diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 569d794d2550b158ff05dc894373236458c91779..2e3c3471b914897c142674b056da454e484ccb8b 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ release:
     name: ghcr.io/go-semantic-release/semantic-release:2.15.0
     entrypoint: [""]
   stage: release
-  only:
-    - feature/semrel
+  rules:
+    - if: $CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH
   script:
     # Set GITLAB_TOKEN in variables section with API access for the project
     - semantic-release