diff --git a/tools/ci/config/pre_check.yml b/tools/ci/config/pre_check.yml
index 00eb4922f3..7e88bc5f64 100644
--- a/tools/ci/config/pre_check.yml
+++ b/tools/ci/config/pre_check.yml
@@ -190,3 +190,15 @@ check_public_headers:
   script:
     - python tools/ci/check_public_headers.py --jobs 4 --prefix xtensa-esp32-elf-
 
+# For release tag pipelines only, make sure the tag was created with 'git tag -a' so it will update
+# the version returned by 'git describe'
+check_version_tag:
+  extends: .check_job_template
+  only:
+    refs:
+      - /^v\d+\.\d+(\.\d+)?($|-)/
+    variables:
+      - $BOT_TRIGGER_WITH_LABEL == null
+  script:
+    - (git cat-file -t $CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME | grep tag) || echo "ESP-IDF versions must be annotated tags." && exit 1
+