diff --git a/build-steps/release/publish.gradle b/build-steps/release/publish.gradle
index d6451c4efb..08244e056e 100644
--- a/build-steps/release/publish.gradle
+++ b/build-steps/release/publish.gradle
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ task setNextSnapshotVersion() {
 }
 
 releaseSonatypeStagingRepository.doFirst {
-    assert project.findProperty('activateReleaseToMavenCentral'): 'Release to Maven Central is disabled by default. Activate via \'-PactivateReleaseToMavenCentral\''
-    throw new RuntimeException("Bummer")
+    def activateReleasePropertyName = 'activateReleaseToMavenCentral'
+    assert project.findProperty(activateReleasePropertyName) != null:
+            "Release to Maven Central is disabled by default. Activate via '-P${activateReleasePropertyName}'"
 }
diff --git a/release/release.sh b/release/release.sh
index 0f2af8e094..88ce26ca99 100755
--- a/release/release.sh
+++ b/release/release.sh
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ git tag "v$VERSION"
 git push origin "v$VERSION"
 
 echo Publishing ArchUnit...
-./gradlew clean publishArchUnit --no-parallel -PsonatypeUsername="$SONATYPE_USERNAME" -PsonatypePassword="$SONATYPE_PASSWORD" -PsigningKey="$GPG_SIGNING_KEY" -PsigningPassword="$GPG_SIGNING_PASSWORD"
+./gradlew clean publishArchUnit --no-parallel -PactivateReleaseToMavenCentral -PsonatypeUsername="$SONATYPE_USERNAME" -PsonatypePassword="$SONATYPE_PASSWORD" -PsigningKey="$GPG_SIGNING_KEY" -PsigningPassword="$GPG_SIGNING_PASSWORD"
 
 echo Publishing website and examples...
 ./gradlew publishDocs