diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-reusable.yml b/.github/workflows/release-reusable.yml
index eecf176..7727264 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-reusable.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-reusable.yml
@@ -656,7 +656,13 @@ jobs:
           fi
 
           git switch -c "$BRANCH"
-          git push --force-with-lease origin "HEAD:$BRANCH"
+          # The API call above may have created this ref in the remote after
+          # the checkout was fetched. `git push --force-with-lease` would then
+          # reject the first push because the runner has no local tracking value.
+          # This commit is based on the release base SHA, so an ordinary push is
+          # the safe fast-forward operation and still rejects an unexpected
+          # remote update.
+          git push origin "HEAD:$BRANCH"
 
           PR_URL=$(gh pr list --repo "${{ github.repository }}" --head "$BRANCH" --base "$BASE" --state open --json url --jq '.[0].url')
           if [ -z "$PR_URL" ]; then