diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 6b8098b11..1c9841f5f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: "Set labels for ${{ github.ref }}"
         run: |
           echo "WEBGOAT_TAG_VERSION=${{ steps.tag.outputs.tag }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo 'WEBGOAT_MAVEN_VERSION="${WEBGOAT_TAG_VERSION:1}"' >> $GITHUB_ENV
-
+          WEBGOAT_MAVEN_VERSION=${WEBGOAT_TAG_VERSION:1}
+          echo ${WEBGOAT_MAVEN_VERSION} >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - name: Build with Maven
         run: |
           mvn versions:set -DnewVersion=${{ env.WEBGOAT_MAVEN_VERSION }}
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ jobs:
             webgoat/goatandwolf:${{ env.WEBGOAT_TAG_VERSION }}
           # todo webgoat/goatandwolf:latest
           build-args: |
-            webgoat_version=${{ env.WEBGOAT_TAG_VERSION }}
+            webgoat_version=${{ env.WEBGOAT_MAVEN_VERSION }}
 
       - name: "Image digest"
         run: echo ${{ steps.docker_build.outputs.digest }}