diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index ebf60a585d3f8f93f9413e0f4cd2475ebe5cdbda..e18a865e834fcd1a32bc1acfff6ee2af8cb8f74c 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -37,9 +37,8 @@ workflow:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule"
 
 .get_build_date: &get_build_date
-  - export BUILD_DATE=$(TZ=America/Chicago date +%Y-%m-%dT%H%M%S)
-  - export FINAL_BUILD_TAG=${BUILD_TAG:-$BUILD_DATE}
-  - echo FINAL_BUILD_TAG=${FINAL_BUILD_TAG}
+  - export BUILD_DATE=${BUILD_TAG:-$(TZ=America/Chicago date +%Y-%m-%dT%H%M%S)}
+  - echo BUILD_DATE=${BUILD_DATE}
 
 .update_ansible_repo: &update_ansible_repo
   - *get_build_date