diff --git a/.github/workflows/fake-release.yaml b/.github/workflows/fake-release.yaml
index ed81d883c..4923f8204 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/fake-release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/fake-release.yaml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ env:
   BRANCH_NAME: main
   UPDATER_BRANCH: snyk-tag-monitoring-${{ github.run_id }}
   GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CODEFLARE_MACHINE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN }}
+  RELEASE_VERSION: ${{ github.event.inputs.release-version || '0.2.0' }}
 
 jobs:
     release:
@@ -27,13 +28,15 @@ jobs:
 
           - name: Append tag to Snyk monitoring list
             run: |
-              sed -i 's/list_of_released_tags=(/list_of_released_tags=("${{ github.event.inputs.release-version }}", /' .github/workflows/snyk-security.yaml
+              sed -i 's/list_of_released_tags=(/list_of_released_tags=("v$RELEASE_VERSION", /' .github/workflows/snyk-security.yaml
 
           - name: Push changes
             run: |
               git add . && git status && git checkout -b ${{ env.UPDATER_BRANCH }} && \
               git commit -am "Updated notebooks via ${{ env.UPDATER_BRANCH }} GitHub action" && \
               git push origin ${{ env.UPDATER_BRANCH }}
+            env:
+              GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CODEFLARE_MACHINE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN }}
 
           - name: Create Pull Request
             run: |
@@ -43,7 +46,7 @@ jobs:
                 --head $UPDATER_BRANCH \
                 --base $BRANCH_NAME
             env:
-              pr_title: "Append tag ${{ github.event.inputs.release-version }} to Snyk monitoring list"
+              pr_title: "Append tag $RELEASE_VERSION to Snyk monitoring list"
               pr_body: |
                 :rocket: This is an automated Pull Request generated by [release.yaml](https://github.com/project-codeflare/codeflare-sdk/blob/main/.github/workflows/release.yaml) workflow.