diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index a256882b..68d67baa 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -337,6 +337,19 @@ export class CdktfProviderProject extends cdk.JsiiProject {
       setSafeDirectory
     );
 
+    // ensure we don't fail if the release file is not present
+    // exit 0 if ./dist/dist/releasetag.txt is not present, otherwise exit 1
+    const oldRun: string = (this.release as any).defaultBranch.workflow.jobs
+      .release.steps[5].run;
+    prettyAssertEqual(
+      oldRun.split("\n")[0],
+      "TAG=$(cat dist/dist/releasetag.txt)",
+      "release step changed, please check if the workaround still works!"
+    );
+    (
+      this.release as any
+    ).defaultBranch.workflow.jobs.release.steps[5].run = `if [ ! -f dist/dist/releasetag.txt ]; then (echo "exists=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT) && exit 0; fi\n${oldRun}`;
+
     if (!isDeprecated) {
       const { upgrade, pr } = (this.upgradeWorkflow as any).workflows[0].jobs;
       upgrade.steps.splice(1, 0, setSafeDirectory);
diff --git a/test/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap b/test/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap
index 2211e5d8..e4d9df3f 100644
--- a/test/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap
+++ b/test/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap
@@ -493,6 +493,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Check if version has already been tagged
         id: check_tag_exists
         run: |-
+          if [ ! -f dist/dist/releasetag.txt ]; then (echo "exists=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT) && exit 0; fi
           TAG=$(cat dist/dist/releasetag.txt)
           ([ ! -z "$TAG" ] && git ls-remote -q --exit-code --tags origin $TAG && (echo "exists=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT)) || (echo "exists=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT)
           cat $GITHUB_OUTPUT
@@ -2790,6 +2791,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Check if version has already been tagged
         id: check_tag_exists
         run: |-
+          if [ ! -f dist/dist/releasetag.txt ]; then (echo "exists=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT) && exit 0; fi
           TAG=$(cat dist/dist/releasetag.txt)
           ([ ! -z "$TAG" ] && git ls-remote -q --exit-code --tags origin $TAG && (echo "exists=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT)) || (echo "exists=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT)
           cat $GITHUB_OUTPUT
@@ -5539,6 +5541,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Check if version has already been tagged
         id: check_tag_exists
         run: |-
+          if [ ! -f dist/dist/releasetag.txt ]; then (echo "exists=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT) && exit 0; fi
           TAG=$(cat dist/dist/releasetag.txt)
           ([ ! -z "$TAG" ] && git ls-remote -q --exit-code --tags origin $TAG && (echo "exists=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT)) || (echo "exists=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT)
           cat $GITHUB_OUTPUT
@@ -8273,6 +8276,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Check if version has already been tagged
         id: check_tag_exists
         run: |-
+          if [ ! -f dist/dist/releasetag.txt ]; then (echo "exists=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT) && exit 0; fi
           TAG=$(cat dist/dist/releasetag.txt)
           ([ ! -z "$TAG" ] && git ls-remote -q --exit-code --tags origin $TAG && (echo "exists=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT)) || (echo "exists=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT)
           cat $GITHUB_OUTPUT