diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-merge-to-main.yaml b/.github/workflows/release-merge-to-main.yaml
index 2e400efa9f0..8a912f53365 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-merge-to-main.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-merge-to-main.yaml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
     if: needs.check-for-token.outputs.has-token == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
-      pull-requests: write
+      contents: write
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
     - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
@@ -49,4 +49,5 @@ jobs:
 
     - run: node scripts/ts-wrapper.js scripts/release-merge-to-main.ts
       env:
-        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.RUN_WORKFLOW_FROM_WORKFLOW }}
+        GITHUB_WRITE_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+        GITHUB_PR_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.RUN_WORKFLOW_FROM_WORKFLOW }}
diff --git a/scripts/lib/dependencies.ts b/scripts/lib/dependencies.ts
index 7b9f35fd90a..ed648549be0 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/dependencies.ts
+++ b/scripts/lib/dependencies.ts
@@ -97,17 +97,24 @@ export type HasUnreleasedChangesResult = {latestReleaseTag: string, hasUnrelease
 export type GitHubRelease = Awaited<ReturnType<Octokit['rest']['repos']['listReleases']>>['data'][0];
 
 let _octokit: Octokit | undefined;
+let _octokitAuthToken: string | undefined;
 
-export function getOctokit() {
-  if (_octokit) {
-    return _octokit;
-  }
-  const personalAccessToken = process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN;
+/**
+ * Get a cached instance of Octokit, or create a new one as needed.  If the given token does not
+ * match the one used to create the cached instance, a new one is created (and cached).
+ * @param personalAccessToken Optional GitHub personal access token; defaults to GITHUB_TOKEN.
+ */
+export function getOctokit(personalAccessToken?: string): Octokit {
+  personalAccessToken ||= process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN;
 
   if (!personalAccessToken) {
     throw new Error('Please set GITHUB_TOKEN to a PAT to check versions of github-based dependencies.');
   }
 
+  if (_octokit && _octokitAuthToken === personalAccessToken) {
+    return _octokit;
+  }
+
   function makeLimitHandler(type: string, maxRetries: number): NonNullable<ThrottlingOptions['onSecondaryRateLimit']> {
     return (retryAfter, options, octokit, retryCount) => {
       function getOpt(prop: string) {
@@ -132,13 +139,16 @@ export function getOctokit() {
     };
   }
 
-  return new Octokit({
+  _octokit = new Octokit({
     auth:     personalAccessToken,
     throttle: {
       onRateLimit:          makeLimitHandler('primary', 3),
       onSecondaryRateLimit: makeLimitHandler('secondary', 3),
     },
   });
+  _octokitAuthToken = personalAccessToken;
+
+  return _octokit;
 }
 
 export type IssueOrPullRequest = Awaited<ReturnType<Octokit['rest']['search']['issuesAndPullRequests']>>['data']['items'][0];
diff --git a/scripts/release-merge-to-main.ts b/scripts/release-merge-to-main.ts
index e7b83d28e88..277892f69dd 100644
--- a/scripts/release-merge-to-main.ts
+++ b/scripts/release-merge-to-main.ts
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@
 // Environment:
 //   GITHUB_REPOSITORY, GITHUB_EVENT_PATH, and others
 //     See https://docs.github.com/en/actions/learn-github-actions/variables#default-environment-variables
-//   GITHUB_TOKEN: GitHub authorization token.
-//     Must have write permissions for `actions`, `contents`, `pull_requests`.
+//   GITHUB_WRITE_TOKEN: GitHub authorization token for creating a branch.
+//     Must have `contents:write` permissions.
+//   GITHUB_PR_TOKEN: GitHub authorization token.
+//     Must have write permissions for `actions` and `pull_requests`.
 
 import fs from 'fs';
 
@@ -19,7 +21,8 @@ import { getOctokit } from './lib/dependencies';
 type EnvironmentVariableName =
   'GITHUB_REPOSITORY' |
   'GITHUB_EVENT_PATH' |
-  'GITHUB_TOKEN';
+  'GITHUB_WRITE_TOKEN' |
+  'GITHUB_PR_TOKEN';
 
 /**
  * Partial contents of the event payload, for a release event.
@@ -59,7 +62,7 @@ function getEnv(variable: EnvironmentVariableName): string {
  */
 async function ensureBranch(owner: string, repo: string, branchName: string, tagName: string): Promise<void> {
   const ref = `heads/${ branchName }`;
-  const { git } = getOctokit().rest;
+  const { git } = getOctokit(getEnv('GITHUB_WRITE_TOKEN')).rest;
   const { data: tagRef } = await git.getRef({
     owner, repo, ref: `tags/${ tagName }`,
   });
@@ -77,11 +80,15 @@ async function ensureBranch(owner: string, repo: string, branchName: string, tag
       await git.updateRef({
         owner, repo, ref, sha,
       });
+    } else {
+      console.log(`Branch ${ owner }/${ repo }/${ ref } is already up-to-date.`);
     }
   } catch (ex) {
     if (!(ex instanceof RequestError) || ex.status !== 404) {
       throw ex;
     }
+    console.log(`Creating new branch ${ owner }/${ repo }/${ ref }` +
+      `at ${ sha }`);
     // Branch does not exist; create it.
     await git.createRef({
       // Only this API takes a `refs/` prefix; get & update omit it.
@@ -100,14 +107,14 @@ async function ensureBranch(owner: string, repo: string, branchName: string, tag
 async function findExisting(owner: string, repo: string, branch: string) {
   const fullRepo = `${ owner }/${ repo }`;
   const query = `type:pr is:open repo:${ fullRepo } base:${ base } head:${ branch } sort:updated`;
-  const result = await getOctokit().rest.search.issuesAndPullRequests({ q: query });
+  const result = await getOctokit(getEnv('GITHUB_WRITE_TOKEN')).rest.search.issuesAndPullRequests({ q: query });
 
   for (const item of result.data.items) {
     // Must be an open item, and that item must be a pull request.
     if (item.state !== 'open' || !item.pull_request) {
       continue;
     }
-    const { data: pr } = await getOctokit().rest.pulls.get({
+    const { data: pr } = await getOctokit(getEnv('GITHUB_PR_TOKEN')).rest.pulls.get({
       owner, repo, pull_number: item.number,
     });
 
@@ -169,7 +176,7 @@ async function findExisting(owner: string, repo: string, branch: string) {
   console.log(`Creating new PR on ${ owner }/${ repo }: ${ base } <- ${ branchName }`);
   await ensureBranch(owner, repo, branchName, tagName);
   const title = `Merge release ${ tagName } back into ${ base }`;
-  const { data: item } = await getOctokit().rest.pulls.create({
+  const { data: item } = await getOctokit(getEnv('GITHUB_PR_TOKEN')).rest.pulls.create({
     owner, repo, title, head: branchName, base, maintainer_can_modify: true,
   });