diff --git a/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/git/MilestoneCloser.java b/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/git/MilestoneCloser.java
index cacef566..b65dc6f7 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/git/MilestoneCloser.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/git/MilestoneCloser.java
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class MilestoneCloser {
 		for (Milestone milestone : milestones) {
 			Milestone.Smart smartMilestone = new Milestone.Smart(milestone);
 			try {
-				String tagVersion = "v" + version.version;
+				String tagVersion = version.version;
 				if (tagVersion.equals(milestoneTitle(smartMilestone))) {
 					log.info("Found a matching milestone - closing it");
 					smartMilestone.close();
diff --git a/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/git/MilestoneCloserTests.java b/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/git/MilestoneCloserTests.java
index 540b446b..86677eb4 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/git/MilestoneCloserTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-release-tools-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/release/internal/git/MilestoneCloserTests.java
@@ -38,10 +38,10 @@ public class MilestoneCloserTests {
 
 			@Override String milestoneTitle(Milestone.Smart milestone)
 					throws IOException {
-				return "v0.2.0.BUILD-SNAPSHOT";
+				return "0.2.0.BUILD-SNAPSHOT";
 			}
 		};
-		repo.milestones().create("v0.2.0.BUILD-SNAPSHOT");
+		repo.milestones().create("0.2.0.BUILD-SNAPSHOT");
 
 		closer.closeMilestone(sleuthProject());
 	}