diff --git a/.github/actions/release/action.yml b/.github/actions/deploy/action.yml
similarity index 84%
rename from .github/actions/release/action.yml
rename to .github/actions/deploy/action.yml
index 1490b69e8..bae593396 100644
--- a/.github/actions/release/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/deploy/action.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-name: 'Release Quarkus QE Test Framework'
-description: 'Releases Quarkus QE Test Framework'
+name: 'Deploy Quarkus QE Test Framework'
+description: 'Deploys Quarkus QE Test Framework'
 inputs:
   repository-id:
     description: 'Must match a repository id present in of the POM file distributionManagement repositories'
@@ -33,17 +33,19 @@ runs:
       run: mvn -B versions:set -DnewVersion=$NEW_FRAMEWORK_VERSION
       env:
         NEW_FRAMEWORK_VERSION: ${{ inputs.release-version }}
-    - name: Maven release ${{ inputs.release-version }}
+    - name: Maven deploy ${{ inputs.release-version }}
       shell: bash
       run: |
         mvn -B -DskipTests -DskipITs \
           -DretryFailedDeploymentCount=3 \
-          -Prelease,framework \
+          -Pdeploy,framework \
+          -Prelease=$RELEASE \
           clean deploy
       env:
         MAVEN_USERNAME: ${{ inputs.ossrh-username }}
         MAVEN_PASSWORD: ${{ inputs.ossrh-token }}
         MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE: ${{ inputs.gpg-passphrase }}
+        RELEASE: ${{ ! endsWith(inputs.release-version, 'SNAPSHOT') }}
     - name: Delete Local Artifacts From Cache
       shell: bash
       run: rm -r ~/.m2/repository/io/quarkus/qe
diff --git a/.github/workflows/daily-deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/daily-deploy.yml
index 0eed02d8a..ae603ae3f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/daily-deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/daily-deploy.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - uses: ./.github/actions/release
+      - uses: ./.github/actions/deploy
         with:
           repository-id: 'ossrh'
           release-version: '999-SNAPSHOT'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 3468bb28a..2ab044ebe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           github-token: ${{secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN}}
           metadata-file-path: '.github/project.yml'
-      - uses: ./.github/actions/release
+      - uses: ./.github/actions/deploy
         with:
           repository-id: 'oss.sonatype'
           release-version: ${{steps.metadata.outputs.current-version}}
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 8dd21c0ac..f382809d0 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@
             </build>
         </profile>
         <profile>
-            <id>release</id>
+            <id>deploy</id>
             <build>
                 <plugins>
                     <plugin>
@@ -630,6 +630,30 @@
                 </plugins>
             </build>
         </profile>
+        <profile>
+            <id>release</id>
+            <activation>
+                <property>
+                    <name>release</name>
+                </property>
+            </activation>
+            <build>
+                <plugins>
+                    <plugin>
+                        <groupId>org.sonatype.plugins</groupId>
+                        <artifactId>nexus-staging-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+                        <version>${nexus-staging-maven-plugin.version}</version>
+                        <extensions>true</extensions>
+                        <configuration>
+                            <nexusUrl>https://s01.oss.sonatype.org/</nexusUrl>
+                            <serverId>oss.sonatype</serverId>
+                            <autoReleaseAfterClose>true</autoReleaseAfterClose>
+                            <stagingProgressTimeoutMinutes>60</stagingProgressTimeoutMinutes>
+                        </configuration>
+                    </plugin>
+                </plugins>
+            </build>
+        </profile>
         <profile>
             <id>run-cli-tests</id>
             <activation>