diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 3f7a30c0c7..4aa74fef6b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -104,19 +104,22 @@ jobs:
         with:
           java-version: "11"
           distribution: "temurin"
+          server-id: 'ossrh' # must match the serverId configured for the nexus-staging-maven-plugin
+          server-username: OSSRH_USERNAME
+          server-password: OSSRH_PASSWORD
+          gpg-passphrase: SIGN_KEY_PASS
+          gpg-private-key: ${{ secrets.GPG_PRIVATE_KEY }}
+          cache: 'maven'
       - name: Publish JARs
         run: |
-          git config user.name github-actions
-          git config user.email github-actions@github.com
-          mvn release:clean release:prepare release:perform \
-            --batch-mode \
+          mvn -U -B clean deploy -P release \
             -DreleaseVersion=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 | cut -c2-) \
-            -Dtag=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0) \
-            -Dsonatype.username=${{ secrets.SONATYPE_USERNAME }} \
-            -Dsonatype.password=${{ secrets.SONATYPE_PASSWORD }} \
-            -Dgpg.passphrase=${{ secrets.GPG_PASSPHRASE }} \
-            -DserverId=ossrh
+            -Dtag=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0)
+            --projects ftl-runner,ftl-controller
         env:
+          SIGN_KEY_PASS: ${{ secrets.GPG_PASSPHRASE }}
+          OSSRH_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.SONATYPE_USERNAME }}
+          OSSRH_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.SONATYPE_PASSWORD }}
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
   create-release:
     name: Release Go Binaries
diff --git a/kotlin-runtime/ftl-generator/pom.xml b/kotlin-runtime/ftl-generator/pom.xml
index cd99df202c..d7f539aa88 100644
--- a/kotlin-runtime/ftl-generator/pom.xml
+++ b/kotlin-runtime/ftl-generator/pom.xml
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@
     </build>
 
     <distributionManagement>
+        <!-- Central Repository -->
         <snapshotRepository>
             <id>ossrh</id>
             <url>https://s01.oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots</url>
diff --git a/kotlin-runtime/ftl-runtime/pom.xml b/kotlin-runtime/ftl-runtime/pom.xml
index 7b97e59e8c..997cd9fa90 100644
--- a/kotlin-runtime/ftl-runtime/pom.xml
+++ b/kotlin-runtime/ftl-runtime/pom.xml
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@
     </build>
 
     <distributionManagement>
+        <!-- Central Repository -->
         <snapshotRepository>
             <id>ossrh</id>
             <url>https://s01.oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots</url>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 405fbc0b37..35d3bcadd8 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -270,37 +270,28 @@
                         </execution>
                     </executions>
                 </plugin>
-                <plugin>
-                    <groupId>org.sonatype.plugins</groupId>
-                    <artifactId>nexus-staging-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-                    <version>1.6.13</version>
-                    <extensions>true</extensions>
-                    <configuration>
-                        <serverId>ossrh</serverId>
-                        <nexusUrl>https://s01.oss.sonatype.org/</nexusUrl>
-                        <autoReleaseAfterClose>true</autoReleaseAfterClose>
-                    </configuration>
-                </plugin>
-                <plugin>
-                    <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-                    <artifactId>maven-release-plugin</artifactId>
-                    <version>3.0.1</version>
-                    <configuration>
-                        <autoVersionSubmodules>true</autoVersionSubmodules>
-                        <useReleaseProfile>false</useReleaseProfile>
-                        <releaseProfiles>release</releaseProfiles>
-                        <goals>deploy</goals>
-                    </configuration>
-                </plugin>
             </plugins>
         </pluginManagement>
     </build>
 
     <profiles>
         <profile>
+            <!-- Release profile (required so these plugins are only used when releasing) -->
             <id>release</id>
             <build>
                 <plugins>
+                    <plugin>
+                        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+                        <artifactId>maven-release-plugin</artifactId>
+                        <version>3.0.1</version>
+                        <configuration>
+                            <scmCommentPrefix>[ci skip]</scmCommentPrefix>
+                            <autoVersionSubmodules>true</autoVersionSubmodules>
+                            <useReleaseProfile>false</useReleaseProfile>
+                            <releaseProfiles>release</releaseProfiles>
+                            <goals>deploy</goals>
+                        </configuration>
+                    </plugin>
                     <plugin>
                         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                         <artifactId>maven-gpg-plugin</artifactId>
@@ -313,12 +304,26 @@
                                     <goal>sign</goal>
                                 </goals>
                                 <configuration>
-                                    <keyname>0x088BCD86</keyname>
-                                    <passphraseServerId>gpg.passphrase</passphraseServerId>
+                                    <gpgArguments>
+                                        <arg>--pinentry-mode</arg>
+                                        <arg>loopback</arg>
+                                    </gpgArguments>
                                 </configuration>
                             </execution>
                         </executions>
                     </plugin>
+                    <plugin>
+                        <groupId>org.sonatype.plugins</groupId>
+                        <artifactId>nexus-staging-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+                        <version>1.6.13</version>
+                        <extensions>true</extensions>
+                        <configuration>
+                            <skipNexusStagingDeployMojo>${maven.deploy.skip}</skipNexusStagingDeployMojo>
+                            <serverId>ossrh</serverId>
+                            <nexusUrl>https://s01.oss.sonatype.org/</nexusUrl>
+                            <autoReleaseAfterClose>true</autoReleaseAfterClose>
+                        </configuration>
+                    </plugin>
                 </plugins>
             </build>
         </profile>