diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-and-draft-release.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-and-draft-release.yaml
index b820851e16..0ad6006fc4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-and-draft-release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-and-draft-release.yaml
@@ -16,8 +16,11 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - name: Set VERSION variable
         # The head ref looks like release/v1.0.0, and we need to trim the string up to the `/v`.
+        env:
+          INPUT_VERSION: ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
+          HEAD_REF: ${{ github.head_ref }}
         run: |
-          VERSION="${{ github.event.inputs.version || github.head_ref}}"
+          VERSION="${INPUT_VERSION:-$HEAD_REF}"
           echo "VERSION=${VERSION##*/v}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - name: Get GitHub app token
         uses: actions/create-github-app-token@bcd2ba49218906704ab6c1aa796996da409d3eb1 # v3.2.0