diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 1b15ce4..eeda9d5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -79,6 +79,20 @@ jobs:
         with:
           setup_only: true
       - run: buf --version | grep $BUF_VERSION
+  test-empty-build:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: build
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: ./
+        with:
+          lint: false
+          format: false
+          breaking: false
+          push: false
+          archive: false
+          pr_comment: false
+        continue-on-error: true # build fails
   test-lint:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: build
diff --git a/.github/workflows/draft-release.yaml b/.github/workflows/draft-release.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b3e7d05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/draft-release.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+name: Prepare Release
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        type: string
+        description: The released CLI version without 'v'. For example, 1.0.0.
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+env:
+  APP_ID: 257262
+jobs:
+  draft_release:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Validate input version
+        if: ${{ startsWith(github.event.inputs.version, 'v') }}
+        run: |
+          echo "error: version must not start with 'v'."
+          exit 1
+      - name: Set VERSION variable
+        # The head ref looks like release/v1.0.0, and we need to trim the string up to the `/v`.
+        run: |
+          VERSION="${{ github.event.inputs.version || github.head_ref}}"
+          echo "VERSION=${VERSION##*/v}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+      - name: Get GitHub app token
+        uses: actions/create-github-app-token@v1
+        id: app_token
+        with:
+          app-id: ${{ env.APP_ID }}
+          private-key: ${{ secrets.TOKEN_EXCHANGE_GH_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
+      - name: Checkout repository code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        with:
+          token: ${{ steps.app_token.outputs.token }}
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - name: Sync v1 branch
+        run: |
+          git fetch origin
+          git switch v1
+          git merge origin/main
+          git push origin v1
+      - name: Release
+        run: gh release create --draft --title "v${VERSION}" "v${VERSION}"
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.app_token.outputs.token }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yaml b/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e948bd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+name: Draft Release
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types: [closed]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        type: string
+        description: The released CLI version without 'v'. For example, 1.0.0.
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+env:
+  APP_ID: 257262
+jobs:
+  draft_release:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' || (github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.pull_request.merged == true && startsWith(github.event.pull_request.head.ref, 'release')) }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Validate input version
+        if: ${{ startsWith(github.event.inputs.version, 'v') }}
+        run: |
+          echo "error: version must not start with 'v'."
+          exit 1
+      - name: Set VERSION variable
+        # The head ref looks like release/v1.0.0, and we need to trim the string up to the `/v`.
+        run: |
+          VERSION="${{ github.event.inputs.version || github.head_ref}}"
+          echo "VERSION=${VERSION##*/v}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+      - name: Get GitHub app token
+        uses: actions/create-github-app-token@v1
+        id: app_token
+        with:
+          app-id: ${{ env.APP_ID }}
+          private-key: ${{ secrets.TOKEN_EXCHANGE_GH_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
+      - name: Checkout repository code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        with:
+          token: ${{ steps.app_token.outputs.token }}
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - name: Sync v1 branch
+        run: |
+          git fetch origin
+          git switch v1
+          git merge origin/main
+          git push origin v1
+      - name: Release
+        run: gh release create --draft --title "v${VERSION}" "v${VERSION}"
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.app_token.outputs.token }}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7c7d9d6..26e4cca 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -32,8 +32,10 @@ jobs:
   buf:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - uses: bufbuild/buf-action@v1
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Run Buf
+        uses: bufbuild/buf-action@v1
         with:
           token: ${{ secrets.BUF_TOKEN }}
 ```
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index 2592202..6598321 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -45828,6 +45828,10 @@ async function runWorkflow(bufPath, inputs, moduleNames) {
     const steps = {};
     steps.build = await build(bufPath, inputs);
     if (steps.build.status == Status.Failed) {
+        if (steps.build.stderr.match(/had no .proto files/)) {
+            core.info("Empty repository detected, ensure the repository is checked out");
+            return steps;
+        }
         return steps;
     }
     const checks = await Promise.all([
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index d0d3ddf..a309369 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -153,6 +153,12 @@ async function runWorkflow(
   const steps: Steps = {};
   steps.build = await build(bufPath, inputs);
   if (steps.build.status == Status.Failed) {
+    if (steps.build.stderr.match(/had no .proto files/)) {
+      core.info(
+        "Empty repository detected, ensure the repository is checked out",
+      );
+      return steps;
+    }
     return steps;
   }
   const checks = await Promise.all([