diff --git a/dev/sg/internal/cloud/deploy_command.go b/dev/sg/internal/cloud/deploy_command.go
index 15d271af342..d8dcf7e97bf 100644
--- a/dev/sg/internal/cloud/deploy_command.go
+++ b/dev/sg/internal/cloud/deploy_command.go
@@ -95,15 +95,14 @@ func createDeploymentForVersion(ctx context.Context, email, name, version string
 
 	// Check if the deployment already exists
 	pending.Updatef("Checking if deployment %q already exists", name)
-	_, err = cloudClient.GetInstance(ctx, name)
-	if err != nil {
-		if !errors.Is(err, ErrInstanceNotFound) {
-			return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to check if instance %q already exists", name)
-		} else {
-			pending.Complete(output.Linef(output.EmojiFailure, output.StyleFailure, "Deployment of %q failed", name))
-			// Deployment exists
-			return ErrDeploymentExists
-		}
+	inst, err := cloudClient.GetInstance(ctx, name)
+	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, ErrInstanceNotFound) {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to check if instance %q already exists", name)
+	}
+	if inst != nil {
+		pending.Complete(output.Linef(output.EmojiFailure, output.StyleFailure, "Deployment of %q failed", name))
+		// Deployment exists
+		return ErrDeploymentExists
 	}
 
 	pending.Updatef("Fetching license key...")
@@ -113,13 +112,13 @@ func createDeploymentForVersion(ctx context.Context, email, name, version string
 		return err
 	}
 	spec := NewDeploymentSpec(
-		sanitizeInstanceName(name),
+		name,
 		version,
 		license,
 	)
 
 	pending.Updatef("Creating deployment %q for version %q", spec.Name, spec.Version)
-	inst, err := cloudClient.CreateInstance(ctx, spec)
+	inst, err = cloudClient.CreateInstance(ctx, spec)
 	if err != nil {
 		pending.Complete(output.Linef(output.EmojiFailure, output.StyleFailure, "Deployment of %q failed", spec.Name))
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to deploy %q of version %s", spec.Name, spec.Version)
@@ -186,7 +185,7 @@ func determineDeploymentName(originalName, version, email, branch string) string
 		deploymentName = branch
 	}
 
-	return deploymentName
+	return sanitizeInstanceName(deploymentName)
 
 }
 
diff --git a/dev/sg/internal/cloud/upgrade_command.go b/dev/sg/internal/cloud/upgrade_command.go
index 07695d6594a..23ef87d1f5b 100644
--- a/dev/sg/internal/cloud/upgrade_command.go
+++ b/dev/sg/internal/cloud/upgrade_command.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func upgradeDeploymentForVersion(ctx context.Context, email, name, version strin
 	}
 
 	spec := NewDeploymentSpec(
-		sanitizeInstanceName(name),
+		name,
 		version,
 		"", // we don't need a license during upgrade
 	)