diff --git a/.github/workflows/github-release.yml b/.github/workflows/github-release.yml
index a46a12134bf..8cbe3030ffe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/github-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/github-release.yml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ on:
         type: string
       latest:
         required: false
-        default: false
+        default: "0"
         description: Mark this release as latest (`1`) or not (`0`, default)
         type: string
       dry_run:
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ on:
         type: string
       latest:
         required: false
+        default: "0"
         description: Mark this release as latest (`1`) or not (`0`, default)
         type: string
       dry_run:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-comms.yml b/.github/workflows/release-comms.yml
index dc7355ef0b8..02d53057184 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-comms.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-comms.yml
@@ -8,10 +8,11 @@ on:
       dry_run:
         required: false
         default: true
+        type: boolean
       version:
         required: true
       latest:
-        type: bool
+        type: boolean
         default: false
   pull_request:
     types:
@@ -30,17 +31,18 @@ jobs:
       latest: ${{ steps.output.outputs.latest }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
+      # The github-release action expects a `LATEST` value of a string of either '1' or '0'
     - if: ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' }}
       run: |
         echo setting up GITHUB_ENV for ${{ github.event_name }}
         echo "VERSION=${{ inputs.version }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
         echo "DRY_RUN=${{ inputs.dry_run }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-        echo "LATEST=${{ inputs.latest }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+        echo "LATEST=${{ inputs.latest && '1' || '0' }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
     - if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.merged == true && startsWith(github.head_ref, 'release/') }}
       run: |
         echo "VERSION=$(echo ${{ github.head_ref }} | sed -e 's/release\/.*\///g')" >> $GITHUB_ENV
         echo "DRY_RUN=${{ contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'release/dry-run') }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-        echo "LATEST=${{ contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'release/latest') }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+        echo "LATEST=${{ contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'release/latest') && '1' || '0' }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
     - id: output
       run: |
         echo "dry_run: $DRY_RUN"