diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-npm.yml b/.github/workflows/release-npm.yml
index 089bb63b6c4..02bedc93965 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-npm.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-npm.yml
@@ -59,19 +59,25 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
+          fetch-depth: 100
+          fetch-tags: false
 
+      # this will fail with "{commit} is not a valid commit" if the commit is valid but
+      # not in the last 100 commits.
       - name: Verify commit is in workflow HEAD
         env:
           GIT_COMMIT: ${{ github.event.inputs.grafana_commit }}
-        run: ./github/workflows/scripts/validate-commit-in-head.sh
+        run: ./.github/workflows/scripts/validate-commit-in-head.sh
         shell: bash
 
       - name: Map version type to NPM tag
         id: npm-tag
         env:
+          VERSION: ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
           VERSION_TYPE: ${{ github.event.inputs.version_type }}
+          REFERENCE_PKG: "@grafana/runtime"
         run: |
-          TAG=$(./github/workflows/scripts/determine-npm-tag.sh)
+          TAG=$(./.github/workflows/scripts/determine-npm-tag.sh)
           echo "NPM_TAG=$TAG" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
         shell: bash
 
@@ -82,7 +88,11 @@ jobs:
           ref: ${{ github.event.inputs.grafana_commit }}
 
       - name: Setup Node
-        uses: ./github/actions/setup-node
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-node
+
+      # Trusted Publishing is only available in npm v11.5.1 and later
+      - name: Update npm
+        run: npm install -g npm@^11.5.1
 
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: yarn install --immutable
@@ -91,9 +101,11 @@ jobs:
         run: yarn run packages:typecheck
 
       - name: Version, build, and pack packages
+        env:
+          VERSION: ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
         run: |
           yarn run packages:build
-          yarn lerna version "$PACKAGES_VERSION" \
+          yarn lerna version "$VERSION" \
             --exact \
             --no-git-tag-version \
             --no-push \