diff --git a/.github/workflows/version_bump.yml b/.github/workflows/version_bump.yml
index 08954a3cc0..4a55b9ec7e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/version_bump.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/version_bump.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ name: Version Bump
 
 # prevent concurrent version bumps
 concurrency:
-  group: "version-bump-${{ github.ref_name }}"
+  group: "version-bump-${{ github.event_name == 'schedule' && 'alpha' || github.ref_name }}"
 
 on:
   push:
@@ -53,11 +53,11 @@ jobs:
           repository-name: ${{ github.repository }}
           repository-owner: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
           head-sha: ${{ env.sha }}
-          base-branch: ${{ github.ref_name }}
+          base-branch: ${{ github.event_name == 'schedule' && 'alpha' || github.ref_name }}
           polling-interval: 60
 
       - name: Fetch the latest code from the specified branch
-        run: git pull origin ${{ github.ref_name }}
+        run: git pull origin ${{ github.event_name == 'schedule' && 'alpha' || github.ref_name }}
 
       - uses: actions-rs/toolchain@v1
         with:
@@ -83,12 +83,12 @@ jobs:
           rm release-plz-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz
           sudo mv release-plz /usr/local/bin
       - shell: bash
-        run: ./resources/scripts/bump_version.sh ${{ github.ref_name }}
+        run: ./resources/scripts/bump_version.sh ${{ github.event_name == 'schedule' && 'alpha' || github.ref_name }}
       - name: push version bump commit
         uses: ad-m/github-push-action@master
         with:
           github_token: ${{ secrets.VERSION_BUMP_COMMIT_PAT }}
-          branch: ${{ github.ref_name }}
+          branch: ${{ github.event_name == 'schedule' && 'alpha' || github.ref_name }}
           tags: true
       - name: post notification to slack on failure
         if: ${{ failure() }}