diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index e28dbcfb4..8095461b4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ jobs:
           # this is done after the metadata.json is generated so as to not include additional charts
           ./scripts/ci-embed-release.sh EC_BINARY=output/bin/embedded-cluster-previous-k0s
 
-          sed -i .bak "s/__version_string__/${EC_VERSION//./\\.}-upgrade/g" e2e/kots-release-upgrade/cluster-config.yaml
+          sed -i.bak "s/__version_string__/${EC_VERSION}-upgrade/g" e2e/kots-release-upgrade/cluster-config.yaml
 
       - name: Cache files for integration test
         env:
@@ -270,17 +270,17 @@ jobs:
           export EC_VERSION="$(git describe --tags --match='[0-9]*.[0-9]*.[0-9]*')"
           export APP_VERSION="appver-${SHORT_SHA}"
 
-          sed -i .bak "s/__version_string__/${EC_VERSION//./\\.}/g" e2e/kots-release-install/cluster-config.yaml
-          sed -i .bak "s/__version_string__/${EC_VERSION//./\\.}-upgrade/g" e2e/kots-release-upgrade/cluster-config.yaml
+          sed -i.bak "s/__version_string__/${EC_VERSION}/g" e2e/kots-release-install/cluster-config.yaml
+          sed -i.bak "s/__version_string__/${EC_VERSION}-upgrade/g" e2e/kots-release-upgrade/cluster-config.yaml
 
           # re-promote a release containing an old version of embedded-cluster to test upgrades
           replicated release promote 807 2cHXb1RCttzpR0xvnNWyaZCgDBP --version "${APP_VERSION}-pre-minio-removal"
 
           # install the previous k0s version to ensure an upgrade occurs
-          sed -i .bak "s/${EC_VERSION//./\\.}/${EC_VERSION//./\\.}-previous-k0s/g" e2e/kots-release-install/cluster-config.yaml
+          sed -i.bak "s/${EC_VERSION}/${EC_VERSION}-previous-k0s/g" e2e/kots-release-install/cluster-config.yaml
           replicated release create --yaml-dir e2e/kots-release-install --promote CI --version "${APP_VERSION}-previous-k0s"
           # return the cluster config to the current version
-          sed -i .bak "s/${EC_VERSION//./\\.}-previous-k0s/${EC_VERSION//./\\.}/g" e2e/kots-release-install/cluster-config.yaml
+          sed -i.bak "s/${EC_VERSION}-previous-k0s/${EC_VERSION}/g" e2e/kots-release-install/cluster-config.yaml
 
           replicated release create --yaml-dir e2e/kots-release-install --promote CI --version "${APP_VERSION}"
           replicated release create --yaml-dir e2e/kots-release-install --promote CI --version "${APP_VERSION}-noop"
@@ -297,10 +297,10 @@ jobs:
           export APP_VERSION="appver-${SHORT_SHA}"
 
           # airgap tests install the previous k0s version to ensure an upgrade occurs
-          sed -i .bak "s/${EC_VERSION//./\\.}/${EC_VERSION//./\\.}-previous-k0s/g" e2e/kots-release-install/cluster-config.yaml
+          sed -i.bak "s/${EC_VERSION}/${EC_VERSION}-previous-k0s/g" e2e/kots-release-install/cluster-config.yaml
           replicated release create --yaml-dir e2e/kots-release-install --promote CI-airgap --version "${APP_VERSION}-previous-k0s"
           # return the cluster config to the current version
-          sed -i .bak "s/${EC_VERSION//./\\.}-previous-k0s/${EC_VERSION//./\\.}/g" e2e/kots-release-install/cluster-config.yaml
+          sed -i.bak "s/${EC_VERSION}-previous-k0s/${EC_VERSION}/g" e2e/kots-release-install/cluster-config.yaml
 
           replicated release create --yaml-dir e2e/kots-release-install --promote CI-airgap --version "${APP_VERSION}"
           replicated release create --yaml-dir e2e/kots-release-upgrade --promote CI-airgap --version "${APP_VERSION}-upgrade"
diff --git a/scripts/ci-embed-release.sh b/scripts/ci-embed-release.sh
index 2a5dbccb3..646454f74 100755
--- a/scripts/ci-embed-release.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci-embed-release.sh
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ function create_release() {
     } > output/tmp/kots-release-install/release.yaml
 
     # ensure that the cluster config embedded in the CI binaries is correct
-    sed -i .bak "s/__version_string__/${EC_VERSION//./\\.}/g" output/tmp/kots-release-install/cluster-config.yaml
+    sed -i.bak "s/__version_string__/${EC_VERSION}/g" output/tmp/kots-release-install/cluster-config.yaml
 
     tar -czf output/tmp/release.tar.gz -C output/tmp/kots-release-install .