diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 5fb341c30..5e0dbd79e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -15,17 +15,20 @@ on:
 jobs:
   release:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    container:
-      image: adoptopenjdk/openjdk11:jdk-11.0.10_9
     steps:
       - name: Check out code
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
-
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Set up JDK 11
+        uses: actions/setup-java@v4
+        with:
+          java-version: '11'
+          distribution: 'temurin'
+          cache: 'gradle'
       - name: Install necessary tooling
         env:
           APACHE_THRIFT_VERSION: 0.9.3
         run: |
-          apt-get update &&apt-get install -y wget gcc make build-essential git
+          apt-get update && apt-get install -y wget gcc make build-essential git
 
           wget https://archive.apache.org/dist/thrift/${APACHE_THRIFT_VERSION}/thrift-${APACHE_THRIFT_VERSION}.tar.gz && \
           tar -xvf thrift-${APACHE_THRIFT_VERSION}.tar.gz && \
@@ -40,9 +43,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Determine release version
         id: vars
         run: |
-          # Read version from build.gradle
-          RELEASE_VERSION=$(grep -E 'version\s*=' build.gradle | sed "s/[[:space:]]*version[[:space:]]*=[[:space:]]*'\(.*\)'/\1/")
-          echo "RELEASE_VERSION=$RELEASE_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          ./gradlew -q printVersion
 
       - name: Publish to Sonatype OSSRH (Maven Central)
         env:
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 20c6ce42c..77c0f4963 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 - Fixed NullPointerException in ContextPropagation when Header is present but fields is null
 
 ## 3.11.0
-- Added opentracing support in workflow lifecycles #876 
+- Added opentracing support in workflow lifecycles #876
 
 ## 3.10.1
 - Fixed the bug: workflow already started for migration
@@ -121,12 +121,12 @@
 - Add CadenceChangeVersion support.
 - Allow using other tags in metric reporter.
 - Add metric tag to differentiate long-poll and normal request.
-### Changed 
+### Changed
 - Fix identity for sticky worker.
 - Improve contributing guide.
 
 ## 3.5.0
-### Changed 
+### Changed
 - Fix consistent query interface which caused overloading ambiguity with variable argument
 
 ## 3.4.0
@@ -318,5 +318,3 @@ to disable use FactoryOptions.disableStickyExecution property.
 - Side effects, mutable side effects, random uuid and workflow getVersion support.
 - Activity heartbeat throttling.
 - Deterministic retry of failed operation.
-
-
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index fc35af8e6..8cb5369be 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -47,7 +47,22 @@ googleJavaFormat {
 tasks.googleJavaFormat.dependsOn 'license'
 
 group = 'com.uber.cadence'
-version = '3.12.7-SNAPSHOT'
+
+version = getVersion()
+
+def getVersion() {
+    try {
+        def stdout = new ByteArrayOutputStream()
+        exec {
+            commandLine 'git', 'describe', '--tags'
+            standardOutput = stdout
+        }
+        def gitTag = stdout.toString().trim().replaceFirst("^v", "")
+        return gitTag
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+        return "0.0.0-LOCAL"
+    }
+}
 
 description = '''Uber Cadence Java Client'''
 
@@ -96,6 +111,10 @@ license {
     excludes(["**/*.json", "**/idls","com/uber/cadence/*.java", "com/uber/cadence/shadower/*.java"]) // config files and generated code
 }
 
+task printVersion {
+    println "current version: $version"
+}
+
 task initDlsSubmodule(type: Exec) {
     description = 'Initializes src/main/idls submodule'
     commandLine 'git', 'submodule', 'init'