diff --git a/.drone.yml b/.drone.yml
index bf00475683a14..a3a621d47c66d 100644
--- a/.drone.yml
+++ b/.drone.yml
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ steps:
   - cd "/go/src/github.com/gravitational/teleport/build.assets/tooling"
   - 'go run ./cmd/gh-trigger-workflow -owner ${DRONE_REPO_OWNER} -repo teleport.e
     -tag-workflow -timeout 30m0s -workflow release-windows.yaml -workflow-ref=${DRONE_BRANCH}
-    -input oss-teleport-repo=${DRONE_REPO} -input oss-teleport-ref=${DRONE_COMMIT} '
+    -input oss-teleport-repo=${DRONE_REPO} -input oss-teleport-ref=${DRONE_BRANCH} '
   environment:
     GHA_APP_KEY:
       from_secret: GITHUB_WORKFLOW_APP_PRIVATE_KEY
@@ -5055,7 +5055,7 @@ steps:
   - cd "/go/src/github.com/gravitational/teleport/build.assets/tooling"
   - 'go run ./cmd/gh-trigger-workflow -owner ${DRONE_REPO_OWNER} -repo teleport.e
     -tag-workflow -timeout 30m0s -workflow release-windows.yaml -workflow-ref=${DRONE_TAG}
-    -input oss-teleport-repo=${DRONE_REPO} -input oss-teleport-ref=${DRONE_COMMIT} '
+    -input oss-teleport-repo=${DRONE_REPO} -input oss-teleport-ref=${DRONE_TAG} '
   environment:
     GHA_APP_KEY:
       from_secret: GITHUB_WORKFLOW_APP_PRIVATE_KEY
@@ -16670,6 +16670,6 @@ image_pull_secrets:
 - DOCKERHUB_CREDENTIALS
 ---
 kind: signature
-hmac: 808248ece6848a864380fa863907507286fe09335ea6bb9a526475eced572a37
+hmac: f7637c4d9ea66c2d54cc10556223fcadae04e35352780a615ba7df454f995a1b
 
 ...
diff --git a/dronegen/windows.go b/dronegen/windows.go
index 448c77e80842a..f27bd1df87387 100644
--- a/dronegen/windows.go
+++ b/dronegen/windows.go
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 func ghaWindowsPushPipeline() pipeline {
-	return getWindowsPipeline(triggerPush, "push", "${DRONE_BRANCH}")
+	return getWindowsPipeline(triggerPush, "push", "DRONE_BRANCH")
 }
 
 func windowsTagPipelineGHA() pipeline {
-	return getWindowsPipeline(triggerTag, "tag", "${DRONE_TAG}")
+	return getWindowsPipeline(triggerTag, "tag", "DRONE_TAG")
 }
 
 func getWindowsPipeline(pipelineTrigger trigger, triggerName, reference string) pipeline {
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ func getWindowsPipeline(pipelineTrigger trigger, triggerName, reference string)
 					name:              "release-windows.yaml",
 					timeout:           30 * time.Minute,
 					slackOnError:      true,
-					srcRefVar:         "DRONE_COMMIT",
-					ref:               reference,
+					srcRefVar:         reference,
+					ref:               fmt.Sprintf("${%s}", reference),
 					shouldTagWorkflow: true,
 				},
 			},