diff --git a/.github/actions/cache/action.yaml b/.github/actions/cache/action.yaml
index 1ff215d73..3a49e904f 100644
--- a/.github/actions/cache/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/cache/action.yaml
@@ -3,10 +3,6 @@ description: Retrieve and cache project node_modules
 runs:
   using: "composite"
   steps:
-    - name: Checkout
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        fetch-depth: 0
     # cache node modules for all jobs to use
     - uses: actions/cache@v4
       id: node_modules-cache
diff --git a/.github/actions/release/action.yml b/.github/actions/release/action.yml
index b1a6aad45..b30d9777e 100644
--- a/.github/actions/release/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/release/action.yml
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ runs:
       env:
         # skip the git hooks 
         HUSKY: 0
+        GH_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.gh_token }}
         GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.gh_token }}
       run: npx nx affected --base=last-release --parallel=1 --baseBranch=master --target=version --trackDeps --postTargets=build,deploy,github --exclude=@redhat-cloud-services/executors,demo
     - name: Tag last-release