diff --git a/eng/Versions.props b/eng/Versions.props
index 6167961d9bb..36f15aea630 100644
--- a/eng/Versions.props
+++ b/eng/Versions.props
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 <!-- Copyright (c) .NET Foundation and contributors. All rights reserved. Licensed under the MIT license. See License.txt in the project root for full license information. -->
 <Project>
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <VersionPrefix>17.6.0</VersionPrefix><DotNetFinalVersionKind>release</DotNetFinalVersionKind>
+    <VersionPrefix>17.6.1</VersionPrefix><DotNetFinalVersionKind>release</DotNetFinalVersionKind>
     <PackageValidationBaselineVersion>17.5.0</PackageValidationBaselineVersion>
     <AssemblyVersion>15.1.0.0</AssemblyVersion>
     <PreReleaseVersionLabel>preview</PreReleaseVersionLabel>
diff --git a/src/Build/BackEnd/TaskExecutionHost/TaskExecutionHost.cs b/src/Build/BackEnd/TaskExecutionHost/TaskExecutionHost.cs
index b6157448cf1..0598193fabb 100644
--- a/src/Build/BackEnd/TaskExecutionHost/TaskExecutionHost.cs
+++ b/src/Build/BackEnd/TaskExecutionHost/TaskExecutionHost.cs
@@ -1391,8 +1391,8 @@ private void GatherTaskItemOutputs(bool outputTargetIsItem, string outputTargetN
                                     newItem = new ProjectItemInstance(_projectInstance, outputTargetName, EscapingUtilities.Escape(output.ItemSpec), parameterLocationEscaped);
 
                                     newItem.SetMetadataOnTaskOutput(output.CloneCustomMetadata()
-                                        .Cast<KeyValuePair<string, string>>()
-                                        .Select(x => new KeyValuePair<string, string>(x.Key, EscapingUtilities.Escape(x.Value))));
+                                        .Cast<DictionaryEntry>()
+                                        .Select(x => new KeyValuePair<string, string>((string)x.Key, EscapingUtilities.Escape((string)x.Value))));
                                 }
                             }