diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index d8d1fc2..38c4f90 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -27,48 +27,6 @@ jobs:
           name: python-package-distributions
           path: dist/
 
-  publish-to-testpypi:
-    name: Test publishing to testpypi
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
-    needs:
-      - build
-    environment:
-      name: testpypi
-      url: https://test.pypi.org/p/topen
-    permissions:
-      id-token: write
-    steps:
-      - name: Grab dist files
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
-        with:
-          name: python-package-distributions
-          path: dist/
-      - name: Send off to TestPyPi
-        uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
-        with:
-          repository-url: https://test.pypi.org/legacy/
-
-  publish-to-pypi:
-    name: Publish dist to pypi
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
-    needs:
-      - build
-    environment:
-      name: pypi
-      url: https://pypi.org/p/topen
-    permissions:
-      id-token: write
-    steps:
-      - name: Grab dist files
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
-        with:
-          name: python-package-distributions
-          path: dist/
-      - name: Send off to PyPi
-        uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
-
   create-release:
     name: Create github release
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -93,3 +51,46 @@ jobs:
         uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
         with:
           files: dist/*
+
+  publish-to-testpypi:
+    name: Test publishing to testpypi
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+    needs:
+      - create-release # use github release as sanity check for releases
+    environment:
+      name: testpypi
+      url: https://test.pypi.org/p/topen
+    permissions:
+      id-token: write
+    steps:
+      - name: Grab dist files
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: python-package-distributions
+          path: dist/
+      - name: Send off to TestPyPi
+        uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
+        with:
+          repository-url: https://test.pypi.org/legacy/
+
+  publish-to-pypi:
+    name: Publish dist to pypi
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+    needs:
+      - create-release
+    environment:
+      name: pypi
+      url: https://pypi.org/p/topen
+    permissions:
+      id-token: write
+    steps:
+      - name: Grab dist files
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: python-package-distributions
+          path: dist/
+      - name: Send off to PyPi
+        uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
+