diff --git a/.github/workflows/CreateRelease.yml b/.github/workflows/CreateRelease.yml
index 5ec1de8..f2bc1f3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CreateRelease.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CreateRelease.yml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ jobs:
     # see https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/26286#discussioncomment-3251208 for why we need to check the ref
     if: ${{ contains(github.ref, 'refs/heads/release/') }} ||  ${{ github.ref=='refs/heads/main' }}
     needs: [ benchmarks ]
-    runs-on: windows-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
         PLATFORM: x64
     steps:
@@ -41,12 +41,17 @@ jobs:
     - name: Verify vendor.tar
       if: ${{ contains(github.ref, 'refs/heads/release/') }}
       run: |
-        mv ./src/hyperlight_wasm/vendor.tar ./vendor.tar
+        set -euxo pipefail
+        VENDOR1=$(mktemp -d)
+        VENDOR2=$(mktemp -d)
+        tar xf ./src/hyperlight_wasm/vendor.tar -C $VENDOR1
         just make-vendor-tar
-        if ! git diff --no-index ./vendor.tar ./src/hyperlight_wasm/vendor.tar; then
+        tar xf ./src/hyperlight_wasm/vendor.tar -C $VENDOR2
+        if ! git diff --no-index $VENDOR1 $VENDOR2; then
           echo "vendor.tar is not up to date, please run 'just make-vendor-tar' and commit the changes"
           exit 1
         fi
+        git restore ./src/hyperlight_wasm/vendor.tar
       shell: bash
     - name: Package hyperlight-wasm crate
       if: ${{ contains(github.ref, 'refs/heads/release/') }}
@@ -55,16 +60,16 @@ jobs:
     - name: Install minver_rs
       run: |
           cargo install minver_rs
-      shell: pwsh
+      shell: bash
     - name: Set HYPERLIGHTWASM_VERSION
       run: |
         git fetch --tags || true
-        $env:MINVER_TAG_PREFIX="v"
-        $env:MINVER_AUTO_INCREMENT_LEVEL="Minor"
-        $env:MINVER_PRERELEASE_IDENTIFIER="preview"
-        echo "HYPERLIGHTWASM_VERSION=$(minver)"| Out-File -FilePath $Env:GITHUB_ENV -Encoding utf-8 -Append
+        export MINVER_TAG_PREFIX="v"
+        export MINVER_AUTO_INCREMENT_LEVEL="Minor"
+        export MINVER_PRERELEASE_IDENTIFIER="preview"
+        echo "HYPERLIGHTWASM_VERSION=$(minver)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
         echo "HYPERLIGHTWASM_VERSION=$(minver)"
-      shell: pwsh
+      shell: bash
     - name: Download Wasm Modules
       uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
       with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/CreateReleaseBranch.yml b/.github/workflows/CreateReleaseBranch.yml
index ac34228..4161fdf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CreateReleaseBranch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CreateReleaseBranch.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ jobs:
         sed -i '/vendor.tar/d' ./src/hyperlight_wasm/.gitignore
         git add ./src/hyperlight_wasm/vendor.tar
         git add ./src/hyperlight_wasm/.gitignore
-        git commit -m "Vendor dependencies for release ${GITHUB_REF_NAME}" -s -S
+        git config user.name hyperlight-wasm-ci
+        git config user.email github@users.noreply.github.com
+        git commit -s \
+          -m "Vendor dependencies for release ${GITHUB_REF_NAME}"
         git push --set-upstream origin release/${GITHUB_REF_NAME}
       shell: bash
diff --git a/Justfile b/Justfile
index 5286903..209b2c0 100644
--- a/Justfile
+++ b/Justfile
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ set windows-shell := ["pwsh.exe", "-NoLogo", "-Command"]
 
 make-vendor-tar:
     tar cf ./src/hyperlight_wasm/vendor.tar \
+        --owner=0 --group=0 \
         --exclude-vcs-ignores \
         -C ./src wasm_runtime hyperlight_wasm_macro