diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux-release.yml b/.github/workflows/linux-release.yml
index 9b045ecc..7f10182e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux-release.yml
@@ -56,11 +56,15 @@ jobs:
       - name: write version files
         env:
           DISPATCH_VERSION: ${{ inputs.version }}
+          # github.ref_name (evaluated by Actions) instead of $GITHUB_REF_NAME,
+          # which is only injected by runner >= 2.290 — empty on older
+          # self-hosted runners.
+          REF_NAME: ${{ github.ref_name }}
         run: |
           if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" = "workflow_dispatch" ]; then
             VERSION="${DISPATCH_VERSION#v}"
           else
-            VERSION="${GITHUB_REF_NAME#v}"
+            VERSION="${REF_NAME#v}"
           fi
           if [ -z "$VERSION" ]; then
             echo "Could not determine a version" >&2
diff --git a/.github/workflows/macos-release.yml b/.github/workflows/macos-release.yml
index ba7e4578..54fb155e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/macos-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/macos-release.yml
@@ -27,12 +27,17 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@df4cb1c069e1874edd31b4311f1884172cec0e10  # v6.0.3
 
       - name: write version files
+        env:
+          # github.ref_name (evaluated by Actions) instead of $GITHUB_REF_NAME,
+          # which is only injected by runner >= 2.290 — empty on older
+          # self-hosted runners.
+          REF_NAME: ${{ github.ref_name }}
         run: |
-          if [ -z "${GITHUB_REF_NAME:-}" ]; then
-            echo "GITHUB_REF_NAME is not set" >&2
+          if [ -z "${REF_NAME:-}" ]; then
+            echo "REF_NAME is not set" >&2
             exit 1
           fi
-          VERSION="${GITHUB_REF_NAME#v}"
+          VERSION="${REF_NAME#v}"
           printf '{ "version": "%s" }\n' "$VERSION" > static/version.json
           sed -i '' "s/^version = \".*\"/version = \"$VERSION\"/" desktop/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
           sed -i '' "s/\"version\": \"[^\"]*\"/\"version\": \"$VERSION\"/" desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows-release.yml b/.github/workflows/windows-release.yml
index 21ce07af..a29536c5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows-release.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ jobs:
     timeout-minutes: 90
     permissions:
       contents: write
+    # Source the tag from the github context (evaluated by Actions) rather than
+    # $env:GITHUB_REF_NAME, which is only injected by runner >= 2.290. Keeps the
+    # build working on older self-hosted runners. (#212 follow-up)
+    env:
+      REF_NAME: ${{ github.ref_name }}
     defaults:
       run:
         shell: powershell
@@ -29,8 +34,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: write version files
         run: |
-          $tag = $env:GITHUB_REF_NAME
-          if (-not $tag) { throw "GITHUB_REF_NAME is not set" }
+          $tag = $env:REF_NAME
+          if (-not $tag) { throw "REF_NAME is not set" }
           $version = $tag -replace '^v', ''
           $json = "{`"version`": `"$version`"}"
           Set-Content -Path "static/version.json" -Value $json -Encoding UTF8
@@ -48,14 +53,14 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/windows/make-portable.ps1 `
             -PackageName StemDeck-Windows-x64.NVIDIA `
-            -PackageVersion "$env:GITHUB_REF_NAME" `
+            -PackageVersion "$env:REF_NAME" `
             -StripVenv
 
       - name: build Windows CPU
         run: |
           powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/windows/make-portable.ps1 `
             -PackageName StemDeck-Windows-x64 `
-            -PackageVersion "$env:GITHUB_REF_NAME" `
+            -PackageVersion "$env:REF_NAME" `
             -CpuOnly `
             -StripVenv