diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b732161f6782..f17cedfbf59c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ CMD_TAR ?= tar
 CMD_CP ?= cp
 
 release_tools := $(CMD_DOCKER) $(CMD_GIT) $(CMD_CHECKSUM) $(CMD_GITHUB) $(CMD_TAR) $(CMP_CP)
-check_release_tools := $(shell for tool in $(release_tools); do command -v $$tool >/dev/null || (echo "missing required tool $$tool" ; false); done)
 
 # DOCKER variable is used by sub-makefiles to build their artifact in a container
 export DOCKER
@@ -50,12 +49,10 @@ $(OUT_ARCHIVE) $(OUT_CHECKSUMS) &: $(RELEASE_FILES) | $(OUT_DIR)
 
 .PHONY: docker
 docker:
-	-rm -rf dist tracee-ebpf/dist tracee-rules/dist
 	$(CMD_DOCKER) build --build-arg VERSION=$(VERSION) -t $(OUT_DOCKER):latest .
 
 .PHONY: docker-slim
 docker-slim:
-	-rm -rf dist tracee-ebpf/dist tracee-rules/dist
 	$(CMD_DOCKER) build --build-arg VERSION=$(VERSION) -t $(OUT_DOCKER):slim --build-arg BASE=slim .
 
 # release_docker_image accepts a docker image $1, pushes it as $2 to remote repository, and records it in the release notes
@@ -63,13 +60,22 @@ define release_docker_image
 	$(CMD_DOCKER) tag $(1) $(2) && $(CMD_DOCKER) push $(2) && echo '- `docker pull docker.io/$(2)`' >> $(release_notes);
 endef
 
-release_notes := $(OUT_DIR)/release-notes.txt
 release_images_fat := $(PUSH_DOCKER_REPO):latest $(PUSH_DOCKER_REPO):$(PUSH_DOCKER_TAG)
 release_images_slim := $(PUSH_DOCKER_REPO):slim $(PUSH_DOCKER_REPO):slim-$(PUSH_DOCKER_TAG)
+
 .PHONY: release
-# before running this rule, need to authenticate git, gh, and docker tools
-release: $(OUT_ARCHIVE) $(OUT_CHECKSUMS) | docker docker-slim $(check_release_tools)
+release:
 	test -n '$(RELEASE_TAG)' || (echo "missing required variable RELEASE_TAG" ; false)
+	set -e; for tool in "$(release_tools)"; do command -v $$tool >/dev/null || (echo "missing required tool $$tool" ; exit 1); done
+	-rm -rf dist tracee-ebpf/dist tracee-rules/dist
+	$(MAKE) docker docker-slim
+	-rm -rf dist tracee-ebpf/dist tracee-rules/dist
+	$(MAKE) release2
+
+release_notes := $(OUT_DIR)/release-notes.txt
+.PHONY: release2
+# before running this rule, need to authenticate git, gh, and docker tools
+release2: $(OUT_ARCHIVE) $(OUT_CHECKSUMS)
 	-rm $(release_notes)
 	echo '## Changelog' > $(release_notes)
 	$(CMD_GIT) log --pretty=oneline --abbrev=commit --no-decorate --no-color tags/$(shell $(CMD_GIT) describe --tags --abbrev=0)..HEAD >> $(release_notes)