diff --git a/.github/scripts/publish_preflight_check.sh b/.github/scripts/publish_preflight_check.sh
index 970355a..948f2fe 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/publish_preflight_check.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/publish_preflight_check.sh
@@ -134,6 +134,10 @@ echo_info "Checking release tag"
 echo_info "--------------------------------------------"
 echo_info ""
 
+echo_info "---< git fetch --depth=1 origin +refs/tags/*:refs/tags/* || true >---"
+git fetch --depth=1 origin +refs/tags/*:refs/tags/* || true
+echo ""
+
 readonly EXISTING_TAG=`git rev-parse -q --verify "refs/tags/v${RELEASE_VERSION}"` || true
 if [[ -n "${EXISTING_TAG}" ]]; then
   echo_warn "Tag v${RELEASE_VERSION} already exists. Exiting."
@@ -155,8 +159,8 @@ echo_info "Generating changelog"
 echo_info "--------------------------------------------"
 echo_info ""
 
-echo_info "---< git fetch origin main >---"
-git fetch origin main
+echo_info "---< git fetch origin main --prune --unshallow >---"
+git fetch origin main --prune --unshallow
 echo ""
 
 echo_info "Generating changelog from history..."
@@ -166,11 +170,11 @@ echo "$CHANGELOG"
 
 # Parse and preformat the text to handle multi-line output.
 # https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-workflows/workflow-commands-for-github-actions#example-of-a-multiline-string
-FILTERED_CHANGELOG=`echo "$CHANGELOG" | grep -v "\\[INFO\\]"`
+FILTERED_CHANGELOG=`echo "$CHANGELOG" | grep -v "[INFO]"`
 EOF=$(dd if=/dev/urandom bs=15 count=1 status=none | base64)
-echo "changelog=<<$EOF" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-echo $CHANGELOG >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-echo $EOF >> "$GITHUG_OUTPUT"
+echo "changelog<<$EOF" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+echo "$CHANGELOG" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+echo "$EOF" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
 
 echo ""
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index bdd249a..1d92079 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -25,9 +25,10 @@ jobs:
     # To publish a release, merge the release PR with the label 'release:publish'.
     # To stage a release without publishing it, manually invoke the workflow.
     # .  or apply the 'release:stage' label to a PR.
-    if: (github.event.pull_request.merged && contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'release:publish')) ||
+    if: >
+      (github.event.pull_request.merged && contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'release:publish')) ||
       github.event.workflow_dispatch ||
-      contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'release:stage')
+      (!github.event.pull_request.merged && contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'release:stage'))
 
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest