diff --git a/.github/actions/release/create-draft-release/action.yml b/.github/actions/release/create-draft-release/action.yml
index 4653e3459..fe69ff2fe 100644
--- a/.github/actions/release/create-draft-release/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/release/create-draft-release/action.yml
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ runs:
       if: ${{ steps.check_release.outputs.release_exists == 'false' }}
       run: |
         tag="${{ inputs.tag }}"
+        release_name="${tag}-rc"
         release_body="### Pre-release candidate for version $tag\n\n"
         release_body+="This is a draft pre-release candidate for release $tag that is undergoing testing. The current testing status is:\n\n"
         release_body+="- [x] Local environment\n"
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ runs:
         release_body+="Please note: this release is not yet fully verified and is pending further testing.\n"
 
         release_response=$(curl -s -X POST -H "Authorization: token ${{ env.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" \
-                          -d '{"tag_name": "'$tag'", "name": "'$tag'", "body": "'"$release_body"'", "draft": true, "generate_release_notes": true, "prerelease": true}' \
+                          -d '{"tag_name": "'$tag'", "name": "'$release_name'", "body": "'"$release_body"'", "draft": true, "generate_release_notes": true, "prerelease": true}' \
                           "https://api.github.com/repos/${{ github.repository }}/releases")
         echo "release_id=$(echo $release_response | jq -r .id)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
         echo "::set-output name=release_id::$(echo $release_response | jq -r .id)"
diff --git a/.github/actions/release/publish-draft-release/action.yml b/.github/actions/release/publish-draft-release/action.yml
index fa883b122..dfef14ad2 100644
--- a/.github/actions/release/publish-draft-release/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/release/publish-draft-release/action.yml
@@ -23,9 +23,7 @@ runs:
         tag="${{ inputs.tag }}"
         release_response=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: token ${{ env.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" \
           "https://api.github.com/repos/${{ github.repository }}/releases?per_page=100")
-
         release_id=$(echo "$release_response" | jq -r '.[] | select(.tag_name=="'"$tag"'") | .id')
-
         if [ -z "$release_id" ] || [ "$release_id" == "null" ]; then
           echo "release_exists=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "release_id=" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
@@ -40,45 +38,27 @@ runs:
         set -e
         if [[ "${{ steps.check_release.outputs.release_exists }}" == "true" ]]; then
           release_id="${{ steps.check_release.outputs.release_id }}"
-          
-          # Set draft to false
+          release_data=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: token ${{ env.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" \
+            "https://api.github.com/repos/${{ github.repository }}/releases/$release_id")
+          current_body=$(echo "$release_data" | jq -r .body)
+          updated_body=$(echo "$current_body" | \
+            sed 's/- \[ \] Staging preview environment/- [x] Staging preview environment/g' | \
+            sed 's/This is a draft pre-release candidate/This is a pre-release candidate/g')
+          json_data=$(jq -n \
+            --arg name "$tag" \
+            --arg body "$updated_body" \
+            '{"draft": false, "name": $name, "body": $body}')
           response=$(curl -s -X PATCH -H "Authorization: token ${{ env.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" \
-            -d '{"draft": false}' \
+            -d "$json_data" \
             "https://api.github.com/repos/${{ github.repository }}/releases/$release_id")
-          
           echo "Response: $response"
-          
-          # Verify the release was updated
           if echo "$response" | jq -e '.id' >/dev/null; then
             echo "Release updated successfully"
           else
             echo "Failed to update release"
             exit 1
           fi
-          
-          # Extract the current release body
-          current_body=$(echo "$response" | jq -r .body)
-          
-          # Perform the desired replacements
-          updated_body=$(echo "$current_body" | \
-            sed 's/- \[ \] Staging preview environment/- [x] Staging preview environment/g' | \
-            sed 's/This is a draft pre-release/This is a pre-release/g')
-          
-          # Update the release body with the modified content
-          updated_response=$(curl -s -X PATCH -H "Authorization: token ${{ env.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" \
-            -d '{"body": "'"$updated_body"'"}' \
-            "https://api.github.com/repos/${{ github.repository }}/releases/$release_id")
-          
-          echo "Body Update Response: $updated_response"
-          
-          # Verify the release body was updated
-          if echo "$updated_response" | jq -e '.body' >/dev/null; then
-            echo "Release body updated successfully"
-          else
-            echo "Failed to update release body"
-            exit 1
-          fi
         else
           echo "Release does not exist, skipping publish step."
         fi
-      shell: bash
\ No newline at end of file
+      shell: bash
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cd.yml b/.github/workflows/cd.yml
index 09dc3c1b9..69daa7ac1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cd.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cd.yml
@@ -420,25 +420,28 @@ jobs:
           threads: 1
 
   publish:
-    if: ${{ github.event.inputs.no-release != 'true' && (github.event.inputs.no-tests == 'true' || needs.run-all-tests-on-n2-epoch.result == 'success') }}
-    permissions:
-      id-token: write
-      contents: write
-      packages: write
+    if: ${{ always() && github.event.inputs.no-release != 'true' && (github.event.inputs.no-tests == 'true' || needs.run-all-tests-on-n2-epoch.result == 'success') }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs:
       - build-linux
       - build-macos-x86_64
       - build-macos-arm64
       - run-all-tests-on-n2-epoch
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - name: Trigger Publish Workflow
+      - name: Trigger Publish Workflow via Repository Dispatch
         run: |
           curl -X POST \
-            -H "Authorization: token ${{ secrets.ACTIONS_PAT }}" \
+            -H "Authorization: token ${{ secrets.ACTIONS_PUBLISH_PAT }}" \
             -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.v3+json" \
-            https://api.github.com/repos/${{ github.repository }}/actions/workflows/publish.yml/dispatches \
-            -d '{"ref": "main", "inputs": {"sha": "${{ github.sha }}", "tag": "${{ github.ref }}"}}'
+            https://api.github.com/repos/${{ github.repository }}/dispatches \
+            -d '{
+                  "event_type": "publish",
+                  "client_payload": {
+                    "sha": "${{ github.sha }}",
+                    "tag": "${{ inputs.tag }}",
+                    "skip_release": "${{ github.event.inputs.no-release }}"
+                  }
+                }'
 
 #  deploy-staging-preprod:
 #    if: ${{ github.event.inputs.no-deploy != 'true' }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index 70699d5c0..f52fd5f95 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -1,48 +1,42 @@
-name: Publish the draft release created by cd.yml, and upload GHCR image
+name: Publish the Draft Release
 
 on:
-  workflow_dispatch:
-    inputs:
-      sha:
-        description: 'The SHA of the commit to build'
-        required: true
-        type: string
-      tag:
-        description: 'The tag for the release'
-        required: true
-        type: string
+  repository_dispatch:
+    types: [publish]
+
+permissions:
+  id-token: write
+  contents: write
+  packages: write
 
 jobs:
   build-and-publish-ghcr:
-    permissions:
-      id-token: write
-      contents: write
-      packages: write
+    if: ${{ github.event.client_payload.skip_release != 'true' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
       - name: Build and Publish to GHCR
         uses: ./.github/actions/images/build-and-publish-ghcr
         with:
-          sha: ${{ inputs.sha }}
-          tag: ${{ inputs.tag }}
+          sha: ${{ github.event.client_payload.sha }}
+          tag: ${{ github.event.client_payload.tag }}
         env:
           GITHUB_ACTOR: ${{ github.actor }}
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
   publish-release:
-    permissions:
-      id-token: write
-      contents: write
-      packages: write
+    if: ${{ github.event.client_payload.skip_release != 'true' }}
+    needs: build-and-publish-ghcr
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
       - name: Publish Release
         uses: ./.github/actions/release/publish-draft-release
         with:
-          tag: ${{ inputs.tag }}
+          tag: ${{ github.event.client_payload.tag }}
         env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
\ No newline at end of file
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}