diff --git a/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yml b/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yml
index 2e4685566bb..f0640c7d61d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yml
@@ -101,7 +101,8 @@ jobs:
       #   - Run make prepare-release PREVIOUS_VERSION=0.52.0 RELEASE_CANDIDATE=0.53.0 MODSET=beta
       - name: Prepare release for core
         env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.OPENTELEMETRYBOT_GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          BOT_GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.OPENTELEMETRYBOT_GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           REPO: open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector
           CANDIDATE_BETA: ${{ inputs.candidate-beta }}
           CANDIDATE_STABLE: ${{ inputs.candidate-stable }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scripts/release-prepare-release.sh b/.github/workflows/scripts/release-prepare-release.sh
index d3e7e1a72ea..e3438ec5950 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/scripts/release-prepare-release.sh
+++ b/.github/workflows/scripts/release-prepare-release.sh
@@ -41,8 +41,12 @@ if [ "${CANDIDATE_BETA}" != "" ]; then
 fi
 git push origin "${BRANCH}"
 
-# The `release:merge-freeze` label will cause the `check-merge-freeze` workflow to fail, enforcing the freeze.
-gh pr create --title "[chore] Prepare release ${RELEASE_VERSION}" --label release:merge-freeze --body "
+# Use OpenTelemetryBot account to create PR, allowing workflows to run
+PR=$(GITHUB_TOKEN="$BOT_GITHUB_TOKEN" gh pr create --title "[chore] Prepare release ${RELEASE_VERSION}" --body "
 The following commands were run to prepare this release:
 ${COMMANDS}
-"
+")
+
+# The `release:merge-freeze` label will cause the `check-merge-freeze` workflow to fail, enforcing the freeze.
+# The bot does not have permissions to add labels, so this is done using the CI action token.
+gh pr edit "$PR" --add-label release:merge-freeze || echo "Failed to add merge-freeze label"