$(aws ecs list-task-definitions | jq --arg SERVICE "$SERVICE" --arg ENVIRONMENT "$ENV" -r -c '.taskDefinitionArns[] | select(contains($SERVICE + "-" + $ENVIRONMENT))')"
           CURRENT_IMAGE_TAG="$(aws ecs describe-task-definition --task-definition "$CURRENT_TASK_DEFINITION" | jq --arg SERVICE "$SERVICE" -r -c '.taskDefinition.containerDefinitions[] | select(.name == $SERVICE) | .image' | cut -d':' -f2)"
           echo "image_tag=$CURRENT_IMAGE_TAG" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
+
+      - name: Get former version from Git
+        id: git_hash
+        if: "! (inputs.docker_image_tag || inputs.use_version_as_docker_image_tag)"
+        uses: sencrop/github-workflows/actions/lookup-git-hash@master
+
       - name: Notify deployment in progress
         uses: sencrop/github-workflows/actions/notify-deployment-in-progress@master
         with:
           service: ${{ inputs.service }}
           environment: ${{ inputs.environment }}
           dd_api_key: ${{ secrets.DD_API_KEY }}
-          current_version: ${{ steps.current_version.outputs.image_tag }}
-          deployed_version: ${{ inputs.docker_image_tag }}
+          former_version: ${{ steps.ecs_lookup.outputs.image_tag || steps.git_hash.outputs.previous }}
+          new_version: ${{ inputs.docker_image_tag || inputs.version }}
           slack_bot_token: ${{ secrets.SLACK_BOT_TOKEN }}
 
+      # TODO: remove this step once docker_image_tag has been removed
+      - name: Build tf_vars (using docker_image_tag)
+        if: inputs.docker_image_tag
+        id: tf_vars_deprecated
+        run: |
+          TF_VAR_DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG="-var docker_image_tag=${{ inputs.docker_image_tag }}"
+          echo "docker_image_tag=$TF_VAR_DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Build tf_vars (using version)
+        if: "! inputs.docker_image_tag && inputs.use_version_as_docker_image_tag"
+        id: tf_vars
+        run: |
+          TF_VAR_DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG="-var docker_image_tag=${{ inputs.version }}"
+          echo "docker_image_tag=$TF_VAR_DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+
       - name: Terraform apply
         run: |
           # shellcheck disable=SC2086
-          terraform apply -var "docker_image_tag=${DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG}" -var-file="${ENV}.tfvars" -auto-approve -input=false ${EXTRA_ARGS}
+          terraform apply ${{ steps.tf_vars.outputs.docker_image_tag || steps.tf_vars_deprecated.outputs.docker_image_tag }} -var-file=${{ inputs.environment }}.tfvars -auto-approve -input=false ${{ inputs.extra_args }}
 
       - name: Wait for stabilization
         if: ${{ inputs.wait_for_stabilization }}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2a29c02..591adc2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -127,12 +127,14 @@ jobs:
     uses: sencrop/github-workflows/.github/workflows/ecs-deploy-v2.yml@master
     secrets: inherit
     with:
-      docker_image_tag: tag-from-the-build-step
+      version: some-version
       environment: "preproduction or production"
       service: my-service
       slack_channel: my-ops-slack-channel
 ```
 
+If your service uses a static docker image tag you may set the flag `use_version_as_docker_image_tag` to `false`.
+
 
 ### ecs-start
 
diff --git a/actions/lookup-git-hash/action.yaml b/actions/lookup-git-hash/action.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a616df0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/actions/lookup-git-hash/action.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+---
+name: "Lookup git hash"
+
+runs:
+  using: "composite"
+  steps:
+    - name: Lookup current and previous Git hash
+      id: git_hash
+      run: |
+        REF="$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)"
+        PREVIOUS_REF="$(git rev-parse --short HEAD~1)"
+        echo "current=$REF" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+        echo "previous=$PREVIOUS_REF" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+      shell: bash
diff --git a/actions/lookup-git-tag/action.yaml b/actions/lookup-git-tag/action.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ccedda4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/actions/lookup-git-tag/action.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+---
+name: "Lookup git tag"
+
+runs:
+  using: "composite"
+  steps:
+    - name: Lookup current and previous Git tag
+      id: git_tag
+      run: |
+        REF="${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/}"
+        PREVIOUS_REF="$(git tag -l 'v*' --sort=-v:refname | head -n2 | tail -n1)"
+        echo "current=$REF" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+        echo "previous=$PREVIOUS_REF" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+    shell: bash
diff --git a/actions/notify-deployment-in-progress/action.yaml b/actions/notify-deployment-in-progress/action.yaml
index c54dc0c..476b329 100644
--- a/actions/notify-deployment-in-progress/action.yaml
+++ b/actions/notify-deployment-in-progress/action.yaml
@@ -5,16 +5,24 @@ description: "Track a deployment in progress"
 inputs:
   current_version:
     type: string
-    required: true
+    description: "DEPRECATED: use new_version instead"
+    required: false
   dd_api_key:
     type: string
     required: true
   deployed_version:
     type: string
-    required: true
+    description: "DEPRECATED: use former_version instead"
+    required: false
+  former_version:
+    type: string
+    required: false
   environment:
     type: string
     required: true
+  new_version:
+    type: string
+    required: false
   service:
     type: string
     required: true
@@ -35,7 +43,7 @@ runs:
       if: inputs.environment == 'production' && inputs.slack_notify == 'true'
       with:
         channel-id: ${{ inputs.slack_channel }}
-        slack-message: ":ship: New deployment of `${{ inputs.service }}` (version `${{ inputs.deployed_version }}`) in progress (<${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/compare/${{ inputs.current_version }}...${{ inputs.deployed_version }}|CHANGELOG>)"
+        slack-message: ":ship: New deployment of `${{ inputs.service }}` (version `${{ inputs.new_version || inputs.deployed_version }}`) in progress (<${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/compare/${{ inputs.former_version || inputs.current_version }}...${{ inputs.new_version || inputs.deployed_version }}|CHANGELOG>)"
       env:
         SLACK_BOT_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.SLACK_BOT_TOKEN }}