diff --git a/.github/workflows/make_release.yml b/.github/workflows/make_release.yml
index b3dd3983c05..6f990df1612 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/make_release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/make_release.yml
@@ -27,22 +27,27 @@ jobs:
           pip install wheel
           python setup.py sdist bdist_wheel
       - name: Find Release Notes
+        id: release_notes
         run: |
           TAG="${GITHUB_REF/refs\/tags\/v/}"  # clean tag
           VER="${TAG/rc*/}"  # remove pre-release identifier
-          RELEASE_FILEPATH=docs/release/release_${VER//./_}.rst
+          RELEASE_NOTES="$(cat docs/release/release_${VER//./_}.rst)"
+          # https://github.community/t5/GitHub-Actions/set-output-Truncates-Multiline-Strings/m-p/38372/highlight/true#M3322
+          RELEASE_NOTES="${RELEASE_NOTES//'%'/'%25'}"
+          RELEASE_NOTES="${RELEASE_NOTES//$'\n'/'%0A'}"
+          RELEASE_NOTES="${RELEASE_NOTES//$'\r'/'%0D'}" 
           # https://help.github.com/en/actions/reference/workflow-commands-for-github-actions
           echo "::set-env name=tag::$TAG"
-          echo "::set-env name=release_filepath::$RELEASE_FILEPATH"
+          echo "::set-output name=contents::$RELEASE_NOTES"
       - name: Create Release
         id: create_release
-        uses: jbolda/create-release@v1.1.0  # switch to actions/create-release@latest once actions/create-release#50 merged
+        uses: actions/create-release@latest
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }} # This token is provided by Actions, you do not need to create your own token
         with:
           tag_name: ${{ github.ref }}
           release_name: ${{ env.tag }}
-          bodyFromFile: ${{ env.release_filepath }}
+          body: ${{ steps.release_notes.outputs.contents }}
           draft: false
           prerelease: ${{ contains(github.ref, 'rc') }}
       - name: Upload Release Asset
@@ -50,7 +55,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
         with:
-          upload_url: ${{ steps.create_release.outputs.upload_url }}  # This pulls from the CREATE RELEASE step above, referencing it's ID to get its outputs object, which include a `upload_url`. See this blog post for more info: https://jasonet.co/posts/new-features-of-github-actions/#passing-data-to-future-steps 
+          upload_url: ${{ steps.create_release.outputs.upload_url }}
           asset_path: ./dist/napari-${{ env.tag }}.tar.gz
           asset_name: napari-${{ env.tag }}.tar.gz
           asset_content_type: application/gzip