diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
index 9b297748029bc..90cc2fc1e669e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
@@ -11,9 +11,14 @@ on:
           - major
           - minor
           - patch
-          - prerelease_only
-      is_prerelease:
-        description: 'Is release candidate'
+          - pre-release
+      create_rc:
+        description: 'Create release-candidate'
+        required: false
+        default: false
+        type: boolean
+      release_rc:
+        description: 'Release release-candidate'
         required: false
         default: false
         type: boolean
@@ -22,6 +27,13 @@ jobs:
   main:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
+      - name: Validate inputs
+        run: |
+          if [[ ${{ inputs.create_rc }} == true && ${{ inputs.release_rc }} ]]; then
+            echo "Trying to create and finalize a release candidate at the same time is difficult."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
       - name: Checkout repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
@@ -37,34 +49,25 @@ jobs:
           MAJOR=$(sed -n 's/^MAJOR\s*=\s*\([0-9]\+\)/\1/p' $VERSION_FILE)
           MINOR=$(sed -n 's/^MINOR\s*=\s*\([0-9]\+\)/\1/p' $VERSION_FILE)
           PATCH=$(sed -n 's/^PATCH\s*=\s*\([0-9]\+\)/\1/p' $VERSION_FILE)
-          PRE_RELEASE=$(sed -n "s/^PRE_RELEASE\s*=\s*'\([^']\+\)'/\1/p" $VERSION_FILE) 
-
-          echo Version bump: ${{ inputs.version_bump }}
-          # If version_bump == null and not is_prerelease
-          # If version_bump == null and is_prerelease and not has_prerelease
-          #   error
-          # If version_bump and not is_prerelease and has_prerelease
-          #   
-
-          if [[ ${{ inputs.version_bump }} == "major" && -z $PRE_RELEASE ]]; then
-            MAJOR=$((MAJOR + 1))
-          elif [[ ${{ inputs.version_bump }} == "minor" && -z $PRE_RELEASE ]]; then
-            MINOR=$((MINOR + 1))
-          elif [[ ${{ inputs.version_bump }} == "patch" && -z $PRE_RELEASE ]]; then
-            PATCH=$((PATCH + 1))
-          elif [[ ${{ inputs.version_bump }} == "pre-release" ]]; then
-            if [[ -z $pre_release ]]; then
-              new_version="$major.$minor.$patch-rc1"
-            else
-              pre_number=$(echo $pre_release | grep -o '[0-9]*$')
-              pre_number=$((pre_number + 1))
-              new_version="$major.$minor.$patch-rc$pre_number"
-            fi
-          else
-            echo "Invalid bump type."
+          PRE_RELEASE=$(sed -n "s/^PRE_RELEASE\s*=\s*'\([^']\+\)'/\1/p" $VERSION_FILE)
+
+          # if has_prerelease AND create_rc -> error
+          if [[ -n $PRE_RELEASE && ${{ inputs.create_rc }} == true ]]; then
+            echo NeMo Toolkit already has a RC.
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          # if not has_prerelease AND release_rc -> error
+          if [[ -z $PRE_RELEASE && ${{ inputs.release_rc }} == true ]]; then
+            echo NeMo Toolkit does not have a RC to release
             exit 1
           fi
 
+          # if not has_prerelease AND pre-release -> error
+          if [[ -z $PRE_RELEASE && ${{ inputs.version_bump }} == "pre-release" ]]l; then
+            echo NeMo Toolkit does not have a RC to bump
+          fi
+
           if [[ "${{ inputs.version_bump }}" == "major" ]]; then
             MAJOR=$(( $MAJOR + 1 ))
             MINOR=0