diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-commit.yml b/.github/workflows/release-commit.yml
index 8f7327c34..ddc87cd69 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-commit.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-commit.yml
@@ -4,19 +4,23 @@ on:
     types: [published]
 
 env: 
-  PR_BRANCH_NAME: release-${{github.event.release.tag_name}}
+  PR_BRANCH_NAME: release-${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}
+  PRE_RELEASE: ${{ github.event.release.prerelease}}
 
 jobs:
-  build:
+  release-commit-pr:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}
 
       - name: Setup Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
           node-version: 18
+          registry-url: https://registry.npmjs.org/
 
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: npm ci
@@ -24,21 +28,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run unit tests
         run: npm test
 
-  create-release-commit:
-    needs: build
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout code
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          ref: ${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}
-
-      - name: Setup Node.js
-        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-        with:
-          node-version: 18
-          registry-url: https://registry.npmjs.org/
-
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: npm ci
 
@@ -48,19 +37,25 @@ jobs:
       - name: Initialize git user name
         run: git config --global user.name "Release commit workflow"
 
-      - name: Create release branch
+      - name: Fetch latest changes
+        run: git fetch --all
+
+      - name: Checkout to release branch if it's not a pre-release
+        if: ${{!env.PRE_RELEASE}}
+        run: git checkout ${{ vars.RELEASE_BRANCH_NAME }}
+
+      - name: Checkout to current release branch to create PR from
         run: |
           git checkout -b $PR_BRANCH_NAME
           git push --set-upstream origin $PR_BRANCH_NAME
-          echo "branch=$PR_BRANCH_NAME" >> $GITHUB_ENV
         
       - name: Bump version and push changes using release-it
         run: |
-          npm run release -- --ci ${{github.event.release.tag_name}}
+          npm run release -- --ci ${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
       - name: Create pull request
-        run: gh pr create -B release -H $PR_BRANCH_NAME --title "Release ${{github.event.release.tag_name}}" --body "${{github.event.release.body}}"
+        run: gh pr create -B ${{ vars.RELEASE_BRANCH_NAME }} -H $PR_BRANCH_NAME --title "Release ${{github.event.release.tag_name}}" --body "${{github.event.release.body}}"
         env:
             GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/release-publish.yml
index 6a20b948b..146c77c87 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-publish.yml
@@ -5,25 +5,12 @@ on:
       - release
 
 jobs:
-  build:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-        with:
-          node-version: 18
-      - run: npm ci
-      - run: npm test
-
-  publish-npm:
-    needs: build
+  release-publish-npm:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          ref: main
-          
+
       - name: Setup Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
@@ -33,6 +20,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: npm ci
 
+      - name: Run unit tests
+        run: npm test
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: npm ci
+
       - name: Initialize git user email
         run: git config --global user.email "${{ env.RELEASE_USER_EMAIL }}"
 
@@ -60,6 +53,11 @@ jobs:
           echo "LATEST_RELEASE_NAME=$LATEST_RELEASE_NAME" >> $GITHUB_ENV
           echo "IS_PRE_RELEASE=$IS_PRE_RELEASE" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
+      - name: Fetch and checkout to release branch
+        run: |
+          git fetch --all
+          git checkout ${{ vars.RELEASE_BRANCH_NAME }}
+
       - name: Publish to npm (pre-release)
         if: env.IS_PRE_RELEASE == 'true'
         run: npm publish --tag beta