diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index cddd328..073ddda 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ on:
     branches:
       - master
   workflow_dispatch:
+env:
+  DIST: dist
 jobs:
   build:
     name: Build distribution
@@ -105,14 +107,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: Upload distribution archive
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
         with:
-          name: ${{ steps.ostag.outputs.ostag }}
+          name: ${{ env.DIST }}
           path: ./*.zip
 
       - name: Upload distribution metadata
         if: runner.os == 'Linux'
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
         with:
-          name: ${{ steps.ostag.outputs.ostag }}
+          name: ${{ env.DIST }}
           path: |
             ./code.json
             ./code.md
@@ -159,17 +161,11 @@ jobs:
           echo "$repo current version is $current"
           echo "$repo next version is $next"
 
-      - name: Get OS tag
-        id: ostag
-        run: |
-          ostag=$(python -c "from modflow_devtools.ostags import get_ostag; print(get_ostag())")
-          echo "ostag=$ostag" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
       - name: Download distribution
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
         with:
-          name: ${{ steps.ostag.outputs.ostag }}
-          path: ${{ steps.ostag.outputs.ostag }}
+          name: ${{ env.DIST }} 
+          path: ${{ env.DIST }} 
 
       - name: List distribution files
         run: ls -l ${{ steps.ostag.outputs.ostag }}
@@ -187,7 +183,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Build release body
         run: |
-          cat Header.md ${{ steps.ostag.outputs.ostag }}/code.md > BodyFile.md
+          cat Header.md ${{ env.DIST }}/code.md > BodyFile.md
           cat BodyFile.md
 
       # interactive debugging
@@ -200,8 +196,8 @@ jobs:
         id: update-readme
         run: |
           # update readme from metadata
-          cp ${{ steps.ostag.outputs.ostag }}/code.md code.md
-          cp ${{ steps.ostag.outputs.ostag }}/code.json code.json
+          cp ${{ env.DIST }}/code.md code.md
+          cp ${{ env.DIST }}/code.json code.json
           python scripts/update_readme.py
           
           # determine whether changes need to be committed
@@ -248,7 +244,7 @@ jobs:
           tag: ${{ steps.next-tag.outputs.tag }}
           name: "MODFLOW and related programs binary executables"
           bodyFile: "./BodyFile.md"
-          artifacts: "${{ steps.ostag.outputs.ostag }}/*"
+          artifacts: "${{ env.DIST }}/*"
           draft: false
           allowUpdates: true
           token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}