diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix.yml b/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix.yml
index 7665a1ae..4f9936f1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ on:
         description: "Commit hash from the teddycloud_web build job"
         type: string
         required: false
+        default: "HEAD"
 
   push:
     branches:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix_alpine.yml b/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix_alpine.yml
index faec797b..21463c2d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix_alpine.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix_alpine.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ on:
         description: "Commit hash from the teddycloud_web build job"
         type: string
         required: false
+        default: "HEAD"
 
 # permissions are needed if pushing to ghcr.io
 permissions:
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           submodules: recursive
-          ref: ${{ inputs.tcw_commit_hash || 'HEAD' }}
+          ref: ${{ inputs.tcw_commit_hash }}
       - name: Set up QEMU
         uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
       - name: Set up Docker Buildx
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix_debian.yml b/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix_debian.yml
index 082319ce..bab4e6fb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix_debian.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix_debian.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ on:
         description: "Commit hash from the teddycloud_web build job"
         type: string
         required: false
+        default: "HEAD"
 
 # permissions are needed if pushing to ghcr.io
 permissions:
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           submodules: recursive
-          ref: ${{ inputs.tcw_commit_hash || 'HEAD' }}
+          ref: ${{ inputs.tcw_commit_hash }}
       - name: Set up QEMU
         uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
       - name: Set up Docker Buildx
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix_ubuntu.yml b/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix_ubuntu.yml
index 5ad965ec..ba81f270 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix_ubuntu.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish_docker_matrix_ubuntu.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ on:
         description: "Commit hash from the teddycloud_web build job"
         type: string
         required: false
+        default: "HEAD"
 
 # permissions are needed if pushing to ghcr.io
 permissions:
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           submodules: recursive
-          ref: ${{ inputs.tcw_commit_hash || 'HEAD' }}
+          ref: ${{ inputs.tcw_commit_hash }}
       - name: Set up QEMU
         uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
       - name: Set up Docker Buildx