diff --git a/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yaml b/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yaml
index 7cc4a3f..516e64a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yaml
@@ -7,37 +7,61 @@ on:
     types: [submitted]
   workflow_call:
 
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  pull-requests: write
+
 jobs:
   auto-merge:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
+      - name: Is PR ready?
+        id: is-ready
+        if: >
+          (
+            (
+              !github.event.pull_request.draft &&
+              github.event.pull_request.mergeable
+            ) ||
+            contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'ready')
+          )
+        run: true
+
       - name: Is Dependabot?
+        id: is-dependabot
         if: github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'dependabot[bot]'
         run: true
 
       - name: Is patch update?
         id: patch-update
         if: >
-          success() && contains(
+          steps.is-dependabot.outcome == 'success' && contains(
             github.event.head_commit.message, 'version-update:semver-patch'
           )
         run: true
 
       - name: Auto merge PR
         if: >
-          (success() && !github.event.pull_request.draft) ||
-            github.event.pull_request.mergeable
+          (
+            steps.is-ready.outcome == 'success' ||
+            steps.is-dependabot.outcome == 'success'
+          )
         uses: pascalgn/automerge-action@v0.16.2
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}"
-          MERGE_LABELS: "ready"
-          MERGE_REMOVE_LABELS: "ready"
+          MERGE_LABELS: ""
           MERGE_METHOD: "squash"
           MERGE_COMMIT_MESSAGE: "automatic"
           MERGE_FILTER_AUTHOR: "dependabot[bot]"
-          MERGE_FORKS: "false"
+          MERGE_FORKS: "true"
           MERGE_RETRIES: "6"
           MERGE_RETRY_SLEEP: "10000"
-          MERGE_REQUIRED_APPROVALS: "${{ steps.patch-update.outcome == 'success' && 0 || 1 }}"
+          MERGE_REQUIRED_APPROVALS: "${{
+            (
+              steps.is-ready.outcome == 'success' ||
+              steps.patch-update.outcome == 'success'
+            ) &&
+            0 || 1
+          }}"
           UPDATE_LABELS: ""
           UPDATE_METHOD: "rebase"