diff --git a/scripts/release/commit-and-tag.sh b/scripts/release/commit-and-tag.sh
index 72e9fdb30..a080e5815 100755
--- a/scripts/release/commit-and-tag.sh
+++ b/scripts/release/commit-and-tag.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ set -euo pipefail
 
 RELEASE_TAG="v${LD_RELEASE_VERSION}"
 
+tag_exists() (
+  git fetch --tags
+  git rev-parse "${RELEASE_TAG}" >/dev/null 2>&1
+)
+
 echo "Changes staged for release $RELEASE_TAG:"
 git diff
 
diff --git a/scripts/release/prepare-release.sh b/scripts/release/prepare-release.sh
index 4970a6819..a23adacba 100755
--- a/scripts/release/prepare-release.sh
+++ b/scripts/release/prepare-release.sh
@@ -23,11 +23,6 @@ update_bitbucket() (
   sed -i "s#image: launchdarkly/ld-find-code-refs-bitbucket-pipeline:.*#image: launchdarkly/ld-find-code-refs-bitbucket-pipeline:${LD_RELEASE_VERSION}#g" build/metadata/bitbucket/pipe.yml
 )
 
-tag_exists() (
-  git fetch --tags
-  git rev-parse "${RELEASE_TAG}" >/dev/null 2>&1
-)
-
 update_go
 update_orb
 update_gha
diff --git a/scripts/release/publish.sh b/scripts/release/publish.sh
index 59d4aca4a..c350fbf38 100755
--- a/scripts/release/publish.sh
+++ b/scripts/release/publish.sh
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
-sudo docker login --username ${DOCKER_USERNAME} --password-stdin ${DOCKER_TOKEN}
+echo ${DOCKER_TOKEN} | sudo docker login --username ${DOCKER_USERNAME} --password-stdin
 
 sudo PATH=${PATH} GITHUB_TOKEN=${GITHUB_TOKEN} make publish
 
 # make bitbucket and github known hosts to push successfully
-mkdir –m700 ~/.ssh
+mkdir -m700 ~/.ssh
 touch ~/.ssh/known_hosts
 chmod 644 ~/.ssh/known_hosts
 ssh-keyscan -t rsa bitbucket.org >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
diff --git a/scripts/release/targets/bitbucket.sh b/scripts/release/targets/bitbucket.sh
index efdc16ade..1c31dee55 100755
--- a/scripts/release/targets/bitbucket.sh
+++ b/scripts/release/targets/bitbucket.sh
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ publish_bitbucket() (
   setup_bitbucket
   cd bitbucketMetadataUpdates
 
-  if git ls-remote --tags origin "refs/tags/v$VERSION" | grep -q "v$VERSION"; then
+  if git ls-remote --tags origin "refs/tags/v$LD_RELEASE_VERSION" | grep -q "v$LD_RELEASE_VERSION"; then
     echo "Version exists; skipping publishing BitBucket Pipe"
   else
     echo "Live run: will publish pipe to bitbucket."
diff --git a/scripts/release/targets/gha.sh b/scripts/release/targets/gha.sh
index 4f229bcc0..74edfcaae 100755
--- a/scripts/release/targets/gha.sh
+++ b/scripts/release/targets/gha.sh
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ clean_up_gha() (
 publish_gha() (
   setup_gha
 
-  if git ls-remote --tags origin "refs/tags/v$VERSION" | grep -q "v$VERSION"; then
+  if git ls-remote --tags origin "refs/tags/v$LD_RELEASE_VERSION" | grep -q "v$LD_RELEASE_VERSION"; then
     echo "Version exists; skipping publishing GHA"
   else
     echo "Live run: will publish action to github action marketplace."
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ publish_gha() (
     gh release create $RELEASE_TAG --notes "$RELEASE_NOTES"
   fi
 
-  clean_up
+  clean_up_gha
 )
 
 dry_run_gha() (