diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index df10be5..4219395 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -59,8 +59,17 @@ jobs:
       - uses: ./.github/actions/setup
       - name: set VERSION=${{ needs.version.outputs.version }}
         run: |
-          bin/garden-version "${{ needs.version.outputs.version }}" | tee VERSION
-          git update-index --assume-unchanged VERSION
+          VERSION_FILE=""
+          if [ -f "VERSION" ]; then
+            VERSION_FILE="VERSION"
+          elif [ -f "gardenlinux/VERSION" ]; then
+            VERSION_FILE="gardenlinux/VERSION"
+          else
+            echo "Error: VERSION file does not exist"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          bin/garden-version "${{ needs.version.outputs.version }}" | tee ${VERSION_FILE}
+          git update-index --assume-unchanged ${VERSION_FILE}
       - name: build certificates
         if: ${{ ! inputs.use_kms }}
         run: ./cert/build
@@ -201,8 +210,17 @@ jobs:
           arch: "${{ matrix.arch }}"
       - name: set VERSION=${{ needs.version.outputs.version }}
         run: |
-          bin/garden-version "${{ needs.version.outputs.version }}" | tee VERSION
-          git update-index --assume-unchanged VERSION
+          VERSION_FILE=""
+          if [ -f "VERSION" ]; then
+            VERSION_FILE="VERSION"
+          elif [ -f "gardenlinux/VERSION" ]; then
+            VERSION_FILE="gardenlinux/VERSION"
+          else
+            echo "Error: VERSION file does not exist"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          bin/garden-version "${{ needs.version.outputs.version }}" | tee ${VERSION_FILE}
+          git update-index --assume-unchanged ${VERSION_FILE}
       - name: load cert cache
         uses: actions/cache/restore@0c45773b623bea8c8e75f6c82b208c3cf94ea4f9 # pin@v3
         with: