diff --git a/release/README.md b/release/README.md
index 7a4b2cde3e..eaf2d2b535 100644
--- a/release/README.md
+++ b/release/README.md
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 # of a tarball containing the full prebuilt openpilot release
 BUILD_DIR=/data/openpilot_build    \
 CASYNC_DIR=/data/casync            \
-OPENPILOT_CHANNEL=nightly          \
 release/create_casync_build.sh
 ```
 
diff --git a/release/create_casync_build.sh b/release/create_casync_build.sh
index 8448801189..256bad4b4c 100755
--- a/release/create_casync_build.sh
+++ b/release/create_casync_build.sh
@@ -20,4 +20,4 @@ release/copy_build_files.sh $SOURCE_DIR $BUILD_DIR
 release/create_prebuilt.sh $BUILD_DIR
 
 cd $SOURCE_DIR
-release/create_casync_release.py $BUILD_DIR $CASYNC_DIR $OPENPILOT_CHANNEL
+release/create_casync_release.py $BUILD_DIR $CASYNC_DIR
diff --git a/release/create_casync_release.py b/release/create_casync_release.py
index 4c90c31909..11629f3ab5 100755
--- a/release/create_casync_release.py
+++ b/release/create_casync_release.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
   parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="creates a casync release")
   parser.add_argument("target_dir", type=str, help="target directory to build channel from")
   parser.add_argument("output_dir", type=str, help="output directory for the channel")
-  parser.add_argument("channel", type=str, help="what channel this build is")
   args = parser.parse_args()
 
   target_dir = pathlib.Path(args.target_dir)
@@ -21,7 +20,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
   build_metadata = get_build_metadata()
   build_metadata.openpilot.build_style = "release" if os.environ.get("RELEASE", None) is not None else "debug"
 
-  create_build_metadata_file(target_dir, build_metadata, args.channel)
+  create_build_metadata_file(target_dir, build_metadata)
 
   digest, caibx = create_casync_release(target_dir, output_dir, build_metadata.canonical)
 
diff --git a/release/create_release_manifest.py b/release/create_release_manifest.py
index 485b18c617..1d235f10fa 100755
--- a/release/create_release_manifest.py
+++ b/release/create_release_manifest.py
@@ -6,18 +6,16 @@ import os
 import pathlib
 
 from openpilot.system.hardware.tici.agnos import AGNOS_MANIFEST_FILE, get_partition_path
-from openpilot.system.version import get_build_metadata, get_agnos_version
+from openpilot.system.version import get_build_metadata
 
 
 BASE_URL = "https://commadist.blob.core.windows.net"
 
-CHANNEL_DATA = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent / "channel_data" / "agnos"
-
 OPENPILOT_RELEASES = f"{BASE_URL}/openpilot-releases/openpilot"
 AGNOS_RELEASES = f"{BASE_URL}/openpilot-releases/agnos"
 
 
-def create_partition_manifest(agnos_version, partition):
+def create_partition_manifest(partition):
   agnos_filename = os.path.basename(partition["url"]).split(".")[0]
 
   return {
@@ -57,7 +55,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
   ret = {
     "build_metadata": dataclasses.asdict(build_metadata),
     "manifest": [
-      *[create_partition_manifest(get_agnos_version(args.target_dir), entry) for entry in agnos_manifest],
+      *[create_partition_manifest(entry) for entry in agnos_manifest],
       create_openpilot_manifest(build_metadata)
     ]
   }
diff --git a/system/updated/casync/common.py b/system/updated/casync/common.py
index d1c795657d..6979f5cb06 100644
--- a/system/updated/casync/common.py
+++ b/system/updated/casync/common.py
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ def get_exclude_set(path) -> set[str]:
   return exclude_set
 
 
-def create_build_metadata_file(path: pathlib.Path, build_metadata: BuildMetadata, channel: str):
+def create_build_metadata_file(path: pathlib.Path, build_metadata: BuildMetadata):
   with open(path / BUILD_METADATA_FILENAME, "w") as f:
     build_metadata_dict = dataclasses.asdict(build_metadata)
-    build_metadata_dict["channel"] = channel
     build_metadata_dict["openpilot"].pop("is_dirty")  # this is determined at runtime
+    build_metadata_dict.pop("channel")                # channel is unrelated to the build itself
     f.write(json.dumps(build_metadata_dict))
 
 
diff --git a/system/version.py b/system/version.py
index 6c3609c45a..f5b8cd49e8 100755
--- a/system/version.py
+++ b/system/version.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ from openpilot.common.basedir import BASEDIR
 from openpilot.common.swaglog import cloudlog
 from openpilot.common.utils import cache
 from openpilot.common.git import get_commit, get_origin, get_branch, get_short_branch, get_commit_date
-from openpilot.common.run import run_cmd
 
 RELEASE_BRANCHES = ['release3-staging', 'release3', 'nightly']
 TESTED_BRANCHES = RELEASE_BRANCHES + ['devel', 'devel-staging']
@@ -157,11 +156,6 @@ def get_build_metadata(path: str = BASEDIR) -> BuildMetadata:
   raise Exception("invalid build metadata")
 
 
-def get_agnos_version(directory: str = BASEDIR) -> str:
-  return run_cmd(["bash", "-c", r"unset AGNOS_VERSION && source launch_env.sh && \
-                          echo -n $AGNOS_VERSION"], cwd=directory).strip()
-
-
 if __name__ == "__main__":
   from openpilot.common.params import Params