diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 22c65f4f38..b277d82ac4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -93,58 +93,27 @@ jobs:
           git switch -c $BRANCH_NAME
           echo "BRANCH_NAME=${BRANCH_NAME}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
-      - name: Update package versions for stable release
-        if: steps.version.outputs.NPM_TAG != 'nightly'
+      - name: Update package versions
         run: |
           npm run release:version ${{ steps.version.outputs.RELEASE_VERSION }}
 
-      - name: Set package versions for nightly release
-        if: steps.version.outputs.NPM_TAG == 'nightly'
-        run: |
-          npm pkg set version=${{ steps.version.outputs.RELEASE_VERSION }}
-          npm pkg set version=${{ steps.version.outputs.RELEASE_VERSION }} --workspace=@google/gemini-cli
-          npm pkg set version=${{ steps.version.outputs.RELEASE_VERSION }} --workspace=@google/gemini-cli-core
-          npm install
-
-      - name: Set package versions for nightly release
-        if: steps.version.outputs.NPM_TAG == 'nightly'
-        run: |
-          npm pkg set version=${{ steps.version.outputs.RELEASE_VERSION }}
-          npm pkg set version=${{ steps.version.outputs.RELEASE_VERSION }} --workspace=@google/gemini-cli
-          npm pkg set version=${{ steps.version.outputs.RELEASE_VERSION }} --workspace=@google/gemini-cli-core
-          npm install
-
       - name: Commit package versions
-        id: commit_step
         run: |
           git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
           git config user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
           git add package.json package-lock.json packages/*/package.json
-          if ! git diff-index --quiet HEAD --; then
-            echo "Changes detected, creating commit."
-            git commit -m "chore(release): ${{ steps.version.outputs.RELEASE_TAG }}"
-            git push --set-upstream origin ${{ steps.release_branch.outputs.BRANCH_NAME }} --follow-tags
-            echo "committed=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          else
-            echo "No version changes to commit."
-            echo "committed=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          fi
+          git commit -m "chore(release): ${{ steps.version.outputs.RELEASE_TAG }}"
+          git push --set-upstream origin ${{ steps.release_branch.outputs.BRANCH_NAME }} --follow-tags
 
       - name: Create GitHub Release and Tag
         if: '!inputs.dry_run'
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           RELEASE_BRANCH: ${{ steps.release_branch.outputs.BRANCH_NAME }}
-          COMMITTED: ${{ steps.commit_step.outputs.committed }}
         run: |
-          TARGET_COMMITISH="main"
-          if [[ "$COMMITTED" == "true" ]]; then
-            TARGET_COMMITISH="$RELEASE_BRANCH"
-          fi
-          echo "Creating release against target: $TARGET_COMMITISH"
           gh release create ${{ steps.version.outputs.RELEASE_TAG }} \
             bundle/gemini.js \
-            --target "$TARGET_COMMITISH" \
+            --target "$RELEASE_BRANCH" \
             --title "Release ${{ steps.version.outputs.RELEASE_TAG }}" \
             --generate-notes