diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-prod.yaml b/.github/workflows/release-prod.yaml
index a48e81aec..c9ef39c2f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-prod.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-prod.yaml
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           export EC_VERSION="${{ needs.get-tag.outputs.tag-name }}"
           export OPERATOR_IMAGE=proxy.replicated.com/anonymous/${{ needs.publish-operator-image.outputs.image }}
-          export OPERATOR_VERSION=${{ needs.get-tag.outputs.tag-name }}
+          export OPERATOR_VERSION=$(echo "${{ needs.get-tag.outputs.tag-name }}" | sed 's/^v//')
 
           ./scripts/cache-files.sh
 
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           export EC_VERSION="${{ needs.get-tag.outputs.tag-name }}"
           export OPERATOR_IMAGE=proxy.replicated.com/anonymous/${{ needs.publish-operator-image.outputs.image }}
-          export OPERATOR_VERSION=${{ needs.get-tag.outputs.tag-name }}
+          export OPERATOR_VERSION=$(echo "${{ needs.get-tag.outputs.tag-name }}" | sed 's/^v//')
 
           ./scripts/cache-files.sh
 
diff --git a/e2e/scripts/vandoor-prepare.sh b/e2e/scripts/vandoor-prepare.sh
index c41c48077..755642236 100755
--- a/e2e/scripts/vandoor-prepare.sh
+++ b/e2e/scripts/vandoor-prepare.sh
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ main() {
     apt-get install curl ca-certificates -y
 
     echo "downloading from https://staging.replicated.app/embedded/embedded-cluster-smoke-test-staging-app/ci/${app_version_label}"
-    curl "https://staging.replicated.app/embedded/embedded-cluster-smoke-test-staging-app/ci/${app_version_label}" -H "Authorization: ${license_id}" -o ec-release.tgz
+    curl -fL -o ec-release.tgz "https://staging.replicated.app/embedded/embedded-cluster-smoke-test-staging-app/ci/${app_version_label}" -H "Authorization: ${license_id}"
     tar xzf ec-release.tgz
 
     mkdir -p /assets
diff --git a/scripts/cache-files.sh b/scripts/cache-files.sh
index 651165424..c3b539096 100755
--- a/scripts/cache-files.sh
+++ b/scripts/cache-files.sh
@@ -137,10 +137,16 @@ function embeddedcluster() {
         return 0
     fi
 
+    # append a 'v' prefix to the version if it doesn't already have one
+    local version="$EC_VERSION"
+    if ! echo "$version" | grep -q "^v"; then
+        version="v$version"
+    fi
+
     # check if a file 'embedded-cluster-linux-amd64.tgz' exists in the directory
-    # if it does, upload it as releases/${EC_VERSION}.tgz
+    # if it does, upload it as releases/${version}.tgz
     if [ -f embedded-cluster-linux-amd64.tgz ]; then
-        retry 3 aws s3 cp --no-progress embedded-cluster-linux-amd64.tgz "s3://${S3_BUCKET}/releases/${EC_VERSION}.tgz"
+        retry 3 aws s3 cp --no-progress embedded-cluster-linux-amd64.tgz "s3://${S3_BUCKET}/releases/${version}.tgz"
     else
         echo "embedded-cluster-linux-amd64.tgz not found, skipping upload"
     fi
diff --git a/scripts/create-previous-k0s-release.sh b/scripts/create-previous-k0s-release.sh
index e8b04bc94..504bede64 100755
--- a/scripts/create-previous-k0s-release.sh
+++ b/scripts/create-previous-k0s-release.sh
@@ -66,10 +66,16 @@ function embeddedcluster() {
         return 0
     fi
 
+    # append a 'v' prefix to the version if it doesn't already have one
+    local version="$EC_VERSION"
+    if ! echo "$version" | grep -q "^v"; then
+        version="v$version"
+    fi
+
     # check if a file 'embedded-cluster-linux-amd64-previous-k0s.tgz' exists in the directory
-    # if it does, upload it as releases/${EC_VERSION}.tgz
+    # if it does, upload it as releases/${version}.tgz
     if [ -f embedded-cluster-linux-amd64-previous-k0s.tgz ]; then
-        retry 3 aws s3 cp --no-progress embedded-cluster-linux-amd64-previous-k0s.tgz "s3://${S3_BUCKET}/releases/${EC_VERSION}.tgz"
+        retry 3 aws s3 cp --no-progress embedded-cluster-linux-amd64-previous-k0s.tgz "s3://${S3_BUCKET}/releases/${version}.tgz"
     else
         echo "embedded-cluster-linux-amd64-previous-k0s.tgz not found, skipping upload"
     fi
diff --git a/scripts/create-upgrade-release.sh b/scripts/create-upgrade-release.sh
index 1f05a8fd6..f00ae1da6 100755
--- a/scripts/create-upgrade-release.sh
+++ b/scripts/create-upgrade-release.sh
@@ -66,10 +66,16 @@ function embeddedcluster() {
         return 0
     fi
 
+    # append a 'v' prefix to the version if it doesn't already have one
+    local version="$EC_VERSION"
+    if ! echo "$version" | grep -q "^v"; then
+        version="v$version"
+    fi
+
     # check if a file 'embedded-cluster-linux-amd64.tgz' exists in the directory
-    # if it does, upload it as releases/${EC_VERSION}.tgz
+    # if it does, upload it as releases/${version}.tgz
     if [ -f embedded-cluster-linux-amd64.tgz ]; then
-        retry 3 aws s3 cp --no-progress embedded-cluster-linux-amd64.tgz "s3://${S3_BUCKET}/releases/${EC_VERSION}.tgz"
+        retry 3 aws s3 cp --no-progress embedded-cluster-linux-amd64.tgz "s3://${S3_BUCKET}/releases/${version}.tgz"
     else
         echo "embedded-cluster-linux-amd64.tgz not found, skipping upload"
     fi