diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index ad8fd9e..9ff08ba 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -44,15 +44,19 @@ jobs:
             // builds from publication branches (dev + release) use simple version, all other branches use semantic version 1
             const extensionVersion = onPublicationBranch ? SIMPLE_VERSION : SEMANTIC_VERSION_1;
 
-            // convert boolean preRelease value to integer via + operator for github expressions compatibility
-            core.setOutput('preRelease', +preRelease);
+            core.setOutput('preRelease', preRelease);
             core.setOutput('extensionVersion', extensionVersion);
 
+      - name: Dump job context
+        env:
+          PRE_RELEASE: ${{ steps.relInfo.outputs.preRelease }}
+          EXT_VERSION: ${{ steps.relInfo.outputs.extensionVersion }}
+        run: echo "$PRE_RELEASE $EXT_VERSION"
       - name: Pack Extension
-        if: ${{ steps.relInfo.outputs.preRelease == 0 }}
+        if: ${{ steps.relInfo.outputs.preRelease != 'true' }}
         run: npx vsce pack ${{ steps.relInfo.outputs.extensionVersion }} --no-git-tag-version 
       - name: Pack Pre-Release Extension
-        if: ${{ steps.relInfo.outputs.preRelease }} != 0
+        if: ${{ steps.relInfo.outputs.preRelease }} == 'true'
         run: npx vsce pack ${{ steps.relInfo.outputs.extensionVersion }} --no-git-tag-version --pre-release  
       - name: Upload Extension Artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4.3.0