diff --git a/.ci/scripts/check_release.py b/.ci/scripts/check_release.py
index a5dd896..7724ffe 100755
--- a/.ci/scripts/check_release.py
+++ b/.ci/scripts/check_release.py
@@ -80,9 +80,31 @@ def main():
                     # Blobless clone does not have file contents for Z branches,
                     # check commit message for last Z bump
                     git_branch = f"origin/{branch}"
-                    next_version = repo.git.log(
-                        "--oneline", "--grep=Bump to", "-n 1", git_branch, "--", ".bumpversion.cfg"
-                    ).split("to")[-1]
+                    next_version = None
+                    bump_commit = repo.git.log(
+                        "--oneline",
+                        "--grep=Bump version",
+                        "-n 1",
+                        git_branch,
+                        "--",
+                        ".bumpversion.cfg",
+                    )
+                    if bump_commit:
+                        next_version = bump_commit.split("→ ")[-1]
+                    # If not found - try old-commit-msg
+                    if not next_version:
+                        bump_commit = repo.git.log(
+                            "--oneline",
+                            "--grep=Bump to",
+                            "-n 1",
+                            git_branch,
+                            "--",
+                            ".bumpversion.cfg",
+                        )
+                        next_version = bump_commit.split("to ")[-1] if bump_commit else None
+
+                    # You could, theoretically, be next_vers==None here - but that's always
+                    # been true for this script.
                     next_version = Version(next_version)
                     print(
                         f"A Z-release is needed for {branch}, "
diff --git a/.ci/scripts/collect_changes.py b/.ci/scripts/collect_changes.py
index c2e4843..39dcc6d 100755
--- a/.ci/scripts/collect_changes.py
+++ b/.ci/scripts/collect_changes.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 import toml
 from git import GitCommandError, Repo
-from pkg_resources import parse_version
+from packaging.version import parse as parse_version
 
 # Read Towncrier settings
 tc_settings = toml.load("pyproject.toml")["tool"]["towncrier"]
@@ -28,8 +28,12 @@
 TITLE_FORMAT = tc_settings.get("title_format", "{name} {version} ({project_date})")
 
 
+# Build a regex to find the header of a changelog section.
+# It must have a single capture group to single out the version.
+# see help(re.split) for more info.
 NAME_REGEX = r".*"
-VERSION_REGEX = r"([0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9][0-9ab]*)"
+VERSION_REGEX = r"[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9][0-9ab]*"
+VERSION_CAPTURE_REGEX = rf"({VERSION_REGEX})"
 DATE_REGEX = r"[0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}"
 TITLE_REGEX = (
     "("
@@ -37,6 +41,7 @@
         TITLE_FORMAT.format(name="NAME_REGEX", version="VERSION_REGEX", project_date="DATE_REGEX")
     )
     .replace("NAME_REGEX", NAME_REGEX)
+    .replace("VERSION_REGEX", VERSION_CAPTURE_REGEX, 1)
     .replace("VERSION_REGEX", VERSION_REGEX)
     .replace("DATE_REGEX", DATE_REGEX)
     + ")"
diff --git a/.github/template_gitref b/.github/template_gitref
index 8b7135e..adbf448 100644
--- a/.github/template_gitref
+++ b/.github/template_gitref
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2021.08.26-320-g4fd782b
+2021.08.26-322-g8700c1c
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly.yml b/.github/workflows/nightly.yml
index 11a9659..4872ae8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly.yml
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: "Install python dependencies"
         run: |
           echo ::group::PYDEPS
-          pip install gitpython toml
+          pip install gitpython packaging toml
           echo ::endgroup::
 
       - name: "Configure Git with pulpbot name and email"
diff --git a/docs/template_gitref b/docs/template_gitref
index 8b7135e..adbf448 100644
--- a/docs/template_gitref
+++ b/docs/template_gitref
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2021.08.26-320-g4fd782b
+2021.08.26-322-g8700c1c