diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index c62ffae0..867a184f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
 name: release
 on:
-  push:
-    tags:
-      - v**
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    # Inputs the workflow accepts.
+    inputs:
+      tag:
+        # Friendly description to be shown in the UI instead of 'name'
+        description: 'tag and release to create'
+        # Input has to be provided for the workflow to run
+        required: true
 env:
   GITHUB_ENV: ".env"
 jobs:
@@ -15,13 +20,33 @@ jobs:
           go-version: ^1.27
       - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
         uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683 # v4.2.2
-      - name: Validate that the release manifest exists
-        run: |
-          [[ -f "releases/do-operator-$(git describe --tags).yaml" ]] || false
       - name: Login to dockerhub to push the image
-        run: echo "${{ secrets.DockerHubToken }}" | docker login --username ${DOCKER_USER} --password-stdin
+        run: echo "${{ secrets.DockerHubToken }}" | docker login --username "${DOCKER_USER}" --password-stdin
         env:
           DOCKER_USER: ${{ secrets.DockerHubUser }}
-      - name: Build and push docker image
+      - name: run make release ${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}
+        run: make release
+        env:
+          IMG_TAG: ${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}
+      - name: commit manifests
+        uses: EndBug/add-and-commit@a94899bca583c204427a224a7af87c02f9b325d5 # v9.1.4
+        with:
+          message: "create release manifests for ${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}"
+          # Also pin the controller image tag in config/manager (release-manifests runs kustomize edit).
+          add: "releases/ config/manager/kustomization.yaml"
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        # target commit should be the commit with the new release manifest, not the commit when workflow was triggered
+      - name: find target commit to tag
         run: |
-          make docker-build docker-push IMG_TAG="$(git describe --tags)"
+          sha="$(git rev-parse HEAD)"
+          echo "TARGET_SHA=${sha}" >> "${GITHUB_ENV}"
+      - name: Create Release
+        id: create_release
+        uses: actions/create-release@0cb9c9b65d5d1901c1f53e5e66eaf4afd303e70e # v1.1.4
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        with:
+          commitish: ${{ env.TARGET_SHA }}
+          tag_name: ${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}
+          release_name: Release ${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ac9e1a2b..48409aca 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@ release-manifests: manifests kustomize
 # replace the fake do api token cause GitGuardian thinks every base64-encoded string is a secret
 	sed -i -e 's/access-token\:\s.*/access-token: <your api token here>/g' releases/do-operator-${IMG_TAG}.yaml
 
+.PHONY: release
+release: docker-build docker-push release-manifests ## Build/push image and generate release manifests for IMG_TAG
+
 ##@ Build Dependencies
 
 ## Location to install dependencies to
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c6814c93..d50b9388 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -130,12 +130,19 @@ make uninstall
 4. Create and merge PR
 
 ### Release
-1. Create release manifest files by running `GITHUB_TOKEN=<redacted> IMG_TAG=vX.Y.Z make release-manifests`
-2. Create and merge PR
-3. [Trigger the `release` GitHub action workflow](https://github.com/digitalocean/do-operator/actions/workflows/release.yml)
-    - Draft a new release [here](https://github.com/digitalocean/do-operator/releases) for the new version
-    - Creating a new release will trigger the [release](https://github.com/digitalocean/do-operator/actions/workflows/release.yml) Github Action
-    - Follow the [release](https://github.com/digitalocean/do-operator/actions/workflows/release.yml) Github Action until successful completion.
+
+To create the docker image and generate the manifests, go to the actions page on Github and click on `Run Workflow` .
+Specify the github tag that you want to create. Running the workflow also requires that you temporarily turn off "Require a pull request before merging" setting in the main [branch protection rules settings](https://github.com/digitalocean/do-operator/settings/branches). Don't forget to turn it back on once the release is done!
+
+The workflow does the following:
+
+- Login with dockerhub credentials specified as secrets
+- Builds the docker image `digitalocean/do-operator:<tag>`
+- Pushes `digitalocean/do-operator:<tag>` to dockerhub
+- Creates the do-operator related manifest file as `do-operator-<tag>.yaml`
+- Updates `config/manager/kustomization.yaml` with the release image tag
+- Commits the manifest file under releases/ directory in the repo
+- Creates release and tags the new commit with the input `tag` specified when workflow is triggered
 
 ## Contributing