diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 8dea5a24ff948a9df682018a8b40aec1a57bc712..ec2058234297452f8ac002e3527155a078fd2aa1 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -84,11 +84,9 @@ package-debian-job:
     # HINT: current working dir == '/builds/digital-preservation/verapdf_package_build' as root
     # retrieve version infos
     - REVISION="1"
-    - BRANCH="$(([ -z "${CI_COMMIT_BRANCH}" ] && echo ${CI_COMMIT_TAG} || echo ${CI_COMMIT_BRANCH}) | sed "s#[^A-Za-z0-9\.~+-]##g")" # use tag name in tag pipelines, filter characters based on https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-controlfields.html#s-f-version
-    - VERSION="$(git rev-list HEAD --count)-${BRANCH}"
     - ARCHITECTURE="all"
     # create build dir structure
-    - DEB_BUILD_DIR="verapdf_${VERSION}-${REVISION}_${ARCHITECTURE}"
+    - DEB_BUILD_DIR="verapdf_${VERAPDF_VERSION}-${REVISION}_${ARCHITECTURE}"
     - mkdir -p ${DEB_BUILD_DIR}/DEBIAN
     # copy project files to be packaged
     - mkdir -p ${DEB_BUILD_DIR}/usr/local/
@@ -96,7 +94,7 @@ package-debian-job:
     # copy & rename deb control file template
     - cp gitlab-ci/verapdf.control ${DEB_BUILD_DIR}/DEBIAN/control
     # set package version
-    - sed -i "s#VERSION_PLACEHOLDER#$VERSION-$REVISION#g" ${DEB_BUILD_DIR}/DEBIAN/control
+    - sed -i "s#VERSION_PLACEHOLDER#$VERAPDF_VERSION-$REVISION#g" ${DEB_BUILD_DIR}/DEBIAN/control
     # add checksums
     - pushd ${DEB_BUILD_DIR}
     - md5sum $(find * -type f -not -path 'DEBIAN/*') > DEBIAN/md5sums