diff --git a/publish.sh b/publish.sh
index 3031dea..fe0995d 100755
--- a/publish.sh
+++ b/publish.sh
@@ -33,6 +33,14 @@ function die() {
 #--------------------------------
 cd $SCRIPT_DIR
 
+# build the executables
+./build.sh
+
+# build the Docker image
+./build-docker.sh
+
+# push the Docker image to the registry
+
 if [ ! -f ${EXE_DIR}/simple_object_storage-linux-x86_64 ]; then
     die "x86_64 executable not found"
 fi
@@ -41,24 +49,19 @@ if [ ! -f ${EXE_DIR}/simple_object_storage-linux-arm64 ]; then
     die "arm64 executable not found"
 fi
 
+# build the executables.
+./build.sh
+
 # use Docker architecture style
 cp ${EXE_DIR}/simple_object_storage-linux-x86_64 ${EXE_DIR}/simple_object_storage-linux-amd64 
 
 echo "amd64 executable: ./simple_object_storage-linux-amd64" 
 echo "arm64 executable: ./simple_object_storage-linux-arm64" 
 
-echo "Setting up Docker BuildX builder 'sosbuilder'"
-# Check if builder instance exists
-if ! docker buildx inspect sosbuilder > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-    echo "Builder 'sosbuilder' not found, creating..."
-    docker buildx create --name sosbuilder
-else
-    echo "Builder 'sosbuilder' already exists."
-fi
-# Ensure the builder is used
-docker buildx use sosbuilder
 echo "Building multi-platform Docker image"
 docker buildx build --push -t gitea.jde.nz/public/simple-object-storage:latest --platform linux/amd64,linux/arm64 .
 
+rm ${EXE_DIR}/simple_object_storage-linux-amd64  
+
 echo "Build completed successfully!"
 
diff --git a/src/database.cpp b/src/database.cpp
index 4d12718..cc75584 100644
--- a/src/database.cpp
+++ b/src/database.cpp
@@ -185,8 +185,8 @@ bool Database::remove_by_hash(const std::string& hash) {
 bool Database::get(const std::string& key, dbEntry& entry) {
     std::string sql;
     if (key.find(':') != std::string::npos) {
-        // Query by label:tag
-        sql = "SELECT hash, labeltags, metadata FROM objects WHERE labeltags LIKE ?;";
+        // Query by label:tag - search for exact match in the JSON array
+        sql = "SELECT hash, labeltags, metadata FROM objects WHERE json_array_length(labeltags) > 0 AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM json_each(labeltags) WHERE value = ?);";
     } else {
         // Query by hash
         sql = "SELECT hash, labeltags, metadata FROM objects WHERE hash = ?;";
@@ -198,9 +198,8 @@ bool Database::get(const std::string& key, dbEntry& entry) {
     }
 
     if (key.find(':') != std::string::npos) {
-        // Create JSON array pattern for LIKE query
-        std::string labeltag_pattern = "%\"" + key + "\"%";
-        sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 1, labeltag_pattern.c_str(), -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
+        // For label:tag queries, bind the exact label:tag string
+        sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 1, key.c_str(), -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
     } else {
         sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 1, key.c_str(), -1, SQLITE_STATIC);
     }