diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index a4819e0d..0307f48d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -53,18 +53,14 @@ jobs:
           PGP_KEY: ${{secrets.PGP_KEY}}
           PGP_PWD: ${{secrets.PGP_PWD}}
 
-      - name: 5. Derive version for hotfix
-        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/1.0.1-hotfix'
-        run: echo "DERIVED_VERSION=1.0.1-hotfix" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-
-      - name: 6. Perform release for hotfix branch if commit is this branch
+      - name: 5. Perform release for hotfix branch if commit is this branch
         # Release job, only for pushes to the main development branch
         if: github.event_name == 'push'
           && github.ref == 'refs/heads/1.0.1-hotfix'
           && github.repository == 'linkedin/transport'
           && !contains(toJSON(github.event.commits.*.message), '[skip release]')
 
-        run: ./gradlew githubRelease publishToSonatype closeAndReleaseStagingRepository -Pversion="${{ env.DERIVED_VERSION }}"
+        run: ./gradlew githubRelease publishToSonatype closeAndReleaseStagingRepository
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN}}
           SONATYPE_TOKEN_USERNAME: ${{secrets.SONATYPE_TOKEN_USERNAME}}
diff --git a/version.properties b/version.properties
index a3b9885e..055b5c0b 100644
--- a/version.properties
+++ b/version.properties
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 # Version of the produced binaries.
 # The version is inferred by shipkit-auto-version Gradle plugin (https://github.com/shipkit/shipkit-auto-version)
 version=0.1.*
+tagPrefix=v-hotfix-