diff --git a/.github/scripts/docker_helpers.sh b/.github/scripts/docker_helpers.sh
index e24fbaff6a..c4ca28f8e7 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/docker_helpers.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/docker_helpers.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-echo "GITHUB_REF: $GITHUB_REF"
+REF="${GITHUB_REF:-${GITHUB_REF_FALLBACK:-}}"
+if [ -z "$REF" ]; then
+    echo "Error: No ref available from GITHUB_REF or fallback"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "GITHUB_REF: $REF"
 echo "GITHUB_SHA: $GITHUB_SHA"
 
 export MAIN_BRANCH="master"
@@ -14,19 +20,19 @@ export SHORT_SHA=$(get_short_sha)
 echo "SHORT_SHA: $SHORT_SHA"
 
 function get_tag {
-    echo $(echo ${GITHUB_REF} | sed -e "s,refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH},${MAIN_BRANCH_TAG},g" -e 's,refs/tags/,,g' -e 's,refs/heads/,,g' -e 's,refs/heads/,,g' -e 's,refs/pull/\([0-9]*\).*,pr\1,g' -e 's,/,-,g')
+    echo $(echo ${REF} | sed -e "s,refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH},${MAIN_BRANCH_TAG},g" -e 's,refs/tags/,,g' -e 's,refs/heads/,,g' -e 's,refs/heads/,,g' -e 's,refs/pull/\([0-9]*\).*,pr\1,g' -e 's,/,-,g')
 }
 
 function get_tag_slim {
-    echo $(echo ${GITHUB_REF} | sed -e "s,refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH},${MAIN_BRANCH_TAG}-slim,g" -e 's,refs/tags/\(.*\),\1-slim,g' -e 's,refs/heads/\(.*\),\1-slim,g' -e 's,refs/heads/\(.*\),\1-slim,g' -e 's,refs/pull/\([0-9]*\).*,pr\1-slim,g' -e 's,/,-,g')
+    echo $(echo ${REF} | sed -e "s,refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH},${MAIN_BRANCH_TAG}-slim,g" -e 's,refs/tags/\(.*\),\1-slim,g' -e 's,refs/heads/\(.*\),\1-slim,g' -e 's,refs/heads/\(.*\),\1-slim,g' -e 's,refs/pull/\([0-9]*\).*,pr\1-slim,g' -e 's,/,-,g')
 }
 
 function get_tag_full {
-    echo $(echo ${GITHUB_REF} | sed -e "s,refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH},${MAIN_BRANCH_TAG}-full,g" -e 's,refs/tags/\(.*\),\1-full,g' -e 's,refs/heads/\(.*\),\1-full,g' -e 's,refs/heads/\(.*\),\1-full,g' -e 's,refs/pull/\([0-9]*\).*,pr\1-full,g' -e 's,/,-,g')
+    echo $(echo ${REF} | sed -e "s,refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH},${MAIN_BRANCH_TAG}-full,g" -e 's,refs/tags/\(.*\),\1-full,g' -e 's,refs/heads/\(.*\),\1-full,g' -e 's,refs/heads/\(.*\),\1-full,g' -e 's,refs/pull/\([0-9]*\).*,pr\1-full,g' -e 's,/,-,g')
 }
 
 function get_python_docker_release_v() {
-    echo "$(echo "${GITHUB_REF}" | \
+    echo "$(echo "${REF}" | \
         sed -e "s,refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH},1\!0.0.0+docker.${SHORT_SHA},g" \
             -e 's,refs/heads/\(.*\),1!0.0.0+docker.\1,g' \
             -e 's,refs/heads/\(.*\),1!0.0.0+docker.\1,g' \
@@ -37,12 +43,12 @@ function get_python_docker_release_v() {
 }
 # To run these, set TEST_DOCKER_HELPERS=1 and then copy the function + test cases into a bash shell.
 if [ ${TEST_DOCKER_HELPERS:-0} -eq 1 ]; then
-    GITHUB_REF="refs/pull/4788/merge"     get_python_docker_release_v # '1!0.0.0+docker.pr4788'
-    GITHUB_REF="refs/tags/v0.1.2-test"    get_python_docker_release_v # '0.1.2'
-    GITHUB_REF="refs/tags/v0.1.2.1-test"  get_python_docker_release_v # '0.1.2.1'
-    GITHUB_REF="refs/tags/v0.1.2rc1-test" get_python_docker_release_v # '0.1.2rc1'
-    GITHUB_REF="refs/heads/branch-name"   get_python_docker_release_v # '1!0.0.0+docker.branch-name'
-    GITHUB_REF="refs/heads/releases/branch-name" get_python_docker_release_v # 1!0.0.0+docker.releases-branch-name'
+    REF="refs/pull/4788/merge"     get_python_docker_release_v # '1!0.0.0+docker.pr4788'
+    REF="refs/tags/v0.1.2-test"    get_python_docker_release_v # '0.1.2'
+    REF="refs/tags/v0.1.2.1-test"  get_python_docker_release_v # '0.1.2.1'
+    REF="refs/tags/v0.1.2rc1-test" get_python_docker_release_v # '0.1.2rc1'
+    REF="refs/heads/branch-name"   get_python_docker_release_v # '1!0.0.0+docker.branch-name'
+    REF="refs/heads/releases/branch-name" get_python_docker_release_v # 1!0.0.0+docker.releases-branch-name'
 
     GITHUB_REF="refs/tags/v0.1.2rc1"    get_tag # '0.1.2rc1'
     GITHUB_REF="refs/tags/v0.1.2rc1"    get_tag_slim # '0.1.2rc1-slim'
@@ -62,19 +68,19 @@ if [ ${TEST_DOCKER_HELPERS:-0} -eq 1 ]; then
 fi
 
 function get_unique_tag {
-    echo $(echo ${GITHUB_REF} | sed -e "s,refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH},${SHORT_SHA},g" -e 's,refs/tags/,,g' -e "s,refs/heads/.*,${SHORT_SHA},g"  -e 's,refs/pull/\([0-9]*\).*,pr\1,g')
+    echo $(echo ${REF} | sed -e "s,refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH},${SHORT_SHA},g" -e 's,refs/tags/,,g' -e "s,refs/heads/.*,${SHORT_SHA},g"  -e 's,refs/pull/\([0-9]*\).*,pr\1,g')
 }
 
 function get_unique_tag_slim {
-    echo $(echo ${GITHUB_REF} | sed -e "s,refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH},${SHORT_SHA}-slim,g" -e 's,refs/tags/\(.*\),\1-slim,g' -e "s,refs/heads/.*,${SHORT_SHA}-slim,g" -e 's,refs/pull/\([0-9]*\).*,pr\1-slim,g')
+    echo $(echo ${REF} | sed -e "s,refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH},${SHORT_SHA}-slim,g" -e 's,refs/tags/\(.*\),\1-slim,g' -e "s,refs/heads/.*,${SHORT_SHA}-slim,g" -e 's,refs/pull/\([0-9]*\).*,pr\1-slim,g')
 }
 
 function get_unique_tag_full {
-    echo $(echo ${GITHUB_REF} | sed -e "s,refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH},${SHORT_SHA}-full,g" -e 's,refs/tags/\(.*\),\1-full,g' -e "s,refs/heads/.*,${SHORT_SHA}-full,g" -e 's,refs/pull/\([0-9]*\).*,pr\1-full,g')
+    echo $(echo ${REF} | sed -e "s,refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH},${SHORT_SHA}-full,g" -e 's,refs/tags/\(.*\),\1-full,g' -e "s,refs/heads/.*,${SHORT_SHA}-full,g" -e 's,refs/pull/\([0-9]*\).*,pr\1-full,g')
 }
 
 function get_platforms_based_on_branch {
-    if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" == 'push' && "${{ github.ref }}" == "refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH}" ]; then
+    if [ "${GITHUB_EVENT_NAME}" == "push" ] && [ "${REF}" == "refs/heads/${MAIN_BRANCH}" ]; then
         echo "linux/amd64,linux/arm64"
     else
         echo "linux/amd64"
@@ -90,6 +96,6 @@ function echo_tags {
     echo "unique_slim_tag=$(get_unique_tag_slim)"
     echo "unique_full_tag=$(get_unique_tag_full)"
     echo "python_release_version=$(get_python_docker_release_v)"
-    echo "branch_name=${GITHUB_HEAD_REF:-${GITHUB_REF#refs/heads/}}"
+    echo "branch_name=${GITHUB_HEAD_REF:-${REF#refs/heads/}}"
     echo "repository_name=${GITHUB_REPOSITORY#*/}"
 }
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker-ingestion-smoke.yml b/.github/workflows/docker-ingestion-smoke.yml
index e3c37b4543..1e460e748c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker-ingestion-smoke.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker-ingestion-smoke.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ jobs:
         uses: acryldata/sane-checkout-action@v3
       - name: Compute Tag
         id: tag
+        env:
+          GITHUB_REF_FALLBACK: ${{ github.ref }}
+          GITHUB_EVENT_NAME: ${{ github.event_name }}
         run: |
           source .github/scripts/docker_helpers.sh
           echo "tag=$(get_tag)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker-unified.yml b/.github/workflows/docker-unified.yml
index ac4da58de2..82a22b23fc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker-unified.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker-unified.yml
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ jobs:
         uses: acryldata/sane-checkout-action@v3
       - name: Compute Tag
         id: tag
+        env:
+          GITHUB_REF_FALLBACK: ${{ github.event_name == 'release' && format('refs/tags/{0}', github.event.release.tag_name) || github.ref}}
+          GITHUB_EVENT_NAME: ${{ github.event_name }}
         run: |
           source .github/scripts/docker_helpers.sh
           {
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-datahub-jars.yml b/.github/workflows/publish-datahub-jars.yml
index a900cf1d9e..329a4a0f51 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish-datahub-jars.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish-datahub-jars.yml
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ jobs:
         uses: acryldata/sane-checkout-action@v3
       - name: Compute Tag
         id: tag
+        env:
+          GITHUB_REF_FALLBACK: ${{ github.ref }}
+          GITHUB_EVENT_NAME: ${{ github.event_name }}
         run: |
           source .github/scripts/docker_helpers.sh
           TAG=$(echo ${GITHUB_REF} | sed -e 's,refs/tags/v,,g')