diff --git a/release/README.adoc b/release/README.adoc
index c896c67..3792deb 100644
--- a/release/README.adoc
+++ b/release/README.adoc
@@ -1,3 +1,34 @@
+# Release workflow
+
+This is the recommended release flow in a nutshell for the release 24.3:
+
+----
+# start with the product images ...
+# create and push the release branch
+./release/create-release-branch.sh -b 24.3 -w products -p
+
+# create and push the release tag
+./release/create-release-tag.sh -t 24.3.0 -w products -p
+
+# monior the GH action that builds ~80 images for success
+
+# continue with the operators ...
+# create and push the release branch
+./release/create-release-branch.sh -b 24.3 -w operators -p
+
+# create and push the release tag
+./release/create-release-tag.sh -t 24.3.0 -w operators -p
+
+# monior the GH actions that build the oeprator images for success
+
+# finally patch the changelog file in the main branch
+# create PRs for all operators
+./release/post-release.sh -t 24.3.0 -p
+
+# and that is it!
+# (now the tedious post release steps start ...)
+----
+
 # Release scripts
 
 A set of scripts that automates some release steps. The release process has multiple steps:
@@ -124,7 +155,7 @@ e.g.
 * for operators:
 ** checks that the release branch exists and the tag doesn't
 ** adapts the versions in all cargo.toml to `release-tag` argument
-** update all "stackableVersion" fields in the kuttl tests
+** update all "operatorVersion" fields in the tests/release.yaml files
 ** update the antora.yaml
 ** update the  `release-tag` in helm charts
 ** updates the cargo workspace
diff --git a/release/config.yaml b/release/config.yaml
index 8c560b3..61414ec 100644
--- a/release/config.yaml
+++ b/release/config.yaml
@@ -16,4 +16,4 @@ operators:
   - spark-k8s-operator
   - superset-operator
   - trino-operator
-  - zookeeper-operator
+  - zookeeper-operator
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/release/create-release-branch.sh b/release/create-release-branch.sh
index 7869b7c..5edd4f9 100755
--- a/release/create-release-branch.sh
+++ b/release/create-release-branch.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ update_products() {
     cd "$BASE_DIR/$DOCKER_IMAGES_REPO"
     git pull && git switch "${RELEASE_BRANCH}"
   else
-    git clone "git@github.com:stackabletech/${DOCKER_IMAGES_REPO}.git" "$BASE_DIR/$DOCKER_IMAGES_REPO"
+    git clone --branch main --depth 1 "git@github.com:stackabletech/${DOCKER_IMAGES_REPO}.git" "$BASE_DIR/$DOCKER_IMAGES_REPO"
     cd "$BASE_DIR/$DOCKER_IMAGES_REPO"
     git switch "${RELEASE_BRANCH}" || git switch -c "${RELEASE_BRANCH}" "${REPOSITORY}/${BASE_BRANCH}"
   fi
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ update_operators() {
       cd "$BASE_DIR/${operator}"
       git pull && git switch "${RELEASE_BRANCH}"
     else
-      git clone "git@github.com:stackabletech/${operator}.git" "$BASE_DIR/${operator}"
+      git clone --branch main --depth 1 "git@github.com:stackabletech/${operator}.git" "$BASE_DIR/${operator}"
       cd "$BASE_DIR/${operator}"
       git switch "${RELEASE_BRANCH}" || git switch -c "${RELEASE_BRANCH}" "${REPOSITORY}/${BASE_BRANCH}"
     fi
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ main() {
   # check if argument matches our tag regex
   #-----------------------------------------------------------
   if [[ ! $RELEASE =~ $RELEASE_REGEX ]]; then
-    echo "Provided tag [$RELEASE] does not match the required tag regex pattern [$RELEASE_REGEX]"
+    echo "Provided branch name [$RELEASE] does not match the required regex pattern [$RELEASE_REGEX]"
     exit 1
   fi
 
diff --git a/release/create-release-tag.sh b/release/create-release-tag.sh
index f944e9d..4bd0ba8 100755
--- a/release/create-release-tag.sh
+++ b/release/create-release-tag.sh
@@ -146,15 +146,9 @@ update_code() {
 		echo "No docs found under $1."
 	fi
 
-	#--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-	# Replace .spec.image.stackableVersion for kuttl tests.
-	# Use sed as yq does not process .j2 file syntax properly.
-	# N.B. commented out as the tests assume same stackable version as operator
-	#--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-	#if [ -f "$1/tests/test-definition.yaml" ]; then
-	#  # e.g. 2.2.4-stackable0.5.0 -> 2.2.4-stackable23.1
-	#  sed -i "s/-stackable.*/-stackable${RELEASE}/" "$1/tests/test-definition.yaml"
-	#fi
+	# Update operator version for the integration tests
+	# this is used when installing the operators.
+	yq -i ".releases.tests.products[].operatorVersion |= sub(\"0.0.0-dev\", \"${RELEASE_TAG}\")" "$1/tests/release.yaml"
 }
 
 push_branch() {
diff --git a/release/post-release.sh b/release/post-release.sh
index 6b4240a..3020f49 100755
--- a/release/post-release.sh
+++ b/release/post-release.sh
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ check_operators() {
       echo "Dirty working copy found for operator ${operator}"
       exit 1
     fi
-    TAG_EXISTS=$(git tag | grep "$RELEASE_TAG")
+    BRANCH_EXISTS=$(git branch | grep "$RELEASE_BRANCH")
     if [ -z "${BRANCH_EXISTS}" ]; then
       echo "Expected release branch is missing: ${operator}/$RELEASE_BRANCH"
       exit 1
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ update_main_changelog() {
     # Maybe push and create pull request
     if "$PUSH"; then
       git push -u "$REPOSITORY" "$CHANGELOG_BRANCH"
-      gh pr create --fill --reviewer stackable/developers
+      gh pr create --fill --reviewer stackable/developers --head "$CHANGELOG_BRANCH" --base main
     fi
   done < <(yq '... comments="" | .operators[] ' "$INITIAL_DIR"/release/config.yaml)
 }
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ main() {
   # sanity checks before we start: folder, branches etc.
   # deactivate -e so that piped commands can be used
   set +e
-  checks_operators
+  check_operators
   set -e
 
   echo "Update main changelog from release $RELEASE_TAG"