diff --git a/.github/workflows/common-wf-noop.yml b/.github/workflows/common-wf-noop.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a56a53a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/common-wf-noop.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+
+name: Common Spot Verification Workflow
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [main]
+
+jobs:
+  call-verification-workflow:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - name: pr_structure_verification
+      run: 'exit 0'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/create-release.yml b/.github/workflows/create-release.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 7c6cfb3..0000000
--- a/.github/workflows/create-release.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-name: Create Release
-on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - main
-    paths:
-      - './VERSION'
-
-jobs:
-  create-release:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
-    steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
-
-    - name: Get the next version
-      id: next-version
-      run: echo "VALUE=$(cat VERSION)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
-    - name: Create GitHub Release
-      uses: actions/create-release@v1
-      env:
-        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-      with:
-        tag_name: ${{ steps.next-version.outputs.VALUE }}
-        release_name: ${{ steps.next-version.outputs.VALUE }}
-        draft: false
-        commitish: main # use the latest commit on main branch (including the new version)
-        prerelease: false
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 526d2f2..97d4591 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Get previous version
       id: previous-version
-      run: echo "VALUE=$(cat VERSION)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      run: |
+        VERSION=`curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/${{ github.repository }}/releases/latest | jq -r '.tag_name'`
+        echo "got version $VERSION"
+        echo "VALUE=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
     - name: Get next release version
       id: next-version
@@ -36,24 +39,13 @@ jobs:
         output=$(IFS=. ; echo "${array[*]}")
         echo "VALUE=$output" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
-    - name: Bump version
-      run: |
-        echo "${{ steps.next-version.outputs.VALUE }}" > VERSION
-
-    - name: Generate version bump commit
-      run: |
-        git config user.name ${{ github.actor }}
-        git config user.email '${{ github.actor }}@users.noreply.github.com'
-        git commit -a -m "version bump ${{ steps.next-version.outputs.VALUE }}"
+    - name: Create GitHub Release
+      uses: actions/create-release@v1
       env:
         GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-    
-    - name: Create Pull Request
-      id: cpr
-      uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v4
       with:
-        token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-        title: '[skip ci] Release'
-        branch: release
-        delete-branch: true
-        labels: release_auto_version_bump
+        tag_name: ${{ steps.next-version.outputs.VALUE }}
+        release_name: ${{ steps.next-version.outputs.VALUE }}
+        draft: false
+        commitish: main # use the latest commit on main branch (including the new version)
+        prerelease: false
diff --git a/.github/workflows/update-changelog.yml b/.github/workflows/update-changelog.yml
index dcb0335..f000d2f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/update-changelog.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/update-changelog.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 name: Update Changelog
 
 on:
-  push:
-    tags:
-      - 'v[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+'
+  release:
+    types: [published]
 
 jobs:
   update-changelog: