diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 28b318b96..3c4994574 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -39,12 +39,12 @@ jobs:
         if [[ $GITHUB_REF == refs/tags/* ]]; then
           # Release tags.
           echo IMAGE_TAG="${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo GORELEASER_ARGS="--rm-dist" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo DISABLE_RELEASE_PIPELINE=false >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo GORELEASER_ARGS="--clean" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo ENABLE_RELEASE_PIPELINE=true >> $GITHUB_ENV
         elif [[ $GITHUB_REF == refs/heads/* ]]; then
           # Branch build.
           echo IMAGE_TAG="$(echo "${GITHUB_REF#refs/heads/}" | sed -r 's|/+|-|g')" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo GORELEASER_ARGS="--rm-dist --skip-validate" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo GORELEASER_ARGS="--clean --skip-validate" >> $GITHUB_ENV
         elif [[ $GITHUB_REF == refs/pull/* ]]; then
           # PR build.
           echo IMAGE_TAG="pr-$(echo "${GITHUB_REF}" | sed -E 's|refs/pull/([^/]+)/?.*|\1|')" >> $GITHUB_ENV
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a0c393786..56a86e3a4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ Dockerfile.cross
 
 # Release output
 dist/**
-.goreleaser.yml
 operator-controller.yaml
 
 # Kubernetes Generated files - skip generated files, except for vendored files
diff --git a/.goreleaser.template.yml b/.goreleaser.yml
similarity index 95%
rename from .goreleaser.template.yml
rename to .goreleaser.yml
index e1f045422..7a8fcec86 100644
--- a/.goreleaser.template.yml
+++ b/.goreleaser.yml
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@ snapshot:
   name_template: "{{ incpatch .Version }}-next"
 changelog:
   use: github-native
-  skip: $DISABLE_RELEASE_PIPELINE
+  skip: '{{ ne .Env.ENABLE_RELEASE_PIPELINE "true" }}'
 release:
-  disable: $DISABLE_RELEASE_PIPELINE
+  disable: '{{ ne .Env.ENABLE_RELEASE_PIPELINE "true" }}'
   extra_files:
   - glob: 'operator-controller.yaml'
   header: |
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1d90c1cea..a229fbabb 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ export IMAGE_REPO ?= quay.io/operator-framework/operator-controller
 export IMAGE_TAG ?= devel
 export GO_BUILD_TAGS ?= upstream
 export CERT_MGR_VERSION ?= v1.9.0
-export GORELEASER_VERSION ?= v1.15.2
+export GORELEASER_VERSION ?= v1.16.2
 export WAIT_TIMEOUT ?= 60s
 IMG?=$(IMAGE_REPO):$(IMAGE_TAG)
 
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ kind-cluster-cleanup: kind ## Delete the kind cluster
 ##@ Build
 
 .PHONY: build
-build: manifests generate fmt vet substitute goreleaser ## Build manager binary using goreleaser for current GOOS and GOARCH.
+build: manifests generate fmt vet goreleaser ## Build manager binary using goreleaser for current GOOS and GOARCH.
 	${GORELEASER} build ${GORELEASER_ARGS} --single-target -o bin/manager
 
 .PHONY: run
@@ -135,13 +135,10 @@ docker-buildx: test ## Build and push docker image for the manager for cross-pla
 ###########
 
 ##@ Release:
-export DISABLE_RELEASE_PIPELINE ?= true
-export GORELEASER_ARGS ?= --snapshot --rm-dist
+export ENABLE_RELEASE_PIPELINE ?= false
+export GORELEASER_ARGS ?= --snapshot --clean
 
-substitute:
-	envsubst < .goreleaser.template.yml > .goreleaser.yml
-
-release: substitute goreleaser ## Runs goreleaser for the operator-controller. By default, this will run only as a snapshot and will not publish any artifacts unless it is run with different arguments. To override the arguments, run with "GORELEASER_ARGS=...". When run as a github action from a tag, this target will publish a full release.
+release: goreleaser ## Runs goreleaser for the operator-controller. By default, this will run only as a snapshot and will not publish any artifacts unless it is run with different arguments. To override the arguments, run with "GORELEASER_ARGS=...". When run as a github action from a tag, this target will publish a full release.
 	$(GORELEASER) $(GORELEASER_ARGS)
 
 quickstart: VERSION ?= $(shell git describe --abbrev=0 --tags)