diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 5d531fadc..c62e749b3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ on:
       - "!gh-pages" # excludes gh-pages branch
   pull_request:
     branches:
+      - "**" # matches every branch
       - master
       - 1.7
   workflow_dispatch:
@@ -157,19 +158,39 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: pytest
     steps:
-      - name: Set custom variables
+      - name: some check
+        run: |
+          echo "GITHUB_REF: ${GITHUB_REF}"
+          env
+
+      - name: make date tag
+        id: mkdatetag
+        run: echo "::set-output name=dtag::$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)"
+
+      - name: make ref tag case 1
+        id: mkreftag1
+        if: ${{ github.event.inputs.ref != '' }}
+        run: echo "::set-output name=reftag::${{github.event.inputs.ref}}"
+
+      - name: make ref tag case 2
+        id: mkreftag2
+        if: ${{ github.event.inputs.ref == '' }}
+        run: echo "::set-output name=reftag::${GITHUB_BASE_REF:+PR}"$(awk -F"/" '{print $3}' <<< ${GITHUB_REF})
+
+      - name: check tags
         run: |
-          echo "timestamp=$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
-          export my_branch_tmp=${{github.event.inputs.ref}}
-          echo "mybranch=${my_branch_tmp:-${GITHUB_REF##*/}}" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
-          echo "mybranchref=${my_branch_tmp:-${GITHUB_REF}}" >> ${GITHUB_ENV}
-          cat ${GITHUB_ENV}
+          echo "GITHUB_REF: ${GITHUB_REF}"
+          echo "GITHUB_BASE_REF: ${GITHUB_BASE_REF}"
+          echo "github.event.inputs.ref: #${{github.event.inputs.ref}}#${{ github.event.inputs.ref != '' }}#${{ github.event.inputs.ref == '' }}#"
+          echo "mkdatetag: ${{steps.mkdatetag.outputs.dtag}}"
+          echo "mkreftag1: ${{steps.mkreftag1.outputs.reftag}}"
+          echo "mkreftag2: ${{steps.mkreftag2.outputs.reftag}}"
 
       - name: checkout code tree
         uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-          ref: ${{env.mybranchref}}
+          ref: ${{github.event.inputs.ref}}
 
       - name: Run the build in a container (SL7/HEPCloud-CI)
         uses: ./.github/actions/python-command-in-sl7-container
@@ -180,6 +201,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Archive rpm
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
         with:
-          name: rpms-DE-${{env.mybranch}}-${{env.timestamp}}
+          name: rpms-DE-${{steps.mkreftag1.outputs.reftag}}${{steps.mkreftag2.outputs.reftag}}-${{steps.mkdatetag.outputs.dtag}}
           path: dist/*.rpm
           if-no-files-found: error