diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index f12d5f8ea..c73768b07 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ docker_publish_stable_release:
   # Publish a docker image for releases
   extends: .docker_publish
   rules:
-    - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG && '$CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME =~ ^[0-9]+(.[0-9]+){1,2}$'
+    - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG && $CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME =~ /^[0-9]+(.[0-9]+){1,2}$/
   script:
     # Check if this is the latest release
     - ./docs/get-releases-json.py | scripts/is-docker-latest.py $CI_COMMIT_TAG - && export DOCKER_LATEST_TAG="-t $IMAGE_LATEST" || export DOCKER_LATEST_TAG=;
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ docker_publish_unstable_release:
   # Publish a docker image for releases
   extends: .docker_publish
   rules:
-    - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG && '$CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME !~ ^[0-9]+(.[0-9]+){1,2}$'
+    - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG && $CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME !~ /^[0-9]+(.[0-9]+){1,2}$/
   script:
     # Check if this is the latest release
     - cd api