diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
index 9269a3b1a..0aadf7d5d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
@@ -15,8 +15,13 @@ jobs:
   release-please:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
-      release_created: ${{ steps.release.outputs.release_created }}
-      tag_name: ${{ steps.release.outputs.tag_name }}
+      # In manifest mode, release-please-action exposes the unprefixed
+      # `release_created` boolean but only a PATH-SCOPED `.--tag_name` (the
+      # unprefixed `tag_name` comes through empty). Fall back to the path-scoped
+      # key so the tag reaches CD_production; without it the deploy job's
+      # `startsWith(inputs.tag_name, 'v')` gate silently skips the release.
+      release_created: ${{ steps.release.outputs.release_created || steps.release.outputs['.--release_created'] }}
+      tag_name: ${{ steps.release.outputs.tag_name || steps.release.outputs['.--tag_name'] }}
     steps:
       # staging uses its own config/manifest pair: prerelease (rc) versioning,
       # separate changelog, and its own version state so the rc line never