diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/build-app-linux.yml b/.gitea/workflows/build-app-linux.yml
index b0d8964..4d6f86a 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/build-app-linux.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/build-app-linux.yml
@@ -13,23 +13,14 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
       NODE_VERSION: "20"
+      RELEASE_TAG: ${{ inputs.tag }}
     steps:
-      - name: Determine tag
-        id: tag
-        run: |
-          TAG="${{ inputs.tag }}"
-          if [ -z "$TAG" ]; then
-            TAG="${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}"
-          fi
-          if [ -z "$TAG" ]; then
-            TAG=$(git ls-remote --tags --sort=-v:refname origin 'refs/tags/v*' | head -1 | sed 's|.*refs/tags/||')
-          fi
-          echo "Building for tag: ${TAG}"
-          echo "tag=${TAG}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      - name: Show tag
+        run: echo "Building for tag: ${RELEASE_TAG}"
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          ref: ${{ steps.tag.outputs.tag }}
+          ref: ${{ inputs.tag }}
 
       - name: Set up Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
@@ -58,7 +49,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           sudo apt-get install -y jq
           REPO_API="${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}"
-          TAG="${{ steps.tag.outputs.tag }}"
+          TAG="${RELEASE_TAG}"
           echo "Release tag: ${TAG}"
 
           echo "Waiting for release ${TAG} to be available..."
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/build-app-macos.yml b/.gitea/workflows/build-app-macos.yml
index 38ba639..068ad56 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/build-app-macos.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/build-app-macos.yml
@@ -13,23 +13,14 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: macos-latest
     env:
       NODE_VERSION: "20"
+      RELEASE_TAG: ${{ inputs.tag }}
     steps:
-      - name: Determine tag
-        id: tag
-        run: |
-          TAG="${{ inputs.tag }}"
-          if [ -z "$TAG" ]; then
-            TAG="${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}"
-          fi
-          if [ -z "$TAG" ]; then
-            TAG=$(git ls-remote --tags --sort=-v:refname origin 'refs/tags/v*' | head -1 | sed 's|.*refs/tags/||')
-          fi
-          echo "Building for tag: ${TAG}"
-          echo "tag=${TAG}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      - name: Show tag
+        run: echo "Building for tag: ${RELEASE_TAG}"
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          ref: ${{ steps.tag.outputs.tag }}
+          ref: ${{ inputs.tag }}
 
       - name: Set up Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
@@ -56,7 +47,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           which jq || brew install jq
           REPO_API="${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}"
-          TAG="${{ steps.tag.outputs.tag }}"
+          TAG="${RELEASE_TAG}"
           echo "Release tag: ${TAG}"
 
           echo "Waiting for release ${TAG} to be available..."
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/build-sidecar-linux.yml b/.gitea/workflows/build-sidecar-linux.yml
index c9a604a..77ff38a 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/build-sidecar-linux.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/build-sidecar-linux.yml
@@ -13,23 +13,14 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
       PYTHON_VERSION: "3.11"
+      RELEASE_TAG: ${{ inputs.tag }}
     steps:
-      - name: Determine tag
-        id: tag
-        run: |
-          TAG="${{ inputs.tag }}"
-          if [ -z "$TAG" ]; then
-            TAG="${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}"
-          fi
-          if [ -z "$TAG" ]; then
-            TAG=$(git ls-remote --tags --sort=-v:refname origin 'refs/tags/sidecar-v*' | head -1 | sed 's|.*refs/tags/||')
-          fi
-          echo "Building for tag: ${TAG}"
-          echo "tag=${TAG}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      - name: Show tag
+        run: echo "Building for tag: ${RELEASE_TAG}"
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          ref: ${{ steps.tag.outputs.tag }}
+          ref: ${{ inputs.tag }}
 
       - name: Install uv
         run: |
@@ -75,7 +66,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           sudo apt-get install -y jq
           REPO_API="${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}"
-          TAG="${{ steps.tag.outputs.tag }}"
+          TAG="${RELEASE_TAG}"
 
           echo "Waiting for sidecar release ${TAG} to be available..."
           for i in $(seq 1 30); do
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/build-sidecar-macos.yml b/.gitea/workflows/build-sidecar-macos.yml
index 84e060b..e8eec8d 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/build-sidecar-macos.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/build-sidecar-macos.yml
@@ -13,23 +13,14 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: macos-latest
     env:
       PYTHON_VERSION: "3.11"
+      RELEASE_TAG: ${{ inputs.tag }}
     steps:
-      - name: Determine tag
-        id: tag
-        run: |
-          TAG="${{ inputs.tag }}"
-          if [ -z "$TAG" ]; then
-            TAG="${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}"
-          fi
-          if [ -z "$TAG" ]; then
-            TAG=$(git ls-remote --tags --sort=-v:refname origin 'refs/tags/sidecar-v*' | head -1 | sed 's|.*refs/tags/||')
-          fi
-          echo "Building for tag: ${TAG}"
-          echo "tag=${TAG}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      - name: Show tag
+        run: echo "Building for tag: ${RELEASE_TAG}"
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          ref: ${{ steps.tag.outputs.tag }}
+          ref: ${{ inputs.tag }}
 
       - name: Install uv
         run: |
@@ -66,7 +57,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           which jq || brew install jq
           REPO_API="${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}"
-          TAG="${{ steps.tag.outputs.tag }}"
+          TAG="${RELEASE_TAG}"
 
           echo "Waiting for sidecar release ${TAG} to be available..."
           for i in $(seq 1 30); do
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/release.yml b/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
index 4000e28..f7c4329 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
@@ -159,9 +159,7 @@ jobs:
             echo "  Deleting release ${TAG} (ID: ${ID})..."
             curl -s -X DELETE -H "Authorization: token ${BUILD_TOKEN}" \
               "${REPO_API}/releases/${ID}"
-
-            # Also delete the tag
-            curl -s -X DELETE -H "Authorization: token ${BUILD_TOKEN}" \
-              "${REPO_API}/tags/${TAG}"
+            # Keep the git tag -- only delete the release (assets).
+            # Deleting tags breaks builds that haven't checked out yet.
           done
           echo "Cleanup complete"
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/sidecar-release.yml b/.gitea/workflows/sidecar-release.yml
index 30bdc7f..f8df662 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/sidecar-release.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/sidecar-release.yml
@@ -166,9 +166,7 @@ jobs:
             echo "  Deleting sidecar release ${TAG} (ID: ${ID})..."
             curl -s -X DELETE -H "Authorization: token ${BUILD_TOKEN}" \
               "${REPO_API}/releases/${ID}"
-
-            # Also delete the tag
-            curl -s -X DELETE -H "Authorization: token ${BUILD_TOKEN}" \
-              "${REPO_API}/tags/${TAG}"
+            # Keep the git tag -- only delete the release (assets).
+            # Deleting tags breaks builds that haven't checked out yet.
           done
           echo "Cleanup complete"