diff --git a/scripts/release/create_changelog.sh b/.github/scripts/release/create_changelog.sh
similarity index 93%
rename from scripts/release/create_changelog.sh
rename to .github/scripts/release/create_changelog.sh
index e2dbb85..c4d10cb 100755
--- a/scripts/release/create_changelog.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/release/create_changelog.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-PREVIOUS_RELEASE=$2
 
 set -o nounset
 set -o errexit
@@ -8,14 +7,15 @@ set -E
 set -o pipefail
 
 RELEASE_VERSION=$1
+PREVIOUS_RELEASE=$2
+
 
 if [ "${PREVIOUS_RELEASE}"  == "" ]
 then
   PREVIOUS_RELEASE=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0)
 fi
 
-REPOSITORY=${REPOSITORY:-kyma-project/template-operator}
-GITHUB_URL=https://api.github.com/repos/${REPOSITORY}
+GITHUB_URL=https://api.github.com/repos/${CODE_REPOSITORY}
 GITHUB_AUTH_HEADER="Authorization: token ${GITHUB_TOKEN}"
 CHANGELOG_FILE="CHANGELOG.md"
 
diff --git a/scripts/release/draft_release.sh b/.github/scripts/release/draft_release.sh
similarity index 86%
rename from scripts/release/draft_release.sh
rename to .github/scripts/release/draft_release.sh
index bc7cc7b..81b638b 100755
--- a/scripts/release/draft_release.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/release/draft_release.sh
@@ -7,8 +7,7 @@ set -o pipefail
 
 RELEASE_TAG=$1
 
-REPOSITORY=${REPOSITORY:-kyma-project/template-operator}
-GITHUB_URL=https://api.github.com/repos/${REPOSITORY}
+GITHUB_URL=https://api.github.com/repos/${CODE_REPOSITORY}
 GITHUB_AUTH_HEADER="Authorization: Bearer ${GITHUB_TOKEN}"
 CHANGELOG_FILE=$(cat CHANGELOG.md)
 
diff --git a/.github/scripts/release/get_release_by_tag.sh b/.github/scripts/release/get_release_by_tag.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7628cf6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/release/get_release_by_tag.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -o nounset
+set -o pipefail
+
+RELEASE_TAG=$1
+GITHUB_TOKEN=$2
+
+GITHUB_URL=https://api.github.com/repos/$CODE_REPOSITORY
+GITHUB_AUTH_HEADER="Authorization: Bearer $GITHUB_TOKEN"
+
+curl -L \
+    -s \
+    --fail-with-body \
+    -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
+    -H "$GITHUB_AUTH_HEADER" \
+    -H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
+    "$GITHUB_URL"/releases/tags/"$RELEASE_TAG"
+
+CURL_EXIT_CODE=$?
+
+if [[ $CURL_EXIT_CODE == 0 ]]; then
+    echo "Release with tag: $RELEASE_TAG already exists!"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
diff --git a/scripts/release/publish_release.sh b/.github/scripts/release/publish_release.sh
similarity index 78%
rename from scripts/release/publish_release.sh
rename to .github/scripts/release/publish_release.sh
index 9faa6a9..f666815 100755
--- a/scripts/release/publish_release.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/release/publish_release.sh
@@ -7,8 +7,7 @@ set -o pipefail
 
 RELEASE_VERSION=$1
 
-REPOSITORY=${REPOSITORY:-kyma-project/template-operator}
-GITHUB_URL=https://api.github.com/repos/${REPOSITORY}
+GITHUB_URL=https://api.github.com/repos/${CODE_REPOSITORY}
 GITHUB_AUTH_HEADER="Authorization: Bearer ${GITHUB_TOKEN}"
 
 CURL_RESPONSE=$(curl -L \
diff --git a/scripts/release/upload_assets.sh b/.github/scripts/release/upload_assets.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from scripts/release/upload_assets.sh
rename to .github/scripts/release/upload_assets.sh
diff --git a/scripts/release/validate_release_tag.sh b/.github/scripts/release/validate_release_tag.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from scripts/release/validate_release_tag.sh
rename to .github/scripts/release/validate_release_tag.sh
diff --git a/scripts/release/wait_for_image.sh b/.github/scripts/release/wait_for_image.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from scripts/release/wait_for_image.sh
rename to .github/scripts/release/wait_for_image.sh
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-image.yml b/.github/workflows/build-image.yml
index 6147316..fb36c61 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-image.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-image.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ jobs:
   compute-tag:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
-      tag: ${{ steps.get_tag.outputs.TAG }}
+      tag: ${{ steps.get_tag.outputs.tag }}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ jobs:
             echo "tag=latest" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           fi
       - name: Echo the tag
-        run: echo ${{ steps.get_tag.outputs.TAG }}
+        run: echo ${{ steps.get_tag.outputs.tag }}
   build-image:
     needs: compute-tag
     uses: kyma-project/test-infra/.github/workflows/image-builder.yml@main
diff --git a/.github/workflows/create-release.yml b/.github/workflows/create-release.yml
index d60ba0e..02be957 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/create-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/create-release.yml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ name: "Create release"
 
 env:
   IMAGE_REPO: europe-docker.pkg.dev/kyma-project/prod/template-operator
+  CODE_REPOSITORY: kyma-project/template-operator
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
@@ -15,24 +16,21 @@ on:
         required: false
 
 jobs:
-  validate-head-status:
-    name: Validate HEAD
+  validate-release:
+    name: Validate release
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    defaults:
-      run:
-        shell: bash
-        working-directory: ./scripts/release/
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
       - name: Validate the release tag
-        run: ./validate_release_tag.sh ${{ github.event.inputs.name }}
-
+        run: ./.github/scripts/release/validate_release_tag.sh ${{ github.event.inputs.name }}
+      - name: Check if release doesn't exist yet
+        run: ./.github/scripts/release/get_release_by_tag.sh ${{ github.event.inputs.name }} ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
   draft-release:
     name: Draft release
-    needs: validate-head-status
+    needs: validate-release
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
@@ -42,13 +40,13 @@ jobs:
       - name: Create changelog
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-        run: ./scripts/release/create_changelog.sh ${{ github.event.inputs.name }} ${{ github.event.inputs.since }}
+        run: ./.github/scripts/release/create_changelog.sh ${{ github.event.inputs.name }} ${{ github.event.inputs.since }}
       - name: Draft release
         id: draft-release
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
         run: |
-          RELEASE_ID=$(./scripts/release/draft_release.sh ${{ github.event.inputs.name }})
+          RELEASE_ID=$(./.github/scripts/release/draft_release.sh ${{ github.event.inputs.name }})
           echo "release_id=$RELEASE_ID" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
       - name: Create tag
         run: |
@@ -59,7 +57,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           PULL_BASE_REF: ${{ github.event.inputs.name }}
-        run: ./scripts/release/upload_assets.sh
+        run: ./.github/scripts/release/upload_assets.sh
     outputs:
       release_id: ${{ steps.draft-release.outputs.release_id }}
   builds:
@@ -69,7 +67,7 @@ jobs:
       tag: "${{ github.event.inputs.name }}"
   publish-release:
     name: Publish release
-    needs: [validate-head-status, draft-release, builds]
+    needs: [validate-release, draft-release, builds]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
@@ -81,8 +79,8 @@ jobs:
         env:
           ITERATIONS: 40
           SLEEP_SECONDS: 30
-        run: ./scripts/release/wait_for_image.sh ${{ env.IMAGE_REPO }}:${{ github.event.inputs.name }} $ITERATIONS $SLEEP_SECONDS
+        run: ./.github/scripts/release/wait_for_image.sh ${{ env.IMAGE_REPO }}:${{ github.event.inputs.name }} $ITERATIONS $SLEEP_SECONDS
       - name: Publish release
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-        run: ./scripts/release/publish_release.sh ${{ needs.draft-release.outputs.release_id }}
+        run: ./.github/scripts/release/publish_release.sh ${{ needs.draft-release.outputs.release_id }}