diff --git a/build/release/Makefile b/build/release/Makefile
index 74a6f5a17..fde3fab32 100644
--- a/build/release/Makefile
+++ b/build/release/Makefile
@@ -158,14 +158,36 @@ promote.helm: $(HELM)
 	$(S3_SYNC_DEL) $(HELM_TEMP) s3://$(HELM_S3_BUCKET)/$(CHANNEL)
 	rm -fr $(HELM_TEMP)
 
+# set the helm cart version number.
+# you should not need to do this for the majority of scenarios.
+ifeq ($(origin HELM_CHART_VERSION), undefined)
+# this changes the third '.' to a '-':
+#   example v1.16.0.371.g4aec70601 -> v1.16.0-371.g4aec70601
+# as helm has strict rules on allowable versions to comply with SemVer2
+HELM_CHART_VERSION := $(shell echo "$(VERSION)" | sed 's/\./-/3' )
+endif
+export HELM_CHART_VERSION
+
+# we need to re-package the charts with the HELM_CHART_VERSION,
+# as there is a difference with the helm charts that was
+# created during the release scripts
+define chart.build
+build.chart.$(1):
+	@echo === helm package $(1)
+	mkdir -p $(HELM_OUTPUT_DIR)
+	$(HELM) package --version $(HELM_CHART_VERSION) --app-version $(VERSION) $(HELM_CHARTS_DIR)/$(1) --destination $(HELM_OUTPUT_DIR)
+build.all.charts: build.chart.$(1)
+clean.chart.$(1):
+	@rm -fr $(HELM_OUTPUT_DIR)/$(1)-$(HELM_CHART_VERSION).tgz
+clean.all.charts: clean.chart.$(1)
+endef
+$(foreach c,$(HELM_CHARTS),$(eval $(call chart.build,$(c))))
+
 define chart.targets
 promote.chart.$(1).$(2):
 	@echo === helm push $(2) to $(1)
 	$(HELM) push $(HELM_OUTPUT_DIR)/$(2)-$(VERSION).tgz oci://$(1)
 promote.all.charts: promote.chart.$(1).$(2)
-clean.chart.$(1).$(2):
-	@rm -fr $(HELM_OUTPUT_DIR)/$(2)-$(VERSION).tgz
-clean.all.charts: clean.chart.$(1).$(2)
 endef
 $(foreach r,$(REGISTRIES), $(foreach c,$(HELM_CHARTS),$(eval $(call chart.targets,$(r),$(c)))))