diff --git a/substrate/.maintain/gitlab/check_runtime.sh b/substrate/.maintain/gitlab/check_runtime.sh
index 8c07208438..c7ce7d5f28 100755
--- a/substrate/.maintain/gitlab/check_runtime.sh
+++ b/substrate/.maintain/gitlab/check_runtime.sh
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@ fi
 # consensus-critical logic that has changed. the runtime wasm blobs must be
 # rebuilt.
 
-add_spec_version="$(git diff origin/master...${CI_COMMIT_SHA} ${VERSIONS_FILE} \
+add_spec_version="$(git diff tags/release...${CI_COMMIT_SHA} ${VERSIONS_FILE} \
 	| sed -n -r "s/^\+[[:space:]]+spec_version: +([0-9]+),$/\1/p")"
-sub_spec_version="$(git diff origin/master...${CI_COMMIT_SHA} ${VERSIONS_FILE} \
+sub_spec_version="$(git diff tags/release...${CI_COMMIT_SHA} ${VERSIONS_FILE} \
 	| sed -n -r "s/^\-[[:space:]]+spec_version: +([0-9]+),$/\1/p")"
 
 
@@ -79,9 +79,9 @@ else
 	# check for impl_version updates: if only the impl versions changed, we assume
 	# there is no consensus-critical logic that has changed.
 
-	add_impl_version="$(git diff origin/master...${CI_COMMIT_SHA} ${VERSIONS_FILE} \
+	add_impl_version="$(git diff tags/release...${CI_COMMIT_SHA} ${VERSIONS_FILE} \
 		| sed -n -r 's/^\+[[:space:]]+impl_version: +([0-9]+),$/\1/p')"
-	sub_impl_version="$(git diff origin/master...${CI_COMMIT_SHA} ${VERSIONS_FILE} \
+	sub_impl_version="$(git diff tags/release...${CI_COMMIT_SHA} ${VERSIONS_FILE} \
 		| sed -n -r 's/^\-[[:space:]]+impl_version: +([0-9]+),$/\1/p')"