diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.md b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.md
index ac482b21ab..ce9b15375f 100644
--- a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.md
+++ b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.md
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ If the issue cannot be solved after the steps before, please follow these instru
 - Development Kit:      [ESP32-Wrover-Kit|ESP32-DevKitC|ESP32-PICO-Kit|ESP32-LyraT|ESP32-LyraTD-MSC|none]
 - Kit version (for WroverKit/PicoKit/DevKitC): [v1|v2|v3|v4]
 - Module or chip used:  [ESP32-WROOM-32|ESP32-WROOM-32D|ESP32-WROOM-32U|ESP32-WROVER|ESP32-WROVER-I|ESP32-WROVER-B|ESP32-WROVER-IB|ESP32-SOLO-1|ESP32-PICO-D4|ESP32]
-- IDF version (run ``git describe --tags`` to find it):
+- IDF version (run ``git describe`` to find it):
     // v3.2-dev-1148-g96cd3b75c
 - Build System:         [Make|CMake|idf.py]
 - Compiler version (run ``xtensa-esp32-elf-gcc --version`` to find it):
diff --git a/docs/gen-version-specific-includes.py b/docs/gen-version-specific-includes.py
index 08b111d651..6bd377c4b1 100755
--- a/docs/gen-version-specific-includes.py
+++ b/docs/gen-version-specific-includes.py
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ def get_version():
 
     # Otherwise, use git to look for a tag
     try:
-        tag = subprocess.check_output(["git", "describe", "--tags", "--exact-match"]).strip()
+        tag = subprocess.check_output(["git", "describe", "--exact-match"]).strip()
         is_stable = re.match(r"v[0-9\.]+$", tag) is not None
         return (tag, "tag", is_stable)
     except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
diff --git a/make/project.mk b/make/project.mk
index bd40e64aa6..19e848e688 100644
--- a/make/project.mk
+++ b/make/project.mk
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ endif
 
 # If we have `version.txt` then prefer that for extracting IDF version
 ifeq ("$(wildcard ${IDF_PATH}/version.txt)","")
-IDF_VER_T := $(shell cd ${IDF_PATH} && git describe --always --tags --dirty)
+IDF_VER_T := $(shell cd ${IDF_PATH} && git describe --always --dirty)
 else
 IDF_VER_T := $(shell cat ${IDF_PATH}/version.txt)
 endif
diff --git a/tools/ci/check_idf_version.sh b/tools/ci/check_idf_version.sh
index 36fdf003f2..35135b89de 100755
--- a/tools/ci/check_idf_version.sh
+++ b/tools/ci/check_idf_version.sh
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ cmake_ver_minor=$(get_ver_from_cmake IDF_VERSION_MINOR)
 cmake_ver_patch=$(get_ver_from_cmake IDF_VERSION_PATCH)
 version_from_cmake="${cmake_ver_major}.${cmake_ver_minor}.${cmake_ver_patch}"
 
-git_desc=$(git describe --tags)
+git_desc=$(git describe)
 git_desc_regex="^v([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)(\.([0-9]+))?.*$"
 if [[ ! ${git_desc} =~ ${git_desc_regex} ]]; then
     echo "Could not determine the version from 'git describe' output: ${git_desc}"
diff --git a/tools/ci/checkout_project_ref.py b/tools/ci/checkout_project_ref.py
index e9c060a1b0..e7d0a8e6aa 100755
--- a/tools/ci/checkout_project_ref.py
+++ b/tools/ci/checkout_project_ref.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def target_branch_candidates(proj_name):
         pass
     # branch name read from IDF
     try:
-        git_describe = subprocess.check_output(["git", "describe", "--tags", "HEAD"])
+        git_describe = subprocess.check_output(["git", "describe", "HEAD"])
         match = IDF_GIT_DESCRIBE_PATTERN.search(git_describe.decode())
         if match:
             major_revision = match.group(1)
diff --git a/tools/ci/config/pre_check.yml b/tools/ci/config/pre_check.yml
index 6f4baca8fa..b1883a8174 100644
--- a/tools/ci/config/pre_check.yml
+++ b/tools/ci/config/pre_check.yml
@@ -155,3 +155,16 @@ build_template_app:
     - for dir in esp32 esp32s2beta; do test $(xtensa-esp32-elf-nm $dir/*.a | grep -w printf | wc -l) -eq 0; done;
     - for dir in esp32 esp32s2beta; do test $(xtensa-esp32-elf-nm $dir/*.a | grep -w ets_printf | wc -l) -eq 0; done;
     - popd
+
+# For release tag pipelines only, make sure the tag was created with 'git tag -a' so it will update
+# the version returned by 'git describe'
+check_version_tag:
+  extends: .check_job_template
+  only:
+    refs:
+      - /^v\d+\.\d+(\.\d+)?($|-)/
+    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
+
diff --git a/tools/idf_tools.py b/tools/idf_tools.py
index 914ecc048a..524e478847 100755
--- a/tools/idf_tools.py
+++ b/tools/idf_tools.py
@@ -843,7 +843,7 @@ def get_python_env_path():
             idf_version_str = version_file.read()
     else:
         try:
-            idf_version_str = subprocess.check_output(['git', 'describe', '--tags'],
+            idf_version_str = subprocess.check_output(['git', 'describe'],
                                                       cwd=global_idf_path, env=os.environ).decode()
         except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
             warn('Git describe was unsuccessul: {}'.format(e))