diff --git a/.github/workflows/software-upgrade-test.yml b/.github/workflows/software-upgrade-test.yml
index 842c90f8b..438c79f6c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/software-upgrade-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/software-upgrade-test.yml
@@ -215,12 +215,6 @@ jobs:
           fetch-tags: true
         if: steps.cache-old-binaries.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
 
-      - name: Set up Go
-        uses: actions/setup-go@v5
-        with:
-          go-version: "1.21"
-        if: steps.cache-old-binaries.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-
       # TODO: to remove when upgrade-assure binary is available in previous release
       - name: Copy upgrade assure folder
         run: |
@@ -231,6 +225,12 @@ jobs:
         run: git checkout ${{ needs.retrieve-latest-tag.outputs.LATEST_TAG }}
         if: steps.cache-old-binaries.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
 
+      - name: Set up Go
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v5
+        with:
+          go-version: "1.21"
+        if: steps.cache-old-binaries.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+
       # TODO: to remove when upgrade-assure binary is available in previous release
       - name: Copy old upgrade assure types.go file
         run: |
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
           fetch-tags: true
+          ref: ${{ needs.retrieve-latest-tag.outputs.LATEST_TAG }}
         if: steps.cache-chain-snapshot-and-export.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
 
       - name: Set up Go
@@ -284,10 +285,6 @@ jobs:
           go-version: "1.21"
         if: steps.cache-chain-snapshot-and-export.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
 
-      - name: Check out latest tag
-        run: git checkout ${{ needs.retrieve-latest-tag.outputs.LATEST_TAG }}
-        if: steps.cache-chain-snapshot-and-export.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-
       - name: Restore snapshot from cache
         uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
         with:
@@ -364,6 +361,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
           fetch-tags: true
+          ref: ${{ needs.retrieve-latest-tag.outputs.LATEST_TAG }}
         if: steps.cache-chain-init.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
 
       - name: Set up Go
@@ -372,10 +370,6 @@ jobs:
           go-version: "1.21"
         if: steps.cache-chain-init.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
 
-      - name: Check out latest tag
-        run: git checkout ${{ needs.retrieve-latest-tag.outputs.LATEST_TAG }}
-        if: steps.cache-chain-init.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-
       - name: Restore chain snapshot and export from cache
         uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
         with: