diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 89614f07..c536c658 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ name: ci
 on:
   push:
     branches:
-      - '*'
+      - 2.8
 
     paths-ignore:
       - README.md
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ on:
   # Run tests for any PRs.
   pull_request:
     branches:
-      - master
+      - 2.8
 
     paths-ignore:
       - README.md
diff --git a/branch.txt b/branch.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a4412fa7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/branch.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+2.8
diff --git a/build_and_release.sh b/build_and_release.sh
index ed7464a9..30b5a18b 100755
--- a/build_and_release.sh
+++ b/build_and_release.sh
@@ -142,7 +142,8 @@ fi
 
 original_repo_dir=$PWD
 git_sha1=$( git rev-parse HEAD )
-tag=v$( date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S )-${git_sha1:0:10}
+branch_name=$(<"$YB_THIRDPARTY_DIR/branch.txt")
+tag=v${branch_name}-$( date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S )-${git_sha1:0:10}
 
 archive_dir_name=yugabyte-db-thirdparty-$tag
 if [[ -z ${YB_THIRDPARTY_ARCHIVE_NAME_SUFFIX:-} ]]; then
@@ -218,4 +219,5 @@ for file_to_copy in archive.tar.gz archive.tar.gz.sha256; do
   else
     log "Warning: file $file_to_copy not found. Artifact upload may fail."
   fi
-done
\ No newline at end of file
+done
+