diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index ee67555cf3..a4bdfffdbc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -128,8 +128,9 @@ jobs:
           # Update urls and sha256 values
           bazel ${BAZEL_STARTUP_FLAGS[@]}  run //crate_universe/tools/urls_generator -- --artifacts-dir="${ARTIFACTS_DIR}" --url-prefix="${URL_PREFIX}"
           bazel clean
-          # Build an archive of the repo contents
-          tar -czf ${{ github.workspace }}/.github/rules_rust.tar.gz --exclude=".git" --exclude=".github" --exclude="examples" --exclude="crate_universe/target" -C ${{ github.workspace }} .
+          # Build an archive of the repo contents.
+          # `examples/bzlmod` is included for the BCR presubmit; it must appear before --exclude="examples"
+          tar -czf ${{ github.workspace }}/.github/rules_rust.tar.gz -C ${{ github.workspace }} --exclude=".git" --exclude=".github" --exclude="crate_universe/target" examples/bzlmod --exclude="examples" .
           # Save the sha256 checksum of the distro archive to the environment
           sha256="$(shasum --algorithm 256 ${{ github.workspace }}/.github/rules_rust.tar.gz | awk '{ print $1 }')"
           echo "ARCHIVE_SHA256=${sha256}" >> $GITHUB_ENV