diff --git a/src/build.sh b/src/build.sh
index 209156db162f69e375ed72d2736c98ea72ce06aa..eca2ccbec4a5e5982e8bfc4b8a8951699da7192b 100755
--- a/src/build.sh
+++ b/src/build.sh
@@ -163,16 +163,24 @@ if [ -n "${BRANCH_NAME}" ] && [ -n "${DEVICE}" ]; then
   echo ">> [$(date)] (Re)initializing branch repository"
 
   TAG_PREFIX=""
-  if curl -s https://gitlab.e.foundation/api/v4/projects/659/repository/tags?search=${BRANCH_NAME} | jq -r ".[].name" | grep -q ${BRANCH_NAME}; then
-    echo ">> [$(date)] Branch name ${BRANCH_NAME} is a tag on e/os/releases, prefix with refs/tags/ for 'repo init'"
-    TAG_PREFIX="refs/tags/"
+
+  # Fetch all tags and check for an exact match
+  TAG_MATCH=$(curl -s --fail https://gitlab.e.foundation/api/v4/projects/659/repository/tags | jq -r ".[].name" | grep -Fx "$BRANCH_NAME")
+
+  if [ -n "$TAG_MATCH" ]; then
+      echo ">> [$(date)] Branch name $BRANCH_NAME is a tag on e/os/releases, prefixing with refs/tags/ for 'repo init'"
+      TAG_PREFIX="refs/tags/"
   fi
+
   if [ -n ${REPO_INIT_DEPTH} ] && [ ${REPO_INIT_DEPTH} -gt 0 ]; then
     REPO_INIT_PARAM="--depth ${REPO_INIT_DEPTH}"
   fi
+
+  # Reset the default manifest if it exists
   if [ -f ".repo/manifests/default.xml" ]; then
     cd .repo/manifests/
-    git checkout default.xml
+    git reset --hard HEAD
+    git clean -fd
     cd ../..
   fi
 
@@ -184,6 +192,7 @@ if [ -n "${BRANCH_NAME}" ] && [ -n "${DEVICE}" ]; then
   fi
 
   # Repo init source
+  echo ">> [$(date)] Running: repo init $REPO_INIT_PARAM -u \"$REPO\" -b \"${TAG_PREFIX}${BRANCH_NAME}\" $REPO_GROUPS"
   yes | repo init $REPO_INIT_PARAM -u "$REPO" -b "${TAG_PREFIX}${BRANCH_NAME}" $REPO_GROUPS
 
   if [ "$REPO_CUSTOM_MANIFEST" != false ]; then