diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index befa4ca47..cf64626c3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -60,32 +60,13 @@ jobs:
           git config --global user.name "$GITHUB_ACTOR"
           git config --global user.email "$GITHUB_ACTOR@users.noreply.github.com"
 
-      # Fetch the commit so that it exists locally.
-      - name: Fetch commit
-        if: ${{ github.event.inputs.dry-run == 'false' }}
-        run: git fetch origin ${GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_SHA}
-        env:
-          GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_SHA: ${{ github.event.inputs.sha }}
-
-      # Associate the commit with the tag.
-      - name: Create tag
-        if: ${{ github.event.inputs.dry-run == 'false' }}
-        run: git tag ${GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_TAG} ${GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_SHA}
-        env:
-          GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_TAG: ${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}
-          GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_SHA: ${{ github.event.inputs.sha }}
-      - name: Push tag
-        if: ${{ github.event.inputs.dry-run == 'false' }}
-        run: git push origin ${GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_TAG}
-        env:
-          GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_TAG: ${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}
-
-      # Create a GitHub release.
+      # Create a GitHub draft release for the target commit.
       - name: Create GitHub Release
         if: ${{ github.event.inputs.dry-run == 'false' }}
-        run: just release-create ${GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_TAG}
+        run: just release-create ${GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_TAG} ${GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_SHA}
         env:
           GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_TAG: ${{ github.event.inputs.tag }}
+          GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_SHA: ${{ github.event.inputs.sha }}
 
       # Uploading the relevant artifact to the GitHub release.
       - run: just release-run ${GH_TOKEN} ${GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_SHA} ${GITHUB_EVENT_INPUTS_TAG}
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.rst b/CONTRIBUTING.rst
index 6f656e95c..c7e0193b5 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.rst
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.rst
@@ -37,9 +37,10 @@ Releases
 To cut a release, wait for the "MacOS Python build", "Linux Python build", and
 "Windows Python build" GitHub Actions to complete successfully on the target commit.
 
-Then, run the "Release" GitHub Action to create a draft release, populate the release artifacts
-(by downloading the artifacts from each workflow, and uploading them to the GitHub Release),
-publish the release, and promote the SHA via the `latest-release` branch.
+Then, run the "Release" GitHub Action to create a draft release for the target commit,
+populate the release artifacts (by downloading the artifacts from each workflow, and uploading
+them to the GitHub Release), publish the release, and promote the SHA via the `latest-release`
+branch.
 
 The "Release" GitHub Action takes, as input, a tag (assumed to be a date in `YYYYMMDD` format) and
 the commit SHA referenced above.
diff --git a/Justfile b/Justfile
index 4c32d04fc..56acfa306 100644
--- a/Justfile
+++ b/Justfile
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ release-set-latest-release tag:
 
   git switch main
 
-# Create a GitHub release object, or reuse an existing draft release.
-release-create tag:
+# Create a GitHub draft release for the target commit, or reuse an existing draft release.
+release-create tag commit:
   #!/usr/bin/env bash
   set -euo pipefail
   draft_exists=$(gh release view {{tag}} --json isDraft -t '{{{{.isDraft}}' 2>&1 || true)
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ release-create tag:
       exit 1
       ;;
     "release not found")
-      gh release create {{tag}} --draft --title {{tag}} --notes TBD --verify-tag
+      gh release create {{tag}} --draft --title {{tag}} --notes TBD --target {{commit}}
       ;;
     *)
       echo "error: unexpected gh cli output: $draft_exists"