diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index e5402510..650dca55 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -62,6 +62,12 @@ jobs:
         python setup.py sdist bdist_wheel
         twine upload dist/*
 
+    - name: Checkout develop branch
+      uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      with:
+        ref: 'develop'
+        fetch-depth: 0
+
     - name: Update CHANGELOG.md
       id: changelogUpdate
       run: |
@@ -74,7 +80,6 @@ jobs:
         mv ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }}${{ env.TMP_SUFFIX }} ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }}
         git add ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }}
         git commit -m "Changelog update"
-        git push
 
     - name: Read changelog Entry
       id: readChangelogEntry
@@ -95,12 +100,6 @@ jobs:
         draft: false
         prerelease: false
 
-    - name: Checkout develop branch
-      uses: actions/checkout@v2
-      with:
-        ref: 'develop'
-        fetch-depth: 0
-
     - name: Merge release branch into develop
       id: mergeIntoDevelop
       run: |
@@ -111,11 +110,11 @@ jobs:
     - name: Update version file
       id: versionFileUpdate
       run: |
-        export CURRENT_VERSION_VALUE=`echo '${{ env.CURRENT_VERSION }}' | sed -E 's/(.*)/${{ env.VERSION_REPLACE_PATTERN }}/'`
-        export NEXT_VERSION_VALUE=`echo '${{ env.NEXT_VERSION }}' | sed -E 's/(.*)/${{ env.VERSION_REPLACE_PATTERN }}/'`
+        export CURRENT_VERSION_VALUE=`echo '${{ env.CURRENT_VERSION }}' | sed -E "s/(.*)/${{ env.VERSION_REPLACE_PATTERN }}/"`
+        export NEXT_VERSION_VALUE=`echo '${{ env.NEXT_VERSION }}' | sed -E "s/(.*)/${{ env.VERSION_REPLACE_PATTERN }}/"`
         sed "s/${CURRENT_VERSION_VALUE}/${NEXT_VERSION_VALUE}/g" ${{ env.VERSION_FILE }} > ${{ env.VERSION_FILE }}${{ env.TMP_SUFFIX }}
         rm ${{ env.VERSION_FILE }}
         mv ${{ env.VERSION_FILE }}${{ env.TMP_SUFFIX }} ${{ env.VERSION_FILE }}
         git add ${{ env.VERSION_FILE }}
         git commit -m "Version update"
-        git push origin develop
+        git push
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8e755dae..bf4fdc5d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,10 +2,13 @@
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 ### Fixed
-- Issue [#180](https://github.com/reportportal/client-Python/issues/180):
-logger crash on attachments, by @HardNorth
+- Issue [#182](https://github.com/reportportal/client-Python/issues/182): logger crash on attachments, by @HardNorth
+
+## [5.2.1]
+### Fixed
+- Issue [#180](https://github.com/reportportal/client-Python/issues/180): logger crash on attachments, by @HardNorth
 ### Changed
-- Log processing does not stop on the first error now.
+- Log processing does not stop on the first error now, by @HardNorth
 
 ## [5.2.0]
 ### Changed
diff --git a/reportportal_client/_local/__init__.py b/reportportal_client/_local/__init__.py
index f9ac00cd..c26d6d6e 100644
--- a/reportportal_client/_local/__init__.py
+++ b/reportportal_client/_local/__init__.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 """Report Portal client context storing and retrieving module."""
 from threading import local
 
-
 __INSTANCES = local()
 
 
diff --git a/reportportal_client/_local/__init__.pyi b/reportportal_client/_local/__init__.pyi
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b7b14cb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/reportportal_client/_local/__init__.pyi
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#  Copyright (c) 2022 https://reportportal.io .
+#  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+#  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+#  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#  https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+#  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+#  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+#  limitations under the License
+
+from typing import Optional
+
+from reportportal_client.client import RPClient
+
+
+def current() -> Optional[RPClient]: ...
+
+
+def set_current(client: Optional[RPClient]) -> None: ...
diff --git a/reportportal_client/logs/__init__.py b/reportportal_client/logs/__init__.py
index 8be41d63..0ec11232 100644
--- a/reportportal_client/logs/__init__.py
+++ b/reportportal_client/logs/__init__.py
@@ -138,7 +138,6 @@ def emit(self, record):
         Emit function.
 
         :param record: a log Record of requests
-        :return: log ID
         """
         msg = ''
 
@@ -152,10 +151,12 @@ def emit(self, record):
         for level in self._sorted_levelnos:
             if level <= record.levelno:
                 rp_client = current()
-                return rp_client.log(
-                    timestamp(),
-                    msg,
-                    level=self._loglevel_map[level],
-                    attachment=getattr(record, 'attachment'),
-                    item_id=rp_client.current_item()
-                )
+                if rp_client:
+                    rp_client.log(
+                        timestamp(),
+                        msg,
+                        level=self._loglevel_map[level],
+                        attachment=getattr(record, 'attachment'),
+                        item_id=rp_client.current_item()
+                    )
+                return
diff --git a/reportportal_client/service.py b/reportportal_client/service.py
index 7a35a93f..9f374e07 100644
--- a/reportportal_client/service.py
+++ b/reportportal_client/service.py
@@ -497,7 +497,6 @@ def log(self, time, message, level=None, attachment=None, item_id=None):
         :param level:
         :param attachment: files
         :param item_id:  id of item
-        :return: id of item from response
         """
         data = {
             "launchUuid": self.launch_id,
@@ -509,7 +508,7 @@ def log(self, time, message, level=None, attachment=None, item_id=None):
             data["itemUuid"] = item_id
         if attachment:
             data["attachment"] = attachment
-        return self._log_batch(data)
+        self._log_batch(data)
 
     def _log_batch(self, log_data, force=False):
         """
diff --git a/reportportal_client/steps/__init__.py b/reportportal_client/steps/__init__.py
index 32777af1..23fc9669 100644
--- a/reportportal_client/steps/__init__.py
+++ b/reportportal_client/steps/__init__.py
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ def __enter__(self):
         """Enter the runtime context related to this object."""
         # Cannot call _local.current() early since it will be initialized
         # before client put something in there
-        rp_client = self.client if self.client else current()
+        rp_client = self.client or current()
         if not rp_client:
             return
         self.__item_id = rp_client.step_reporter \
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_val, exc_tb):
         """Exit the runtime context related to this object."""
         # Cannot call _local.current() early since it will be initialized
         # before client put something in there
-        rp_client = self.client if self.client else current()
+        rp_client = self.client or current()
         if not rp_client:
             return
         # Avoid failure in case if 'rp_client' was 'None' on function start
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index aafa0e14..4e5d6e53 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 from setuptools import setup, find_packages
 
-__version__ = '5.2.1'
+__version__ = '5.2.2'
 
 with open('requirements.txt') as f:
     requirements = f.read().splitlines()
diff --git a/tests/logs/test_rp_log_handler.py b/tests/logs/test_rp_log_handler.py
index f6424aee..e981417d 100644
--- a/tests/logs/test_rp_log_handler.py
+++ b/tests/logs/test_rp_log_handler.py
@@ -95,3 +95,15 @@ def test_emit_custom_level(mocked_handle):
     assert mock_client.log.call_count == 1
     call_kwargs = mock_client.log.call_args[1]
     assert call_kwargs['level'] == 'WARN'
+
+
+@mock.patch('reportportal_client.logs.logging.Logger.handle')
+def test_emit_null_client_no_error(mocked_handle):
+    test_message = 'test message'
+    RPLogger('test_logger').log(30, test_message)
+    record = mocked_handle.call_args[0][0]
+
+    set_current(None)
+
+    log_handler = RPLogHandler()
+    log_handler.emit(record)
diff --git a/tests/steps/test_steps.py b/tests/steps/test_steps.py
index 262e3686..98a853a0 100644
--- a/tests/steps/test_steps.py
+++ b/tests/steps/test_steps.py
@@ -194,3 +194,12 @@ def test_two_level_nested_step_decorator(rp_client):
     assert first_id.startswith('post-')
     assert second_id.startswith('post-')
     assert first_id != second_id
+
+
+def test_verify_manual_client_bypass_step(rp_client):
+    set_current(None)
+    rp_client._item_stack.append(PARENT_STEP_ID)
+    with step(NESTED_STEP_NAME, rp_client=rp_client):
+        pass
+    assert rp_client.session.post.call_count == 1
+    assert rp_client.session.put.call_count == 1