diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-meshchat-package.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-meshchat-package.yaml
index bd445ba..6b4c713 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-meshchat-package.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-meshchat-package.yaml
@@ -13,4 +13,6 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
         with:
           name: meshchat
-          path: meshchat_*
\ No newline at end of file
+          path: |
+            meshchat_*.ipk
+            VERSION
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package/update-version.sh b/package/update-version.sh
index 3fcf16f..5c2f2c8 100755
--- a/package/update-version.sh
+++ b/package/update-version.sh
@@ -6,19 +6,34 @@
 
 IPK_DIR=$1
 
-if [[ "$GITHUB_REF_TYPE" == 'tag' ]]; then
+if [[ "${GITHUB_REF_TYPE}" == 'tag' ]]; then
     # ideally should only get version tags (i.e. 'v' followed by a number)
     if [[ "${GITHUB_REF_NAME}" =~ ^v[0-9].* ]]; then
         version="${GITHUB_REF_NAME#v}"
     fi
+elif [[ -n "${CI_COMMIT_TAG}" ]]; then
+    # ideally should only get version tags (i.e. 'v' followed by a number)
+    if [[ "${CI_COMMIT_TAG}" =~ ^v[0-9].* ]]; then
+        version="${CI_COMMIT_TAG#v}"
+    fi
 else
     # branch gets date code-branch_name-commit
     date=$(date +%Y%m%d)
     branch=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
+    # maybe a detached head, so check common vars for branch name
+    if [[ -n "${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME}" ]]; then
+        branch="${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME}"
+    elif [[ -n "${GITHUB_REF_NAME}" ]]; then
+        branch="${GITHUB_REF_NAME}"
+    fi
     commit=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)
     version="${date}-${branch}-${commit}"
 fi
 
+# write the version to a VERSION file
+echo "${version}" > VERSION
+echo "Updating code references to version ${version}"
+
 sed -i "s/^Version:.*/Version: $version/" $IPK_DIR/CONTROL/control
 
 # Update the version in meshchatconfig.lua if present