diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_packages.yml b/.github/workflows/build_packages.yml
index 869b11d24..e0f6501e1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_packages.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_packages.yml
@@ -23,26 +23,25 @@ jobs:
     if: ${{ github.repository_owner == 'nod-ai' || github.event_name != 'schedule' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     outputs:
-      shark_package_version: ${{ steps.version.outputs.shark_package_version }}
+      version_suffix: ${{ steps.version_rc.outputs.version_suffix }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683 # v4.2.2
       - name: Setup Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@0b93645e9fea7318ecaed2b359559ac225c90a2b # v5.3.0
         with:
           python-version: 3.12
-          cache: "pip"
+
       - name: Install Python packages
-        run: |
-          pip install packaging
-          pip freeze
+        run: pip install packaging
+
       - name: Generate release candidate versions
         id: version_rc
         run: |
           version_suffix="$(printf 'rc%(%Y%m%d)T')"
-          echo "version_suffix=${version_suffix}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          sharktank_package_version=$(python3 build_tools/python_deploy/compute_local_version.py --version-suffix=${version_suffix} sharktank)
-          shortfin_package_version=$(python3 build_tools/python_deploy/compute_local_version.py --version-suffix=${version_suffix} shortfin)
-          sharkai_package_version=$(python3 build_tools/python_deploy/compute_common_version.py -rc --version-suffix=${version_suffix} --write-json)
+          echo "version_suffix=${version_suffix}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          python3 build_tools/python_deploy/compute_local_version.py --version-suffix=${version_suffix} sharktank
+          python3 build_tools/python_deploy/compute_local_version.py --version-suffix=${version_suffix} shortfin
+          python3 build_tools/python_deploy/compute_common_version.py -rc --version-suffix=${version_suffix} --write-json
       - name: Upload version_local.json
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@b4b15b8c7c6ac21ea08fcf65892d2ee8f75cf882 # v4.4.3
         with:
@@ -115,7 +114,7 @@ jobs:
         OUTPUT_DIR: "${{ github.workspace }}/bindist"
       run: |
         [ -e ./bindist/* ] && rm ./bindist/*
-        ./c/build_tools/python_deploy/write_requirements.py --version-suffix=${version_suffix}
+        ./c/build_tools/python_deploy/write_requirements.py --version-suffix=${{ needs.setup_metadata.outputs.version_suffix }}
         ./c/shark-ai/build_tools/build_linux_package.sh
 
     - name: Build sharktank (Linux x86_64)