diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 9b192b1f..fa5f0ff3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ on:
       - "[0-9]+.[0-9x]+*"
     paths:
       - "edgedb/_version.py"
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - "ci"
 
 jobs:
   validate-release-request:
@@ -15,26 +18,9 @@ jobs:
     outputs:
       version: ${{ steps.checkver.outputs.version }}
     steps:
-    - name: Validate release PR
-      uses: edgedb/action-release/validate-pr@master
-      id: checkver
-      with:
-        github_token: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_BOT_GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-        require_team: Release Managers
-        require_approval: no
-        version_file: edgedb/_version.py
-        version_line_pattern: |
-          __version__\s*=\s*(?:['"])([[:PEP440:]])(?:['"])
-
-    - name: Stop if not approved
-      if: steps.checkver.outputs.approved != 'true'
-      run: |
-        echo ::error::PR is not approved yet.
-        exit 1
-
     - name: Store release version for later use
       env:
-        VERSION: ${{ steps.checkver.outputs.version }}
+        VERSION: 1.9.0
       run: |
         mkdir -p dist/
         echo "${VERSION}" > dist/VERSION
@@ -80,15 +66,15 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v4
         with:
           python-version: "3.x"
-      - run: pip install cibuildwheel==2.12.3
+      - run: pip install cibuildwheel==2.19.1
       - id: set-matrix
         # Cannot test on Musl distros yet.
         run: |
           MATRIX_INCLUDE=$(
             {
-              cibuildwheel --print-build-identifiers --platform linux --arch x86_64,aarch64 | grep cp | grep many |  jq -nRc '{"only": inputs, "os": "ubuntu-latest"}' \
-              && cibuildwheel --print-build-identifiers --platform macos --arch x86_64,arm64 | grep cp |  jq -nRc '{"only": inputs, "os": "macos-latest"}' \
-              && cibuildwheel --print-build-identifiers --platform windows --arch AMD64 | grep cp |  jq -nRc '{"only": inputs, "os": "windows-2019"}'
+              cibuildwheel --print-build-identifiers --platform linux --arch x86_64,aarch64 | grep cp | grep many | grep 312 |  jq -nRc '{"only": inputs, "os": "ubuntu-latest"}' \
+              && cibuildwheel --print-build-identifiers --platform macos --arch x86_64,arm64 | grep cp | | grep 312 |  jq -nRc '{"only": inputs, "os": "macos-latest"}' \
+              && cibuildwheel --print-build-identifiers --platform windows --arch AMD64 | grep cp | grep 312 |  jq -nRc '{"only": inputs, "os": "windows-2019"}'
             } | jq -sc
           )
           echo "include=$MATRIX_INCLUDE" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
@@ -130,7 +116,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Install EdgeDB
       uses: edgedb/setup-edgedb@v1
 
-    - uses: pypa/cibuildwheel@v2.16.5
+    - uses: pypa/cibuildwheel@v2.19.1
       with:
         only: ${{ matrix.only }}
       env:
@@ -156,6 +142,8 @@ jobs:
   publish:
     needs: [build-sdist, build-wheels]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v3
@@ -175,26 +163,6 @@ jobs:
         echo ::set-output name=version::$(cat dist/VERSION)
         rm dist/VERSION
 
-    - name: Merge and tag the PR
-      uses: edgedb/action-release/merge@master
-      with:
-        github_token: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_BOT_GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-        ssh_key: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_BOT_SSH_KEY }}
-        gpg_key: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_BOT_GPG_KEY }}
-        gpg_key_id: "5C468778062D87BF!"
-        tag_name: v${{ steps.relver.outputs.version }}
-
-    - name: Publish Github Release
-      uses: elprans/gh-action-create-release@master
-      env:
-        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-      with:
-        tag_name: v${{ steps.relver.outputs.version }}
-        release_name: v${{ steps.relver.outputs.version }}
-        target: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.ref }}
-        body: ${{ github.event.pull_request.body }}
-        draft: true
-
     - run: |
         ls -al dist/