diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-automation.yml b/.github/workflows/release-automation.yml
index f9194b7f1..32b4d10c2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-automation.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-automation.yml
@@ -63,16 +63,9 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Create and Switch to Release Branch
         run: |
-          if ! git ls-remote --exit-code --heads --quiet origin refs/heads/${RELEASE_BRANCH}; then
-            git checkout -b ${RELEASE_BRANCH}
-            git push -u origin ${RELEASE_BRANCH}
-
-            # create a PR to bump main branch to the next snapshot version
-            echo "CREATE_PR=true" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-            echo "PR_TITLE=chore(release): Bump versions for v$NEXT_VERSION_SNAPSHOT" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          else
-            git checkout ${RELEASE_BRANCH}
-          fi
+          git checkout ${RELEASE_BRANCH}
+          echo "CREATE_PR=true" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "PR_TITLE=chore(release): Bump versions for v$NEXT_VERSION_SNAPSHOT" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
       - name: Set up Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@0a44ba7841725637a19e28fa30b79a866c81b0a6 # v4.0.4