diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/release.yml b/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
index bebec18..624e66f 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ jobs:
     # regardless of this instance's default Actions permission mode.
     permissions:
       contents: write
+    # Runner defaults `run:` steps to `sh`, which doesn't understand
+    # `set -o pipefail` used below — force bash explicitly.
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash
     # Must match a label your act_runner is registered with. The runner's
     # own default label-image is irrelevant here since `container:` below
     # overrides the actual build image per-job.