diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-tarball.yml b/.github/workflows/release-tarball.yml
index 3866b8dd3a4..38537d283a5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-tarball.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-tarball.yml
@@ -14,16 +14,20 @@ jobs:
         with:
           path: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}-${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}
 
-      - name: Checkout mepo
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Setup Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          repository: GEOS-ESM/mepo
-          path: mepo
+          python-version: '3.11'
+
+      - name: Pip install mepo
+        run: |
+          python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+          pip install mepo
 
       - name: Run mepo
         run : |
           cd ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/${{ github.event.repository.name }}-${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}
-          ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/mepo/mepo clone
+          mepo clone
 
       - name: Create tarball
         run: |