diff --git a/lib/promote_release.js b/lib/promote_release.js
index d717110f..692b90c7 100644
--- a/lib/promote_release.js
+++ b/lib/promote_release.js
@@ -226,20 +226,28 @@ export default class ReleasePromotion extends Session {
 
   async verifyTagSignature() {
     const { cli, version } = this;
-    const [needle, haystack] = await Promise.all([forceRunAsync(
+    const verifyTagPattern = /gpg:[^\n]+\ngpg:\s+using RSA key ([^\n]+)\ngpg:\s+issuer "([^"]+)"\ngpg:\s+Good signature from "([^<]+) <\2>"/;
+    const [verifyTagOutput, haystack] = await Promise.all([forceRunAsync(
       'git', ['--no-pager',
-        'log', '-1',
-        `refs/tags/v${version}`,
-        '--format=* **%an** <<%ae>>\n  `%GF`'
-      ], { captureStdout: true }), fs.readFile('README.md')]);
-    if (haystack.includes(needle)) {
-      return;
+        'verify-tag',
+        `v${version}`
+      ], { ignoreFailure: false, captureStderr: true }), fs.readFile('README.md')]);
+    const match = verifyTagPattern.exec(verifyTagOutput);
+    if (match == null) {
+      cli.warn('git was not able to verify the tag:');
+      cli.info(verifyTagOutput);
+    } else {
+      const [, keyID, email, name] = match;
+      const needle = `* **${name}** <<${email}>>\n  ${'`'}${keyID}${'`'}`;
+      if (haystack.includes(needle)) {
+        return;
+      }
+      cli.warn('Tag was signed with an undocumented identity/key pair!');
+      cli.info('Expected to find the following entry in the README:');
+      cli.info(needle);
+      cli.info('If you are using a subkey, it might be OK.');
     }
-    cli.warn('Tag was signed with an undocumented identity/key pair!');
-    cli.info('Expected to find the following entry in the README:');
-    cli.info(needle);
-    cli.info('If you are using a subkey, it might be OK.');
-    cli.info(`Otherwise consider removing the tag (git tag -d v${version
+    cli.info(`If that doesn't sound right, consider removing the tag (git tag -d v${version
              }), check your local config, and start the process over.`);
     if (!await cli.prompt('Do you want to proceed anyway?', { defaultAnswer: false })) {
       throw new Error('Aborted');
@@ -383,7 +391,6 @@ export default class ReleasePromotion extends Session {
           { cause: err }
         );
       }
-      await forceRunAsync('git', ['tag', '--verify', `v${version}`], { ignoreFailure: false });
       this.cli.info('Using the existing tag');
     }
   }
diff --git a/lib/run.js b/lib/run.js
index c9f87c70..578e8f40 100644
--- a/lib/run.js
+++ b/lib/run.js
@@ -12,14 +12,19 @@ function runAsyncBase(cmd, args, {
   ignoreFailure = true,
   spawnArgs,
   input,
+  captureStderr = false,
   captureStdout = false
 } = {}) {
   if (cmd instanceof URL) {
     cmd = fileURLToPath(cmd);
   }
   let stdio = 'inherit';
-  if (captureStdout || input != null) {
-    stdio = [input == null ? 'inherit' : 'pipe', captureStdout ? 'pipe' : 'inherit', 'inherit'];
+  if (captureStderr || captureStdout || input != null) {
+    stdio = [
+      input == null ? 'inherit' : 'pipe',
+      captureStdout ? 'pipe' : 'inherit',
+      captureStderr ? 'pipe' : 'inherit'
+    ];
   }
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     const opt = Object.assign({
@@ -30,6 +35,12 @@ function runAsyncBase(cmd, args, {
       debuglog('[Spawn]', `${cmd} ${(args || []).join(' ')}`, opt);
     }
     const child = spawn(cmd, args, opt);
+    let stderr;
+    if (!captureStdout && captureStderr) {
+      stderr = '';
+      child.stderr.setEncoding('utf8');
+      child.stderr.on('data', (chunk) => { stderr += chunk; });
+    }
     let stdout;
     if (captureStdout) {
       stdout = '';
@@ -51,7 +62,7 @@ function runAsyncBase(cmd, args, {
         stdout = stdout.split(/\r?\n/g);
         if (stdout[stdout.length - 1] === '') stdout.pop();
       }
-      return resolve(stdout);
+      return resolve(stdout ?? stderr);
     });
     if (input != null) child.stdin.end(input);
   });