diff --git a/.github/workflows/update.yml b/.github/workflows/update.yml
index dbd60b8..30730ea 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/update.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/update.yml
@@ -19,19 +19,24 @@ env:
   GITHUB_BASE_URL: https://api.github.com
 
 jobs:
-  unit:
+  msync:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     name: Run msync against all modules
-    if: github.repository_owner == 'voxpupuli'
+    if: ${{ github.repository_owner == 'voxpupuli' }}
     steps:
       - name: checkout code
         # the action has a ssh-key option.
         # when provided, it configures the ssh/git config to authenticate automatically with that key to the source repo
         # the authentication won't be used for other repos (which we need for msync), so we cannot use the option
         # that's the reason for the 'Add SSH key' step
+        #
+        # the "ref: github.ref" is required for the tag to be properly checked out, as a workaround
+        # for https://github.com/actions/checkout/issues/1638
         uses: actions/checkout@v5
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
+          fetch-tags: true
+          ref: ${{ github.ref }}
       - name: Setup ruby
         uses: ruby/setup-ruby@v1
         with:
@@ -46,8 +51,8 @@ jobs:
             ssh-add ~/.ssh/github_actions
       - name: set git user & email & commit signing
         run: |
-          git config --global user.email '12855858+pccibot@users.noreply.github.com'
-          git config --global user.name 'pccibot'
+          git config --global user.email "$GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL"
+          git config --global user.name "$GIT_AUTHOR_NAME"
           git config --global gpg.format ssh
           git config --global user.signingkey ~/.ssh/github_actions
           git config --global commit.gpgsign true