diff --git a/asmcli/asmcli b/asmcli/asmcli
index 12ac6f8c1..2bb646a01 100755
--- a/asmcli/asmcli
+++ b/asmcli/asmcli
@@ -4480,14 +4480,14 @@ init() {
   readonly APATH
 
   local REVISION_LABEL
-  KPT_BRANCH="${_CI_ASM_KPT_BRANCH:=main}"
+  KPT_BRANCH="${_CI_ASM_KPT_BRANCH:-main}"
   if [[ "${POINT}" == "alpha" ]]; then
     RELEASE="${MAJOR}.${MINOR}-alpha.${REV}"
     REVISION_LABEL="${_CI_REVISION_PREFIX}asm-${MAJOR}${MINOR}${POINT}"
   elif [[ "$(version_message)" =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+-asm\.[0-9]+\+config[0-9]+$ ]]; then
     RELEASE="${MAJOR}.${MINOR}.${POINT}-asm.${REV}"
     REVISION_LABEL="${_CI_REVISION_PREFIX}asm-${MAJOR}${MINOR}${POINT}-${REV}"
-    KPT_BRANCH="${_CI_ASM_KPT_BRANCH:=$(version_message)}"
+    KPT_BRANCH="${_CI_ASM_KPT_BRANCH:-$(version_message)}"
   else
     RELEASE="${MAJOR}.${MINOR}.${POINT}-asm.${REV}"
     REVISION_LABEL="${_CI_REVISION_PREFIX}asm-${MAJOR}${MINOR}${POINT}-${REV}"
diff --git a/asmcli/lib/util.sh b/asmcli/lib/util.sh
index 28fc20a21..3f36ff15e 100644
--- a/asmcli/lib/util.sh
+++ b/asmcli/lib/util.sh
@@ -367,14 +367,14 @@ init() {
   readonly APATH
 
   local REVISION_LABEL
-  KPT_BRANCH="${_CI_ASM_KPT_BRANCH:=main}"
+  KPT_BRANCH="${_CI_ASM_KPT_BRANCH:-main}"
   if [[ "${POINT}" == "alpha" ]]; then
     RELEASE="${MAJOR}.${MINOR}-alpha.${REV}"
     REVISION_LABEL="${_CI_REVISION_PREFIX}asm-${MAJOR}${MINOR}${POINT}"
   elif [[ "$(version_message)" =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+-asm\.[0-9]+\+config[0-9]+$ ]]; then
     RELEASE="${MAJOR}.${MINOR}.${POINT}-asm.${REV}"
     REVISION_LABEL="${_CI_REVISION_PREFIX}asm-${MAJOR}${MINOR}${POINT}-${REV}"
-    KPT_BRANCH="${_CI_ASM_KPT_BRANCH:=$(version_message)}"
+    KPT_BRANCH="${_CI_ASM_KPT_BRANCH:-$(version_message)}"
   else
     RELEASE="${MAJOR}.${MINOR}.${POINT}-asm.${REV}"
     REVISION_LABEL="${_CI_REVISION_PREFIX}asm-${MAJOR}${MINOR}${POINT}-${REV}"
diff --git a/asmcli/tests/lib/util.bats b/asmcli/tests/lib/util.bats
index 184ac566b..67430c16c 100644
--- a/asmcli/tests/lib/util.bats
+++ b/asmcli/tests/lib/util.bats
@@ -106,3 +106,27 @@ EOF
   assert_output "stable"
   ### [END] channel should be stable for stable GKE channel ###
 }
+
+@test "UTIL: KPT_BRANCH is set correctly for release versions" {
+  local TEST_VER; TEST_VER="1.1.1-asm.1+config1"
+  version_message() {
+    echo  "${TEST_VER}"
+  }
+  init
+
+  if [[ "${TEST_VER}" != "$KPT_BRANCH" ]]; then
+    exit 1
+  fi
+}
+
+@test "UTIL: KPT_BRANCH is set correctly for nonrelease versions" {
+  version_message() {
+    echo "1.1.1-asm.1+config1+unstable"
+  }
+
+  init
+
+  if [[ "main" != "$KPT_BRANCH" ]]; then
+    exit 1
+  fi
+}