diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-kata-static-tarball-amd64.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-kata-static-tarball-amd64.yaml
index 869d49bc60..a07b1c8fea 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-kata-static-tarball-amd64.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-kata-static-tarball-amd64.yaml
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ jobs:
           - ${{ inputs.stage }}
         exclude:
           - asset: cloud-hypervisor-glibc
-            stage: release
+            stage: "release"
     steps:
       - name: Login to Kata Containers quay.io
         if: ${{ inputs.push-to-registry == 'yes' }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-amd64.yaml b/.github/workflows/release-amd64.yaml
index 6ff9906969..7b0782ddc6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-amd64.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-amd64.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ jobs:
   build-kata-static-tarball-amd64:
     uses: ./.github/workflows/build-kata-static-tarball-amd64.yaml
     with:
-      stage: release
+      stage: "release"
 
   kata-deploy:
     needs: build-kata-static-tarball-amd64
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-arm64.yaml b/.github/workflows/release-arm64.yaml
index cd7db8fdfb..9fabba3c9c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-arm64.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-arm64.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ jobs:
   build-kata-static-tarball-arm64:
     uses: ./.github/workflows/build-kata-static-tarball-arm64.yaml
     with:
-      stage: release
+      stage: "release"
 
   kata-deploy:
     needs: build-kata-static-tarball-arm64
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-s390x.yaml b/.github/workflows/release-s390x.yaml
index 5f3aaf05fb..3bf3394a88 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-s390x.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-s390x.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ jobs:
   build-kata-static-tarball-s390x:
     uses: ./.github/workflows/build-kata-static-tarball-s390x.yaml
     with:
-      stage: release
+      stage: "release"
 
   kata-deploy:
     needs: build-kata-static-tarball-s390x