diff --git a/.github/workflows/python_deploy_prod.yml b/.github/workflows/python_deploy_prod.yml
index 199b32bef9..e1cd88158e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python_deploy_prod.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python_deploy_prod.yml
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ on:
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
       release-tag:
-        description: 'Tag for the existing (draft) release to publish assets from'
-        required: true
+        description: 'Tag for the release to publish assets from (defaults to the tag this workflow run was triggered from)'
+        required: false
       publish-conda:
         description: 'Publish Conda package'
         required: false
@@ -26,20 +26,35 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+  validate-release-tag:
+    name: Validate release tag
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+    steps:
+      - name: Ensure a release tag is resolvable
+        run: |
+          if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" = "workflow_dispatch" ] && \
+             [ -z "${{ github.event.inputs.release-tag }}" ] && \
+             [ "${{ github.ref_type }}" != "tag" ]; then
+            echo "::error::No 'release-tag' input was provided, and this run was not triggered from a tag (ref_type=${{ github.ref_type }}, ref_name=${{ github.ref_name }}). Re-run this workflow selecting the release tag under 'Use workflow from', or provide 'release-tag' manually."
+            exit 1
+          fi
   call-workflow-conda-release:
     name: Publish production Conda package on JFrog Artifactory
+    needs: validate-release-tag
     if: ${{ github.event_name == 'release' || github.event.inputs.publish-conda == 'true' }}
     uses: MiraGeoscience/CI-tools/.github/workflows/reusable-python-release_conda_assets.yml@v3
     permissions:
       contents: write
     with:
       virtual-repo-names: '["public-noremote-conda-prod"]'
-      release-tag: ${{ github.event.release.tag_name || github.event.inputs.release-tag }}
+      release-tag: ${{ github.event.release.tag_name || github.event.inputs.release-tag || github.ref_name }}
     secrets:
       JFROG_ARTIFACTORY_URL: ${{ secrets.JFROG_ARTIFACTORY_URL }}
       JFROG_ARTIFACTORY_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.JFROG_ARTIFACTORY_TOKEN }}
   call-workflow-pypi-release:
     name: Publish production PyPI package (JFrog Artifactory, PyPI)
+    needs: validate-release-tag
     if: ${{ github.event_name == 'release' || github.event.inputs.publish-pypi == 'true' }}
     uses: MiraGeoscience/CI-tools/.github/workflows/reusable-python-release_pypi_assets.yml@v3
     permissions:
@@ -47,8 +62,8 @@ jobs:
     with:
       package-name: 'mira-simpeg'
       virtual-repo-names: '["public-pypi-prod", "pypi"]'
-      release-tag: ${{ github.event.release.tag_name || github.event.inputs.release-tag }}
+      release-tag: ${{ github.event.release.tag_name || github.event.inputs.release-tag || github.ref_name }}
     secrets:
       JFROG_ARTIFACTORY_URL: ${{ secrets.JFROG_ARTIFACTORY_URL }}
       JFROG_ARTIFACTORY_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.JFROG_ARTIFACTORY_TOKEN }}
-      PYPI_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PYPI_TOKEN }}
+      PYPI_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PYPI_TOKEN }}
\ No newline at end of file