diff --git a/.github/workflows/release_pr.yml b/.github/workflows/release_pr.yml
index 1783ae2f94..50d5498a8c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release_pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release_pr.yml
@@ -56,14 +56,14 @@ jobs:
         fi
         echo release_branch="$release_branch" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
-    # - name: Create release branch
-    #   if: ${{ github.event.number == '' }}
-    #   env:
-    #     RELEASE_BRANCH: ${{ steps.get_release_number.outputs.release_branch }}
-    #   run: |
-    #     echo "The release branch is: $RELEASE_BRANCH" 
-    #     git checkout -b "$RELEASE_BRANCH"
-    #     git push origin "$RELEASE_BRANCH"
+    - name: Create release branch
+      if: ${{ github.event.number == '' }}
+      env:
+        RELEASE_BRANCH: ${{ steps.get_release_number.outputs.release_branch }}
+      run: |
+        echo "The release branch is: $RELEASE_BRANCH" 
+        git checkout -b "$RELEASE_BRANCH"
+        git push origin "$RELEASE_BRANCH"
 
   create_pull_request:
     needs: [get_next_release_version]
@@ -74,30 +74,22 @@ jobs:
     - name: Checkout
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-    - name: Create Pull Request
-      id: create_pr
-      uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v6
-      with:
-        branch: ${{ env.RELEASE_BRANCH }}
-        token: ${{ secrets.YALESITES_BUILD_TOKEN }}
-        base: master
-
     - name: Create pull request
       if: github.head_ref == env.RELEASE_BRANCH || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
       env:
         PR_NUMBER: ${{ steps.create_pr.outputs.pull-request-number }}
       run: ./.ci/github/create_release_pull_request
 
-  release_sites:
-    needs: [create_pull_request]
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    env:
-      RELEASE_BRANCH: ${{ needs.get_next_release_version.outputs.release_branch }}
-    steps:
-    - name: Checkout
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        ref: ${{ env.RELEASE_BRANCH }}
+  # release_sites:
+  #   needs: [create_pull_request]
+  #   runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+  #   env:
+  #     RELEASE_BRANCH: ${{ needs.get_next_release_version.outputs.release_branch }}
+  #   steps:
+  #   - name: Checkout
+  #     uses: actions/checkout@v4
+  #     with:
+  #       ref: ${{ env.RELEASE_BRANCH }}
 
-    - name: Deploy to environments
-      run: ./.ci/github/deploy_release_sites
+  #   - name: Deploy to environments
+  #     run: ./.ci/github/deploy_release_sites