diff --git a/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bot/release/PostInteractionCommentAction.java b/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bot/release/PostInteractionCommentAction.java
index 4f47046..f7e46a2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bot/release/PostInteractionCommentAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bot/release/PostInteractionCommentAction.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import org.kohsuke.github.GHIssue;
 
 import io.quarkiverse.githubaction.Action;
+import io.quarkiverse.githubaction.Commands;
 import io.quarkiverse.githubaction.Inputs;
 import io.quarkiverse.githubapp.event.Issue;
 import io.quarkiverse.githubapp.event.IssueComment;
@@ -15,19 +16,22 @@
 public class PostInteractionCommentAction {
 
     @Action("post-interaction-comment")
-    void postInteractionComment(Inputs inputs, @Issue.Opened GHEventPayload.Issue issuePayload) throws IOException {
-        postInteractionComment(inputs, issuePayload.getIssue());
+    void postInteractionComment(Commands commands, Inputs inputs, @Issue.Opened GHEventPayload.Issue issuePayload)
+            throws IOException {
+        postInteractionComment(commands, inputs, issuePayload.getIssue());
     }
 
     @Action("post-interaction-comment")
-    void postInteractionComment(Inputs inputs, @IssueComment.Created GHEventPayload.IssueComment issueCommentPayload)
+    void postInteractionComment(Commands commands, Inputs inputs,
+            @IssueComment.Created GHEventPayload.IssueComment issueCommentPayload)
             throws IOException {
-        postInteractionComment(inputs, issueCommentPayload.getIssue());
+        postInteractionComment(commands, inputs, issueCommentPayload.getIssue());
     }
 
-    private void postInteractionComment(Inputs inputs, GHIssue issue) throws IOException {
+    private void postInteractionComment(Commands commands, Inputs inputs, GHIssue issue) throws IOException {
         Optional<String> interactionCommentInput = inputs.get(Outputs.INTERACTION_COMMENT);
         if (interactionCommentInput.isEmpty() || interactionCommentInput.get().isBlank()) {
+            commands.warning("No " + Outputs.INTERACTION_COMMENT + " input, not posting interaction comment");
             return;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bot/release/ReleaseAction.java b/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bot/release/ReleaseAction.java
index b13b5d1..e9a3cef 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bot/release/ReleaseAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bot/release/ReleaseAction.java
@@ -112,20 +112,17 @@ void onComment(Context context, Commands commands, @IssueComment.Created GHEvent
 
     private void handleSteps(Context context, Commands commands, GHIssue issue, UpdatedIssueBody updatedIssueBody,
             GHIssueComment issueComment, ReleaseInformation releaseInformation, ReleaseStatus releaseStatus) throws Exception {
-        int initialStepOrdinal = releaseStatus.getCurrentStep().ordinal();
-        if (releaseStatus.getCurrentStepStatus() == StepStatus.COMPLETED) {
-            initialStepOrdinal++;
-        }
-        if (initialStepOrdinal >= Step.values().length) {
-            return;
-        }
-
         ReleaseStatus currentReleaseStatus = releaseStatus;
 
         if (issueComment != null) {
-            // Handle retries
+            if (currentReleaseStatus.getCurrentStepStatus() == StepStatus.COMPLETED) {
+                commands.error("Current step status is completed, ignoring comment");
+                react(commands, issueComment, ReactionContent.MINUS_ONE);
+                return;
+            }
             if (currentReleaseStatus.getCurrentStepStatus() == StepStatus.FAILED ||
                     currentReleaseStatus.getCurrentStepStatus() == StepStatus.STARTED) {
+                // Handle retries
                 if (currentReleaseStatus.getCurrentStep().isRecoverable()) {
                     if (Command.RETRY.matches(issueComment.getBody())) {
                         react(commands, issueComment, ReactionContent.PLUS_ONE);
@@ -141,17 +138,14 @@ private void handleSteps(Context context, Commands commands, GHIssue issue, Upda
                             "A previous step failed with unrecoverable error");
                     return;
                 }
-            }
-
-            // Handle paused, we will continue the process with the next step
-            if (currentReleaseStatus.getCurrentStepStatus() == StepStatus.PAUSED) {
+            } else if (currentReleaseStatus.getCurrentStepStatus() == StepStatus.PAUSED) {
+                // Handle paused, we will continue the process with the next step
                 StepHandler stepHandler = getStepHandler(currentReleaseStatus.getCurrentStep());
 
                 if (stepHandler.shouldContinue(releaseInformation, currentReleaseStatus, issueComment)) {
                     react(commands, issueComment, ReactionContent.PLUS_ONE);
                     currentReleaseStatus = currentReleaseStatus.progress(StepStatus.COMPLETED);
                     updateReleaseStatus(issue, updatedIssueBody, currentReleaseStatus);
-                    initialStepOrdinal++;
                 } else {
                     react(commands, issueComment, ReactionContent.CONFUSED);
                     return;
@@ -159,11 +153,21 @@ private void handleSteps(Context context, Commands commands, GHIssue issue, Upda
             }
         }
 
+        if (currentReleaseStatus.getCurrentStepStatus() == StepStatus.COMPLETED) {
+            if (currentReleaseStatus.getCurrentStep().isLast()) {
+                markAsReleased(issue, updatedIssueBody, releaseInformation, currentReleaseStatus);
+                return;
+            } else {
+                currentReleaseStatus = currentReleaseStatus.progress(currentReleaseStatus.getCurrentStep().next());
+                updateReleaseStatus(issue, updatedIssueBody, currentReleaseStatus);
+            }
+        }
+
         progressInformation(context, commands, releaseInformation, currentReleaseStatus, issue,
-                "Proceeding to step " + Step.values()[initialStepOrdinal].getDescription());
+                "Proceeding to step " + currentReleaseStatus.getCurrentStep().getDescription());
 
         for (Step currentStep : Step.values()) {
-            if (currentStep.ordinal() < initialStepOrdinal) {
+            if (currentStep.ordinal() < currentReleaseStatus.getCurrentStep().ordinal()) {
                 // we already handled this step, skipping to next one
                 continue;
             }
@@ -208,6 +212,11 @@ private void handleSteps(Context context, Commands commands, GHIssue issue, Upda
             }
         }
 
+        markAsReleased(issue, updatedIssueBody, releaseInformation, currentReleaseStatus);
+    }
+
+    private void markAsReleased(GHIssue issue, UpdatedIssueBody updatedIssueBody, ReleaseInformation releaseInformation,
+            ReleaseStatus currentReleaseStatus) {
         currentReleaseStatus = currentReleaseStatus.progress(Status.COMPLETED);
         updateReleaseStatus(issue, updatedIssueBody, currentReleaseStatus);
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bot/release/step/Step.java b/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bot/release/step/Step.java
index 36df9ce..35d5cb2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bot/release/step/Step.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bot/release/step/Step.java
@@ -50,4 +50,16 @@ public boolean isRecoverable() {
     public boolean isForFinalReleasesOnly() {
         return forFinalReleasesOnly;
     }
+
+    public boolean isLast() {
+        return this.ordinal() == values().length -1;
+    }
+
+    public Step next() {
+        if (isLast()) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException("Called next() on the last step");
+        }
+
+        return Step.values()[this.ordinal() + 1];
+    }
 }