diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index d311d8bf6f..25406c5937 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ executors:
   alpine:
     docker:
       - image: alpine:3.17
+  generic-ubuntu:
+    docker:
+      - image: ubuntu:latest
+    resource_class: small
   docker-amd64:
     docker:
       - image: bastiandoetsch209/cli-build:20240214-145818
@@ -343,6 +347,19 @@ commands:
       - attach_workspace:
           at: .
 
+  shall-deploy:
+    parameters:
+      deployment:
+        type: string
+    steps:
+      - run:
+          name: Shall deployment be done
+          command: |
+            if [ "$(./release-scripts/skip-deployment.sh << parameters.deployment >>)" == true ]; then
+              echo The current branch does not deploy to \"<< parameters.deployment >>\"
+              circleci-agent step halt
+            fi
+
 ####################################################################################################
 # WORKFLOWS
 ####################################################################################################
@@ -724,12 +741,11 @@ workflows:
             branches:
               only:
                 - main
+                - '/release.*/'
                 - '/.*e2e.*/'
 
-      - release-s3:
-          name: upload preview
-          deployment: preview
-          context: team-hammerhead-common-deploy-tokens
+      - noop:
+          name: Start Deployments
           requires:
             - Validate NPM artifacts (docker-amd64)
             - Validate NPM artifacts (win-server2019-amd64)
@@ -752,27 +768,57 @@ workflows:
             - e2e fips tests (win-server2022-amd64)
           filters:
             branches:
-              only: main
+              only:
+                - main
+                - '/release.*/'
 
       - release-s3:
-          name: upload latest
-          deployment: latest
+          name: upload preview
+          deployment: preview
           context: team-hammerhead-common-deploy-tokens
           requires:
-            - upload preview
+            - Start Deployments
           filters:
             branches:
-              only: main
+              only:
+                - main
+                - '/release.*/'
+
+      - release-s3:
+          name: upload release candidate
+          deployment: rc
+          context: team-hammerhead-common-deploy-tokens
+          requires:
+            - Start Deployments
+          filters:
+            branches:
+              only:
+                - main
+                - '/release.*/'
+
+      - release-s3:
+          name: upload latest/stable
+          deployment: stable
+          context: team-hammerhead-common-deploy-tokens
+          requires:
+            - Start Deployments
+          filters:
+            branches:
+              only:
+                - main
+                - '/release.*/'
 
       - release-github:
           name: upload github
           context: team-hammerhead-common-deploy-tokens
           requires:
-            - upload latest
+            - upload latest/stable
           filters:
             branches:
               only:
                 - main
+                - '/release.*/'
+
       - release-npm:
           name: upload npm
           context: team-hammerhead-common-deploy-tokens
@@ -782,6 +828,7 @@ workflows:
             branches:
               only:
                 - main
+                - '/release.*/'
 
       - trigger-building-snyk-images:
           name: Trigger building snyk-images
@@ -792,6 +839,7 @@ workflows:
             branches:
               only:
                 - main
+                - '/release.*/'
 
 ####################################################################################################
 # JOBS
@@ -1176,10 +1224,12 @@ jobs:
     parameters:
       deployment:
         type: string
-        default: latest
+        default: stable
     executor: docker-amd64
     steps:
       - prepare-workspace
+      - shall-deploy:
+          deployment: << parameters.deployment >>
       - aws-cli/install:
           version: << pipeline.parameters.aws_version >>
       - run:
@@ -1191,6 +1241,8 @@ jobs:
     executor: docker-amd64
     steps:
       - prepare-workspace
+      - shall-deploy:
+          deployment: stable
       - gh/setup:
           token: HAMMERHEAD_GITHUB_PAT
           version: << pipeline.parameters.gh_version >>
@@ -1203,6 +1255,8 @@ jobs:
     executor: docker-amd64
     steps:
       - prepare-workspace
+      - shall-deploy:
+          deployment: stable
       - run:
           name: Publish to npm
           command: ./release-scripts/upload-artifacts.sh npm
@@ -1212,7 +1266,16 @@ jobs:
     executor: docker-amd64
     steps:
       - prepare-workspace
+      - shall-deploy:
+          deployment: stable
       - run:
           name: Trigger build-and-publish workflow at snyk-images
           command: ./release-scripts/upload-artifacts.sh trigger-snyk-images
       - failed-release-notification
+
+  noop:
+    executor: generic-ubuntu
+    steps:
+      - run:
+          name: No operation
+          command: echo Nothing to be done!
diff --git a/release-scripts/determine-release-channel.sh b/release-scripts/determine-release-channel.sh
index f787df6736..ec7e88eb07 100755
--- a/release-scripts/determine-release-channel.sh
+++ b/release-scripts/determine-release-channel.sh
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@ set -euo pipefail
 # - dev
 
 
-# enable support for stable, preview and other release channels
-ENABLE_STABLE_CHANNELS=false
+ENABLE_STABLE_CHANNELS=$($(dirname "$0")/enable-stable-release-channels.sh)
 
 CURRENT_BRANCH="$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)"
 if [ $ENABLE_STABLE_CHANNELS == true ]; then # support for stable, preview and release candidate
diff --git a/release-scripts/enable-stable-release-channels.sh b/release-scripts/enable-stable-release-channels.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..546c171f60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release-scripts/enable-stable-release-channels.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# enable support for stable, preview and other release channels
+ENABLE_STABLE_CHANNELS=false
+echo $ENABLE_STABLE_CHANNELS
diff --git a/release-scripts/skip-deployment.sh b/release-scripts/skip-deployment.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..103c59a195
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release-scripts/skip-deployment.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+# Based on the given release channel as an argument, this script checks if the current
+# branch is used for this channel.
+
+TEST_CHANNEL=$1
+ENABLE_STABLE_CHANNELS=$($(dirname "$0")/enable-stable-release-channels.sh)
+
+# legacy release channel mapping (preview=stable)
+if [ "$TEST_CHANNEL" == "preview" ] && [ "$ENABLE_STABLE_CHANNELS" == false ]; then
+  TEST_CHANNEL=stable
+fi
+
+RELEASE_CHANNEL="$($(dirname "$0")/determine-release-channel.sh)"
+if [ "$RELEASE_CHANNEL" == $TEST_CHANNEL ]; then
+  echo false
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+echo true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/release-scripts/upload-artifacts.sh b/release-scripts/upload-artifacts.sh
index 7c8df1d5ee..9e8974fabf 100755
--- a/release-scripts/upload-artifacts.sh
+++ b/release-scripts/upload-artifacts.sh
@@ -211,5 +211,10 @@ for arg in "${@}"; do
   # Upload files to S3 bucket
   else
     upload_s3 "${target}"
+
+    # stable and latest are the same target
+    if [ "${target}" == "stable" ]; then
+      upload_s3 "latest"
+    fi
   fi
 done