diff --git a/.github/workflows/reusable-manual-update-version.yml b/.github/workflows/reusable-manual-update-version.yml
index dfe48dd..96fd994 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/reusable-manual-update-version.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/reusable-manual-update-version.yml
@@ -96,23 +96,27 @@ jobs:
                 ;;
             esac
           else
-            current=$(task version:get 2>/dev/null || true)
-            if [ -z "${current}" ] && [ -f .version ]; then
-              current=$(tr -d '\n' < .version)
-            fi
-            if [ -z "${current}" ]; then
-              echo "Current version not found"
-              exit 1
-            fi
-
-            no_v=${current#v}
-            major=$(echo "${no_v}" | awk -F. '{print $1}')
-            minor=$(echo "${no_v}" | awk -F. '{print $2}')
-            patch=$(echo "${no_v}" | awk -F. '{print $3}')
-            if [ -z "${major}" ] || [ -z "${minor}" ] || [ -z "${patch}" ]; then
-              echo "Invalid current version: ${current}"
-              exit 1
-            fi
+            normalize_and_validate_version() {
+              local input="$1"
+              local candidate
+              candidate="${input#v}"
+              if ! printf "%s" "${candidate}" | grep -Eq '^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$'; then
+                return 1
+              fi
+              printf "v%s" "${candidate}"
+            }
+
+            get_current_version() {
+              local current
+              current=$(task version:get 2>/dev/null || true)
+              if [ -z "${current}" ] && [ -f .version ]; then
+                current=$(tr -d '\n' < .version)
+              fi
+              if [ -z "${current}" ]; then
+                return 1
+              fi
+              normalize_and_validate_version "${current}"
+            }
 
             case "${BUMP_TYPE}" in
               set)
@@ -120,16 +124,30 @@ jobs:
                   echo "Missing version for type=set"
                   exit 1
                 fi
-                next="${INPUT_VERSION}"
-                ;;
-              patch)
-                next="v${major}.${minor}.$((patch + 1))"
-                ;;
-              minor)
-                next="v${major}.$((minor + 1)).0"
+                next=$(normalize_and_validate_version "${INPUT_VERSION}") || {
+                  echo "Invalid explicit version: ${INPUT_VERSION}. Expected vX.Y.Z or X.Y.Z"
+                  exit 1
+                }
                 ;;
-              major)
-                next="v$((major + 1)).0.0"
+              patch|minor|major)
+                current=$(get_current_version) || {
+                  echo "Current version not found or invalid. Expected vX.Y.Z"
+                  exit 1
+                }
+                no_v=${current#v}
+                IFS='.' read -r major minor patch <<< "${no_v}"
+
+                case "${BUMP_TYPE}" in
+                  patch)
+                    next="v${major}.${minor}.$((patch + 1))"
+                    ;;
+                  minor)
+                    next="v${major}.$((minor + 1)).0"
+                    ;;
+                  major)
+                    next="v$((major + 1)).0.0"
+                    ;;
+                esac
                 ;;
               *)
                 echo "Unknown type: ${BUMP_TYPE}"
@@ -172,30 +190,36 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{ inputs.build-and-push-only && inputs.profile != 'actions' && inputs.profile != 'dockerized' }}
         run: echo "Build-only mode requested with docker disabled; skipping image build/push"
 
-      - name: Get template
+      - name: Create and push release tags
         if: ${{ !inputs.build-and-push-only }}
         env:
-          VERSION_SUFFIX: ""
+          VERSION: ${{ steps.version.outputs.REL_VERSION }}
         run: |
-          task git:set-config
-          task git:get-pr-template
+          set -eux
+          version_no_v="${VERSION#v}"
+          major="v$(echo "${version_no_v}" | awk -F. '{print $1}')"
+          minor="v$(echo "${version_no_v}" | awk -F. '{print $1"."$2}')"
 
-      - name: Push to release branch
-        if: ${{ !inputs.build-and-push-only }}
-        uses: devops-infra/action-commit-push@v1
-        with:
-          github_token: ${{ github.token }}
-          commit_message: ":rocket: Bump version to ${{ steps.version.outputs.REL_VERSION }}"
-          target_branch: ${{ format('release/{0}', steps.version.outputs.REL_VERSION) }}
+          if git ls-remote --tags origin "refs/tags/${VERSION}" | grep -q .; then
+            echo "Release tag ${VERSION} already exists on origin"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          git tag --annotate "${VERSION}" --message "${VERSION}"
+          git push origin "refs/tags/${VERSION}"
+
+          git tag --force --annotate "${minor}" --message "${VERSION}"
+          git push --force origin "refs/tags/${minor}"
+
+          git tag --force --annotate "${major}" --message "${VERSION}"
+          git push --force origin "refs/tags/${major}"
 
-      - name: Create Pull Request
+      - name: Create GitHub release
         if: ${{ !inputs.build-and-push-only }}
-        uses: devops-infra/action-pull-request@v1
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
         with:
-          github_token: ${{ github.token }}
-          assignee: ${{ github.actor }}
-          template: .tmp/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
-          get_diff: true
+          tag_name: ${{ steps.version.outputs.REL_VERSION }}
+          generate_release_notes: true
 
       - name: Export version output
         id: export-version