diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index bb15291790b..4bbc034e517 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -9,10 +9,33 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
-  release-notes:
+  check_branch:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      should_build: ${{ steps.permitted.outputs.result }}
 
-    if: github.repository_owner == 'visgl' && (github.ref == 'refs/heads/master' || endsWith(github.ref, '-release'))
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 # v4.1.1
+
+      - name: Fetch remote branches
+        run: |
+          git fetch origin --depth=1
+
+      - name: Check if on permitted branch
+        id: permitted
+        run: |
+          result=
+          branchName=$(git branch -a --contains $GITHUB_SHA | grep 'remotes/origin/' || echo "")
+          if [[ $branchName == *"master" || $branchName == *"-release" ]]; then
+            result=true
+          fi
+          echo "result=${result}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+  release:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: check_branch
+
+    if: ${{ github.repository_owner == 'visgl' && needs.check_branch.outputs.should_build }}
 
     env:
       ADMIN_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.ADMIN_TOKEN }}
@@ -21,9 +44,6 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 # v4.1.1
 
-      - name: Get git tags (https://github.com/actions/checkout/issues/206)
-        run: git fetch --tags -f
-
       - name: Use Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@8f152de45cc393bb48ce5d89d36b731f54556e65 # v4.0.0
         with:
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 69e2b7a05f0..8f66edf765a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
     "@math.gl/proj4": "^4.0.0",
     "@probe.gl/bench": "^4.0.9",
     "jsdom": "^20.0.0",
-    "ocular-dev-tools": "2.0.0-alpha.30",
+    "ocular-dev-tools": "2.0.0-alpha.33",
     "pre-commit": "^1.2.2",
     "pre-push": "^0.1.1",
     "puppeteer": "^22.4.0",
diff --git a/scripts/github-release.js b/scripts/github-release.js
index 76c16eab492..01f5cc90197 100644
--- a/scripts/github-release.js
+++ b/scripts/github-release.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ console.log(JSON.stringify(requestBody));
 
 function getGitTag() {
   try {
-    return execSync('git describe --exact-match HEAD', {
+    return execSync('git describe --tags --exact-match HEAD', {
       stdio: [null, 'pipe', null],
       encoding: 'utf-8'
     }).trim();
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 3abc45f2782..9d1137ffc2c 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -8857,10 +8857,10 @@ object.values@^1.1.7:
     define-properties "^1.2.0"
     es-abstract "^1.22.1"
 
-ocular-dev-tools@2.0.0-alpha.30:
-  version "2.0.0-alpha.30"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/ocular-dev-tools/-/ocular-dev-tools-2.0.0-alpha.30.tgz#68f6928142ae5526267988c9ab297e2002194772"
-  integrity sha512-Kz/mRzI6OHX8ljMZTaal2+iwJGVLzfojiP4l0LgptNCu6vEyV48eVTBD4+rWOrD/uCTCLATKFhBytkMONWK41A==
+ocular-dev-tools@2.0.0-alpha.33:
+  version "2.0.0-alpha.33"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/ocular-dev-tools/-/ocular-dev-tools-2.0.0-alpha.33.tgz#c17da68040adfc5cff8e5033d7f0f2afea05d0f7"
+  integrity sha512-VhEtuT49d94IpV3IqQti21bX0aULhw8a4Pxw765K9axxM07WbgM1be1flcLxgBXZ4qHUy7pzmiuPmZOgkcc5uQ==
   dependencies:
     "@babel/cli" "^7.14.5"
     "@babel/core" "^7.14.5"