diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/build.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/build.yaml
index d8a1679..a73d5db 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/build.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/build.yaml
@@ -153,28 +153,35 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run autotag
         id: autotag
         run: |
-          # Download autotag
-          AUTOTAG_VERSION="1.3.9"
-          curl -sL "https://github.com/autotag-dev/autotag/releases/download/v${AUTOTAG_VERSION}/autotag_linux_amd64" -o /tmp/autotag
-          chmod +x /tmp/autotag
+          # Check if any tags exist
+          CURRENT_TAG=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 2>/dev/null || echo "")
 
-          # Get current version
-          CURRENT_TAG=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 2>/dev/null || echo "v0.0.0")
-          echo "Current tag: $CURRENT_TAG"
+          if [ -z "$CURRENT_TAG" ]; then
+            echo "No existing tags found, starting at v0.1.0"
+            NEW_TAG="v0.1.0"
+          else
+            echo "Current tag: $CURRENT_TAG"
 
-          # Calculate next version based on commits
-          # autotag looks for #major, #minor in commit messages, defaults to patch
-          NEW_TAG=$(/tmp/autotag -n -b main 2>/dev/null || echo "")
+            # Download autotag
+            AUTOTAG_VERSION="1.3.9"
+            curl -sL "https://github.com/autotag-dev/autotag/releases/download/v${AUTOTAG_VERSION}/autotag_linux_amd64" -o /tmp/autotag
+            chmod +x /tmp/autotag
 
-          if [ -z "$NEW_TAG" ]; then
-            echo "No new tag needed or autotag failed, using fallback"
-            # Fallback: increment patch version
-            CURRENT_VERSION="${CURRENT_TAG#v}"
-            MAJOR=$(echo $CURRENT_VERSION | cut -d. -f1)
-            MINOR=$(echo $CURRENT_VERSION | cut -d. -f2)
-            PATCH=$(echo $CURRENT_VERSION | cut -d. -f3)
-            NEW_PATCH=$((PATCH + 1))
-            NEW_TAG="v${MAJOR}.${MINOR}.${NEW_PATCH}"
+            # Calculate next version based on commits
+            # autotag looks for #major, #minor in commit messages, defaults to patch
+            NEW_TAG=$(/tmp/autotag -n -b main 2>&1 || echo "")
+
+            # Check if autotag returned an error or empty result
+            if [ -z "$NEW_TAG" ] || echo "$NEW_TAG" | grep -qi "error"; then
+              echo "Autotag failed or returned error, using fallback"
+              # Fallback: increment patch version
+              CURRENT_VERSION="${CURRENT_TAG#v}"
+              MAJOR=$(echo $CURRENT_VERSION | cut -d. -f1)
+              MINOR=$(echo $CURRENT_VERSION | cut -d. -f2)
+              PATCH=$(echo $CURRENT_VERSION | cut -d. -f3)
+              NEW_PATCH=$((PATCH + 1))
+              NEW_TAG="v${MAJOR}.${MINOR}.${NEW_PATCH}"
+            fi
           fi
 
           echo "New tag will be: $NEW_TAG"