diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-promote.yml b/.github/workflows/release-promote.yml
index ac134629b6..bdfc41d2ce 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-promote.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-promote.yml
@@ -68,12 +68,15 @@ jobs:
           GH_TOKEN: '${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}'
         run: |
           set -e
-          STABLE_JSON=$(node scripts/get-release-version.js --type=stable ${{ github.event.inputs.stable_version_override && format('--stable_version_override={0}', github.event.inputs.stable_version_override) || '' }})
-          PREVIEW_JSON=$(node scripts/get-release-version.js --type=preview ${{ github.event.inputs.preview_version_override && format('--preview_version_override={0}', github.event.inputs.preview_version_override) || '' }})
-          NIGHTLY_JSON=$(node scripts/get-release-version.js --type=promote-nightly)
-          echo "STABLE_JSON_COMMAND=node scripts/get-release-version.js --type=stable ${{ github.event.inputs.stable_version_override && format('--stable_version_override={0}', github.event.inputs.stable_version_override) || '' }}"
-          echo "PREVIEW_JSON_COMMAND=node scripts/get-release-version.js --type=preview ${{ github.event.inputs.preview_version_override && format('--preview_version_override={0}', github.event.inputs.preview_version_override) || '' }}"
-          echo "NIGHTLY_JSON_COMMAND=node scripts/get-release-version.js --type=promote-nightly"
+          STABLE_COMMAND="node scripts/get-release-version.js --type=stable ${{ github.event.inputs.stable_version_override && format('--stable_version_override={0}', github.event.inputs.stable_version_override) || '' }}"
+          PREVIEW_COMMAND="node scripts/get-release-version.js --type=preview ${{ github.event.inputs.preview_version_override && format('--preview_version_override={0}', github.event.inputs.preview_version_override) || '' }}"
+          NIGHTLY_COMMAND="node scripts/get-release-version.js --type=promote-nightly"
+          STABLE_JSON=$(${STABLE_COMMAND})
+          PREVIEW_JSON=$(${PREVIEW_COMMAND})
+          NIGHTLY_JSON=$(${NIGHTLY_COMMAND})
+          echo "STABLE_JSON_COMMAND=${STABLE_COMMAND}"
+          echo "PREVIEW_JSON_COMMAND=${PREVIEW_COMMAND}"
+          echo "NIGHTLY_JSON_COMMAND=${NIGHTLY_COMMAND}"
           echo "STABLE_JSON: ${STABLE_JSON}"
           echo "PREVIEW_JSON: ${PREVIEW_JSON}"
           echo "NIGHTLY_JSON: ${NIGHTLY_JSON}"
@@ -83,25 +86,39 @@ jobs:
           echo "PREVIOUS_STABLE_TAG=$(echo "${STABLE_JSON}" | jq -r .previousReleaseTag)" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
           echo "PREVIEW_VERSION=$(echo "${PREVIEW_JSON}" | jq -r .releaseVersion)" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
           # shellcheck disable=SC1083
-          echo "PREVIEW_SHA=$(git rev-parse '${{ github.event.inputs.ref }}'^{commit})" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+          REF="${{ github.event.inputs.ref }}"
+          SHA=$(git ls-remote origin "$REF" | awk '{print $1}')
+          if [ -z "$SHA" ]; then
+            if [[ "$REF" =~ ^[0-9a-f]{7,40}$ ]]; then
+              SHA="$REF"
+            else
+              echo "::error::Could not resolve ref '$REF' to a commit SHA."
+              exit 1
+            fi
+          fi
+          echo "PREVIEW_SHA=$SHA" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
           echo "PREVIOUS_PREVIEW_TAG=$(echo "${PREVIEW_JSON}" | jq -r .previousReleaseTag)" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
           echo "NEXT_NIGHTLY_VERSION=$(echo "${NIGHTLY_JSON}" | jq -r .releaseVersion)" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
           echo "PREVIOUS_NIGHTLY_TAG=$(echo "${NIGHTLY_JSON}" | jq -r .previousReleaseTag)" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
           CURRENT_NIGHTLY_TAG=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 --match="*nightly*")
           echo "CURRENT_NIGHTLY_TAG=${CURRENT_NIGHTLY_TAG}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
-          echo "NEXT_SHA=$(git rev-parse HEAD)" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+          echo "NEXT_SHA=$SHA" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
 
       - name: 'Display Pending Updates'
         run: |
-          echo "Pending Changes, Next Versions:"
-          echo "  Nightly: ${{ steps.versions.outputs.NEXT_NIGHTLY_VERSION }}"
-          echo "  Preview: ${{ steps.versions.outputs.PREVIEW_VERSION }}"
-          echo "  Stable: ${{ steps.versions.outputs.STABLE_VERSION }}"
+          echo "Release Plan:"
+          echo "-----------"
+          echo "Stable Release: ${{ steps.versions.outputs.STABLE_VERSION }}"
+          echo "  - Commit: ${{ steps.versions.outputs.STABLE_SHA }}"
+          echo "  - Previous Tag: ${{ steps.versions.outputs.PREVIOUS_STABLE_TAG }}"
           echo ""
-          echo "Relevant SHAs:"
-          echo "  Stable: Will be cut from:  : ${{ steps.versions.outputs.STABLE_SHA }} / ${{ steps.versions.outputs.PREVIOUS_STABLE_TAG }}"
-          echo "  Preview will be cut from:  : ${{ steps.versions.outputs.PREVIEW_SHA }} (${{ github.event.inputs.ref }})". Users last saw preview as: ${{ steps.versions.outputs.PREVIOUS_PREVIEW_TAG }}
-          echo "  Nightly will be udpated in : ${{ steps.versions.outputs.NEXT_SHA }} (${{ github.event.inputs.ref }}). Previous nightly tag: ${{ steps.versions.outputs.PREVIOUS_NIGHTLY_TAG }}"
+          echo "Preview Release: ${{ steps.versions.outputs.PREVIEW_VERSION }}"
+          echo "  - Commit: ${{ steps.versions.outputs.PREVIEW_SHA }} (${{ github.event.inputs.ref }})"
+          echo "  - Previous Tag: ${{ steps.versions.outputs.PREVIOUS_PREVIEW_TAG }}"
+          echo ""
+          echo "Next Nightly Release: ${{ steps.versions.outputs.NEXT_NIGHTLY_VERSION }}"
+          echo "  - Commit: ${{ steps.versions.outputs.NEXT_SHA }} (${{ github.event.inputs.ref }})"
+          echo "  - Previous Tag: ${{ steps.versions.outputs.PREVIOUS_NIGHTLY_TAG }}"
 
   test:
     name: 'Test ${{ matrix.channel }}'
diff --git a/scripts/get-release-version.js b/scripts/get-release-version.js
index e310c6b0db..61e9751d37 100644
--- a/scripts/get-release-version.js
+++ b/scripts/get-release-version.js
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ function isVersionDeprecated(version) {
     return output.length > 0;
   } catch (error) {
     // This command shouldn't fail for existing versions, but as a safeguard:
-    console.warn(
+    console.error(
       `Failed to check deprecation status for ${version}: ${error.message}`,
     );
     return false; // Assume not deprecated on error to avoid breaking the release.
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ function detectRollbackAndGetBaseline(npmDistTag) {
       highestExistingVersion = version;
       break; // Found the one we want
     } else {
-      console.log(`Ignoring deprecated version: ${version}`);
+      console.error(`Ignoring deprecated version: ${version}`);
     }
   }
 
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ function doesVersionExist(version) {
     const command = `npm view @google/gemini-cli@${version} version 2>/dev/null`;
     const output = execSync(command).toString().trim();
     if (output === version) {
-      console.warn(`Version ${version} already exists on NPM.`);
+      console.error(`Version ${version} already exists on NPM.`);
       return true;
     }
   } catch (_error) {
@@ -174,11 +174,11 @@ function doesVersionExist(version) {
     const command = `git tag -l 'v${version}'`;
     const tagOutput = execSync(command).toString().trim();
     if (tagOutput === `v${version}`) {
-      console.warn(`Git tag v${version} already exists.`);
+      console.error(`Git tag v${version} already exists.`);
       return true;
     }
   } catch (error) {
-    console.warn(`Failed to check git tags for conflicts: ${error.message}`);
+    console.error(`Failed to check git tags for conflicts: ${error.message}`);
   }
 
   // Check GitHub releases
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ function doesVersionExist(version) {
     const command = `gh release view "v${version}" --json tagName --jq .tagName 2>/dev/null`;
     const output = execSync(command).toString().trim();
     if (output === `v${version}`) {
-      console.warn(`GitHub release v${version} already exists.`);
+      console.error(`GitHub release v${version} already exists.`);
       return true;
     }
   } catch (error) {
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ function doesVersionExist(version) {
       error.message.includes('not found') ||
       error.status === 1;
     if (!isExpectedNotFound) {
-      console.warn(
+      console.error(
         `Failed to check GitHub releases for conflicts: ${error.message}`,
       );
     }
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ function getAndVerifyTags(npmDistTag, _gitTagPattern) {
 
   if (rollbackInfo.isRollback) {
     // Rollback scenario: warn about the rollback but don't fail
-    console.warn(
+    console.error(
       `Rollback detected! NPM ${npmDistTag} tag is ${rollbackInfo.distTagVersion}, but using ${baselineVersion} as baseline for next version calculation (highest existing version).`,
     );
   }
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ export function getVersion(options = {}) {
   if (type === 'stable' || type === 'preview' || type === 'patch') {
     let releaseVersion = versionData.releaseVersion;
     while (doesVersionExist(releaseVersion)) {
-      console.log(`Version ${releaseVersion} exists, incrementing.`);
+      console.error(`Version ${releaseVersion} exists, incrementing.`);
       if (releaseVersion.includes('-preview.')) {
         // Increment preview number: 0.6.0-preview.2 -> 0.6.0-preview.3
         const [version, prereleasePart] = releaseVersion.split('-');