diff --git a/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml b/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml
index a88b99c..d15d148 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml
@@ -1,81 +1,86 @@
 name: "Auto release"
 
 on:
   schedule:
     - cron: '0 3 * * 6'
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 env:
   HONEYCOMB_WRITEKEY: 7f3c63a70eecc61d635917de46bea4e6 
   HONEYCOMB_DATASET: litmus tests
   CHANGELOG_GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
 jobs:
   auto_release:
     name: "Automatic release prep"
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
 
     steps:
     - name: "Honeycomb: Start recording"
       uses: puppetlabs/kvrhdn-gha-buildevents@pdk-templates-v1
       with:
         apikey: ${{ env.HONEYCOMB_WRITEKEY }}
         dataset: ${{ env.HONEYCOMB_DATASET }}
         job-status: ${{ job.status }}
 
     - name: "Honeycomb: start first step"
       run: |
         echo STEP_ID="auto-release" >> $GITHUB_ENV
         echo STEP_START=$(date +%s) >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
     - name: "Checkout Source"
       if: ${{ github.repository_owner == 'puppetlabs' }}
       uses: actions/checkout@v2
       with:
         fetch-depth: 0
         persist-credentials: false
 
     - name: "PDK Release prep"
-      uses: docker://puppet/pdk:nightly
+      uses: docker://puppet/iac_release:ci
       with:
         args: 'release prep --force'
       env:
         CHANGELOG_GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
     - name: "Get Version"
       if: ${{ github.repository_owner == 'puppetlabs' }}
       id: gv
       run: |
-        echo "::set-output name=ver::$(cat metadata.json | jq .version | tr -d \")"
+        echo "::set-output name=ver::$(jq --raw-output .version metadata.json)"
 
     - name: "Commit changes"
       if: ${{ github.repository_owner == 'puppetlabs' }}
       run: |
-        git config --local user.email "action@github.com"
+        git config --local user.email "${{ github.repository_owner }}@users.noreply.github.com"
         git config --local user.name "GitHub Action"
         git add .
         git commit -m "Release prep v${{ steps.gv.outputs.ver }}"
 
     - name: Create Pull Request
       id: cpr
       uses: puppetlabs/peter-evans-create-pull-request@v3
       if: ${{ github.repository_owner == 'puppetlabs' }}
       with:
         token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
         commit-message: "Release prep v${{ steps.gv.outputs.ver }}"
         branch: "release-prep"
         delete-branch: true
         title: "Release prep v${{ steps.gv.outputs.ver }}"
-        body: "Automated release-prep through [pdk-templates](https://github.com/puppetlabs/pdk-templates/blob/main/moduleroot/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml.erb)"
+        body: |
+          Automated release-prep through [pdk-templates](https://github.com/puppetlabs/pdk-templates/blob/main/moduleroot/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml.erb) from commit ${{ github.sha }}. 
+          Please verify before merging:
+          - [ ] last [nightly](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/actions/workflows/nightly.yml) run is green
+          - [ ] [Changelog](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/blob/release-prep/CHANGELOG.md) is readable and has no unlabeled pull requests
+          - [ ] Ensure the [changelog](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/blob/release-prep/CHANGELOG.md) version and [metadata](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/blob/release-prep/metadata.json) version match
         labels: "maintenance"
 
     - name: PR outputs
       if: ${{ github.repository_owner == 'puppetlabs' }}
       run: |
         echo "Pull Request Number - ${{ steps.cpr.outputs.pull-request-number }}"
         echo "Pull Request URL - ${{ steps.cpr.outputs.pull-request-url }}"
 
     - name: "Honeycomb: Record finish step"
       if: ${{ always() }}
       run: |
         buildevents step $TRACE_ID $STEP_ID $STEP_START 'Finished auto release workflow'
diff --git a/.sync.yml b/.sync.yml
index a841889..5788aca 100644
--- a/.sync.yml
+++ b/.sync.yml
@@ -1,28 +1,30 @@
 ---
 ".gitlab-ci.yml":
   delete: true
 appveyor.yml:
   delete: true
 
 Gemfile:
   optional:
     ":development":
     - gem: github_changelog_generator
 spec/spec_helper.rb:
   mock_with: ":rspec"
   coverage_report: true
 .gitpod.Dockerfile:
   unmanaged: false
 .gitpod.yml:
   unmanaged: false
 .github/workflows/nightly.yml:
   unmanaged: false
 .github/workflows/pr_test.yml:
   unmanaged: false
 .github/workflows/spec.yml:
   checks: 'syntax lint metadata_lint check:symlinks check:git_ignore check:dot_underscore check:test_file rubocop'
   unmanaged: false
 .github/workflows/release.yml:
   unmanaged: false
+.github/workflows/auto_release.yml:
+  unmanaged: false
 .travis.yml:
   delete: true