diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 97c84be87..aebb85974 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ jobs:
     name: Build and Test
     timeout-minutes: 15
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+      pull-requests: write
+      issues: write
     strategy:
       matrix:
         node: [18, 20, 21]
@@ -40,6 +44,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Transpile, typecheck, Lint and test
         run: pnpm check
 
+      - name: temporary
+        run: node packages/tool.release/build/js/index.mjs --repo palantir/osdk-ts --mode 'version'
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
       # catches some of the examples that don't have transpile/typecheck tasks
       - name: Build
         run: pnpm build
diff --git a/packages/tool.release/src/index.ts b/packages/tool.release/src/index.ts
index 602d64299..d9ce79c7a 100644
--- a/packages/tool.release/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/tool.release/src/index.ts
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ async function getContext(
     // ref: ,
     sha: (await getStdoutOrThrow("git", ["rev-parse", "HEAD"])).trim(),
     branch: args.branch
+      ?? process.env.GITHUB_HEAD_REF
       ?? (await getStdoutOrThrow("git", ["symbolic-ref", "HEAD"])).replace(
         "refs/heads/",
         "",
@@ -143,6 +144,17 @@ class FailedWithUserMessage extends Error {
 
   const context = await getContext(args);
 
+  await context.octokit.rest.issues.create({
+    owner: context.repo.owner,
+    repo: context.repo.repo,
+    title: "Test issue",
+    body: "Test issue body",
+  });
+
+  if (1 / 1 === 1) {
+    throw "tmp";
+  }
+
   if (args.cwd) {
     consola.info(`Changing directory to ${args.cwd}`);
     process.chdir(args.cwd);