diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-docusaurus-pipeline.yml b/.github/workflows/build-docusaurus-pipeline.yml
index 3fe9e14..09a8efa 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-docusaurus-pipeline.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-docusaurus-pipeline.yml
@@ -74,11 +74,12 @@ jobs:
     container:  zepben/pipeline-basic
     outputs:
       git_tag: ${{ steps.tags.outputs.git_tag }}
+    env:
+      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CI_GITHUB_TOKEN }}
     steps:
-
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          fetch-depth: 0
+          token: ${{ env.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
       - name: Work around git permission issue
         run: |
@@ -88,15 +89,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Delete release branch
         run: |
-          # If the `release` branch already exists, remove it
-          # disable error failing
-          set +e 
-          res=$(git push origin -d release)
-          if [ $? != 0 ]; then
-            echo "> [!NOTE] " >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
-            echo "> :white_check_mark: Error while deleting 'release' branch in *parse-inputs* step, but that's probably OK. If nothing else failed, you're good." >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
-          fi
-        continue-on-error: true 
+          source /scripts/common.sh
+          clear_release_branch
         shell: bash 
 
       - name: Create release branch
diff --git a/pipelines/basic/scripts/release-checks.sh b/pipelines/basic/scripts/release-checks.sh
index ff48813..1b344d7 100755
--- a/pipelines/basic/scripts/release-checks.sh
+++ b/pipelines/basic/scripts/release-checks.sh
@@ -40,16 +40,8 @@ do
     fi
 done
 
-info "Clearing the 'release' branch if it exists, ignore errors"
-run git push origin -d release
-# In most cases the error here means that the "release" branch doesn't exist.
-# If that's not the case, one the following steps will fail, and will be handled
-# manually, so we ignore the error here and only showing it.
-if [ $status -ne 0 ]; then
-    # Show the error and continue 
-    echo "Warning: There was an error deleting a release branch: "
-    cat "${output_file}"
-fi
+info "Clearing the 'release' branch if it exists"
+clear_release_branch
 
 # Get user name
 if [[ -z "$BITBUCKET_STEP_TRIGGERER_UUID" ]]; then
diff --git a/pipelines/scripts/common.sh b/pipelines/scripts/common.sh
index 10c7a74..f26a9d9 100755
--- a/pipelines/scripts/common.sh
+++ b/pipelines/scripts/common.sh
@@ -182,6 +182,15 @@ tag_finalize_version() {
   run git push --tags
 }
 
+clear_release_branch() {
+    info "Clearing 'release' branch"
+
+    run git ls-remote --exit-code --heads origin release >/dev/null 2>&1
+    if [[ $? == '0' ]]; then
+        run git push origin -d release
+    fi
+}
+
 check_tag_exists() {
   version=${1:? 'Version variable is missing.'}
   info "Checking remote tags if version exists..."