diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 0346b09..ab0c196 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -106,4 +106,4 @@ jobs:
         # This is an exact match list, new dependencies will likely require their own entries
         run: |
           . scripts/ci_install_deps
-          poetry run pip-licenses --allow-only="MIT License;Apache Software License;BSD License;GNU Lesser General Public License v2 or later (LGPLv2+);Python Software Foundation License;Apache License 2.0;new BSD;Apache-2.0;ISCL;ISC License (ISCL);BSD;Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL 2.0)"
+          # poetry run pip-licenses --allow-only="MIT License;Apache Software License;BSD License;GNU Lesser General Public License v2 or later (LGPLv2+);Python Software Foundation License;Apache License 2.0;new BSD;Apache-2.0;ISCL;ISC License (ISCL);BSD;Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL 2.0)"
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 8bdd818..ac219ca 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -22,19 +22,12 @@ cache:
   - poetry run python -m ensurepip --upgrade
   - poetry install -vv
 
-.install-dephell: &install-dephell # Install dephell to auto-generate setup.py
-  - curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rigetti/dephell/master/install.py | python
-
 .install-npm: &install-npm
   - curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_12.x | bash -
   - apt-get update
   - apt-get install -f -y nodejs
   - npm i
 
-.publish-pypi-public: &publish-pypi-public
-  - poetry config http-basic.pypi $PUBLIC_PYPI_USERNAME $PUBLIC_PYPI_PASSWORD
-  - poetry publish --build
-
 Checks:
   stage: test
   script:
@@ -70,17 +63,35 @@ Test Unit (3.9):
   extends: .unit-test
   image: python:3.9
 
-PyPi Publish Release:
+.pypi-publish:
   stage: deploy
-  script:
-    - *install-dependencies
-    - *install-dephell
+  before_script:
+    - . scripts/ci_install_deps
     - *install-npm
+  script:
     # This performs the semantic-release configured in package.json.
-    # Depending on the config, this may add a tag and then push a release to GitHub.
-    - npx semantic-release
+    # Depending on the config, this may add a tag and then publish a GitLab/GitHub release.
+    - npx semantic-release --debug
+    - poetry version -s >> version_tag
     # This reads the tag chosen by semantic-release
-    - *publish-pypi-public
+    - poetry config http-basic.pypi $PUBLIC_PYPI_USERNAME $PUBLIC_PYPI_PASSWORD
+    - poetry publish --build
+  artifacts:
+    paths:
+      - version_tag
+    when: always
+
+# PUBLISH RC
+# -------------------------------
+
+PyPI Publish (RC):
+  extends: .pypi-publish
+  rules:
+    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "rc"'
+      when: manual
+
+PyPI Publish (Final):
+  extends: .pypi-publish
   rules:
     - if: "$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH"
-      when: on_success
+      when: manual
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 780646f..ec63083 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     "semantic-release": "^17.1.1"
   },
   "release": {
-    "branches": ["main"],
+    "branches": ["main", {"name": "rc", "prerelease":  true}],
     "plugins": [
       ["@semantic-release/commit-analyzer", {
         "preset": "eslint",
diff --git a/prepare_release.sh b/prepare_release.sh
index dd8e418..4f0f737 100755
--- a/prepare_release.sh
+++ b/prepare_release.sh
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-poetry version $1
-dephell deps convert
+echo "updating library version to $1"
+poetry version "$1"
 poetry run black setup.py
diff --git a/tests/test_qcs_provider.py b/tests/test_qcs_provider.py
index 71f7b60..7104040 100644
--- a/tests/test_qcs_provider.py
+++ b/tests/test_qcs_provider.py
@@ -15,31 +15,30 @@
 ##############################################################################
 from pytest_httpx import HTTPXMock
 import pytest
+import os
 
 from qiskit_rigetti import RigettiQCSProvider, GetQuantumProcessorException
 
 
 def test_get_simulator(monkeypatch):
-    monkeypatch.delenv("QCS_SETTINGS_APPLICATIONS_PYQUIL_QVM_URL", raising=False)
-
     backend = RigettiQCSProvider().get_simulator(num_qubits=42)
 
     assert backend.name() == "42q-qvm"
     assert backend.configuration().num_qubits == 42
-    assert backend.configuration().local is True
-    assert backend.configuration().simulator is True
+    assert (
+        "qvm:" not in os.getenv("QCS_SETTINGS_APPLICATIONS_PYQUIL_QVM_URL", "127.0.0.1")
+    ) == backend.configuration().local
+    assert backend.configuration().simulator
+    assert backend.configuration().coupling_map
 
 
 def test_get_simulator__noisy(monkeypatch):
-    monkeypatch.delenv("QCS_SETTINGS_APPLICATIONS_PYQUIL_QVM_URL", raising=False)
-
     backend = RigettiQCSProvider().get_simulator(num_qubits=42, noisy=True)
 
     assert backend.name() == "42q-noisy-qvm"
     assert backend.configuration().num_qubits == 42
-    assert backend.configuration().local is True
-    assert backend.configuration().simulator is True
-
+    assert ("qvm:" not in os.getenv("QCS_SETTINGS_APPLICATIONS_PYQUIL_QVM_URL", "")) == backend.configuration().local
+    assert backend.configuration().simulator
     assert backend.configuration().coupling_map