diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 8853a3ce..aff8deb9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ jobs:
           fi
 
           make build
+      - name: prepare release
+        run: ./scripts/release/prepare-release.sh
       - name: publish
         run: |
           if [[ "$DRY_RUN" = true ]]; then
@@ -59,9 +61,12 @@ jobs:
           else
             ./scripts/release/publish.sh
           fi
+      - name: release details
+        run: |
+          git show -p
           ls -1a "$ARTIFACT_DIRECTORY"
-      - name: commit changes and tag
-        run: ./scripts/release/commit-and-tag.sh
+      - name: create tag
+        run: ./scripts/release/create-tag.sh
       - name: create Github release
         uses: ncipollo/release-action@v1.14.0
         if: ${{ !inputs.dryRun }}
diff --git a/scripts/release/commit-and-tag.sh b/scripts/release/commit-and-tag.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 47c80132..00000000
--- a/scripts/release/commit-and-tag.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,59 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-set -euo pipefail
-
-release_tag="v${LD_RELEASE_VERSION}"
-
-tag_exists() (
-  git fetch --tags
-  git rev-parse "${release_tag}" >/dev/null 2>&1
-)
-
-update_changelog() (
-  local ts=$(date +"%Y-%m-%d")
-  # multiline strings don't seem to be supported for GHA inputs, so for now we
-  # require that the changelog include \n characters for new lines and then we
-  # just expand them here
-  # TODO improve this
-  local changelog_content=$(printf "%b" "$CHANGELOG_ENTRY")
-  local changelog_entry=$(printf "## [%s] - %s\n%s\n" "$LD_RELEASE_VERSION" "$ts" "$changelog_content")
-
-  # insert the new changelog entry (followed by empty line) after line 4
-  # of CHANGELOG.md
-  sed -i "4r /dev/stdin" CHANGELOG.md <<< "$changelog_entry"$'\n'
-)
-
-release_summary() (
-  echo "Changes staged for release $release_tag:"
-  git diff
-
-  echo "Updated CHANGELOG:"
-  cat CHANGELOG.md
-)
-
-commit_and_tag() (
-  if tag_exists; then
-    echo "Tag $release_tag already exists. Aborting."
-    exit 1
-  fi
-
-  update_changelog
-  release_summary
-
-  git config user.name "LaunchDarklyReleaseBot"
-  git config user.email "releasebot@launchdarkly.com"
-  git add .
-  git commit -m "Prepare release ${release_tag}"
-  git tag "${release_tag}"
-  git push origin HEAD
-  git push origin "${release_tag}"
-)
-
-if [[ "$DRY_RUN" == "true" ]]; then
-  update_changelog
-  release_summary
-  echo "Dry run mode: skipping commit, tag, and push"
-else
-  commit_and_tag
-fi
-
diff --git a/scripts/release/create-tag.sh b/scripts/release/create-tag.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..796d86ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/release/create-tag.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+release_tag="v${LD_RELEASE_VERSION}"
+
+tag_exists() (
+  git fetch --tags
+  git rev-parse "${release_tag}" >/dev/null 2>&1
+)
+
+create_tag() (
+  if tag_exists; then
+    echo "Tag $release_tag already exists. Aborting."
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  git tag "${release_tag}"
+  git push origin HEAD
+  git push origin "${release_tag}"
+)
+
+if [[ "$DRY_RUN" == "true" ]]; then
+  git reset --hard HEAD^
+  echo "Dry run mode: skipping tag and push"
+else
+  create_tag
+fi
+
diff --git a/scripts/release/prepare-release.sh b/scripts/release/prepare-release.sh
index 3717dcd7..20952b2f 100755
--- a/scripts/release/prepare-release.sh
+++ b/scripts/release/prepare-release.sh
@@ -4,17 +4,6 @@ set -euo pipefail
 
 release_tag="v${LD_RELEASE_VERSION}"
 
-stage_artifacts() (
-  local target=$1
-
-  echo "$DOCKER_TOKEN" | sudo docker login --username "$DOCKER_USERNAME" --password-stdin
-
-  sudo PATH="$PATH" GITHUB_TOKEN="$GITHUB_TOKEN" make "$target"
-
-  mkdir -p "$ARTIFACT_DIRECTORY"
-  cp ./dist/*.deb ./dist/*.rpm ./dist/*.tar.gz ./dist/*.txt "$ARTIFACT_DIRECTORY"
-)
-
 update_go() (
   sed -i "s/const Version =.*/const Version = \"${LD_RELEASE_VERSION}\"/g" internal/version/version.go
 )
@@ -34,13 +23,27 @@ update_bitbucket() (
   sed -i "s#image: launchdarkly/ld-find-code-refs-bitbucket-pipeline:.*#image: launchdarkly/ld-find-code-refs-bitbucket-pipeline:${LD_RELEASE_VERSION}#g" build/metadata/bitbucket/pipe.yml
 )
 
-prepare_release() (
-  # create artifacts with goreleaser
-  stage_artifacts $1
-
-  # update metadata files
-  update_go
-  update_orb
-  update_gha
-  update_bitbucket
+update_changelog() (
+  local ts=$(date +"%Y-%m-%d")
+  # multiline strings don't seem to be supported for GHA inputs, so for now we
+  # require that the changelog include \n characters for new lines and then we
+  # just expand them here
+  # TODO improve this
+  local changelog_content=$(printf "%b" "$CHANGELOG_ENTRY")
+  local changelog_entry=$(printf "## [%s] - %s\n%s\n" "$LD_RELEASE_VERSION" "$ts" "$changelog_content")
+
+  # insert the new changelog entry (followed by empty line) after line 4
+  # of CHANGELOG.md
+  sed -i "4r /dev/stdin" CHANGELOG.md <<< "$changelog_entry"$'\n'
 )
+
+update_go
+update_orb
+update_gha
+update_bitbucket
+update_changelog
+
+git config user.name "LaunchDarklyReleaseBot"
+git config user.email "releasebot@launchdarkly.com"
+git add .
+git commit -m "Prepare release ${release_tag}"
diff --git a/scripts/release/publish-dry-run.sh b/scripts/release/publish-dry-run.sh
index 81808403..4e95e110 100755
--- a/scripts/release/publish-dry-run.sh
+++ b/scripts/release/publish-dry-run.sh
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
-source $(dirname $0)/prepare_release.sh
-prepare_release products-for-release
+source $(dirname $0)/stage-artifacts.sh
+stage-artifacts products-for-release
 
 # Copy the Docker image that goreleaser just built into the artifacts - we only do
 # this in a dry run, because in a real release the image will be available from
diff --git a/scripts/release/publish.sh b/scripts/release/publish.sh
index 3de16725..a9cc6165 100755
--- a/scripts/release/publish.sh
+++ b/scripts/release/publish.sh
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
-source $(dirname $0)/prepare-release.sh
-prepare_release publish
+source $(dirname $0)/stage-artifacts.sh
+stage-artifacts publish
 
 # make bitbucket and github known hosts to push successfully
 mkdir -m700 ~/.ssh
diff --git a/scripts/release/stage-artifacts.sh b/scripts/release/stage-artifacts.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..918f2d64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/release/stage-artifacts.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+stage_artifacts() (
+  local target=$1
+
+  echo "$DOCKER_TOKEN" | sudo docker login --username "$DOCKER_USERNAME" --password-stdin
+
+  sudo PATH="$PATH" GITHUB_TOKEN="$GITHUB_TOKEN" make "$target"
+
+  mkdir -p "$ARTIFACT_DIRECTORY"
+  cp ./dist/*.deb ./dist/*.rpm ./dist/*.tar.gz ./dist/*.txt "$ARTIFACT_DIRECTORY"
+)