diff --git a/.github/scripts/prepare_release.sh b/.github/scripts/prepare_release.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..594f5e21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/prepare_release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Fail on first error.
+set -e
+
+releaseLevel="$1"
+
+oldVersion="$(node -pe 'require("./package.json").version')"
+npx standard-version --release-as "$releaseLevel" --skip.commit=true --skip.tag=true
+newVersion="$(node -pe 'require("./package.json").version')"
+
+sed -i -e "s/  VERSION\\s*=\\s*\"$oldVersion\"/  VERSION = \"$newVersion\"/" version.rb
diff --git a/.github/workflows/auto-patch-release.yml b/.github/workflows/auto-patch-release.yml
index 8e5b4f43..84ee5cf1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/auto-patch-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/auto-patch-release.yml
@@ -1,17 +1,25 @@
 name: Automatically create patch release every 2 weeks
 on:
   schedule:
-    # Run every Friday right before midnight
-    - cron: '59 23 * * 5'
+    # Run every Thursday right before midnight
+    - cron: '59 23 * * 4'
+  workflow_dispatch:
 jobs:
   create_patch_release:
     name: Create release
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
+      - name: Determine if we skip cancel checks
+        id: skip-checks
+        shell: bash
+        # Skip checks if we are not a scheduled run
+        run: echo value=$(test ${{ github.event_name }} != schedule && echo true || echo false) >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
       - name: Create release
         uses: dequelabs/axe-api-team-public/.github/actions/auto-patch-release-v1@main
         with:
           token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          skip_checks: ${{ steps.skip-checks.outputs.value }}
           project_token: ${{ secrets.GH_PROJECT_TOKEN }}
           slack_webhook: ${{ secrets.SLACK_WEBHOOK }}
           odd_release: 'true'