diff --git a/.github/workflows/check_label.yml b/.github/workflows/check_label.yml
index 0d9208805ae..df9e5173dd8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check_label.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check_label.yml
@@ -14,21 +14,12 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
     if: github.repository == 'vitessio/vitess'
     steps:
-      - uses: mheap/github-action-required-labels@v1
-        name: Check release notes label
-        id: required_label
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-        with:
-          mode: exactly
-          count: 0
-          labels: "release notes (needs details)"
-
-      - name: Print helper
-        if: failure() && steps.required_label.outcome == 'failure'
+      - name: Release Notes label
         run: |
-          echo The "release notes (needs details)" label is set. The changes made in this Pull Request need to be documented in the release notes summary "('./doc/releasenotes/16_0_0_summary.md')". Once documented, the "release notes (needs details)" label can be removed.
-          exit 1
+          if [[ "${{contains( github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'release notes (needs details)')}}" == "true" ]]; then
+            echo The "release notes (needs details)" label is set. The changes made in this Pull Request need to be documented in the release notes summary "('./doc/releasenotes/16_0_0_summary.md')". Once documented, the "release notes (needs details)" label can be removed.
+            exit 1
+          fi
 
       - name: Check type and component labels
         env:
@@ -70,4 +61,12 @@ jobs:
           if cat ${LABELS_JSON} | jq -r '.[].name ' | grep -q 'NeedsWebsiteDocsUpdate' ; then
             echo "Expecting PR to not have the NeedsWebsiteDocsUpdate label, please update the documentation and remove the label."
             exit 1
+          fi
+          
+
+      - name: Do Not Merge label
+        run: |
+          if [[ "${{contains( github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'Do Not Merge')}}" == "true" ]]; then
+            echo "This PR should not be merged. The 'Do Not Merge' label is set. Please unset it if you wish to merge this PR."
+            exit 1
           fi
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/internal/ReleaseInstructions.md b/doc/internal/ReleaseInstructions.md
index 35c6fa9dd91..05286de9092 100644
--- a/doc/internal/ReleaseInstructions.md
+++ b/doc/internal/ReleaseInstructions.md
@@ -119,9 +119,17 @@ Create the `settings.xml` in the `$HOME/.m2/` directory as described in their [i
 
 ## Release Cutover 
 
-In this section we describe our current release process. We begin with a short [**overview**](#overview).
+In this section we describe our current release process. We begin with a list of [**pre-requisite for the release team**](#pre-requisites) and with a short [**overview**](#overview).
 The release process is divided into three parts: [**Pre-Release**](#pre-release), [**Release**](#release), [**Post-Release**](#post-release), which are detailed after the overview.
 
+### Pre-Requisites
+
+This section highlights the different pre-requisites the release team has to meet before releasing.
+
+- The tool `gh` must be installed locally and ready to be used.
+- You must have access to the Java release, more information in the [**Java Packages**](#java-packages) section.
+- You must be able to create branches and have admin right on the `vitessio/vitess` and `planetscale/vitess-operator` repositories.
+
 ### Overview
 
 #### Schedule
diff --git a/tools/create_release.sh b/tools/create_release.sh
index ac18dd9f61b..546b60d40c3 100755
--- a/tools/create_release.sh
+++ b/tools/create_release.sh
@@ -90,6 +90,6 @@ echo " "
 echo " "
 echo "Once pushed, please execute the following gh command to create the Pull Requests. Please replace 'USER_ON_WHICH_YOU_PUSHED' with the user/org on which you pushed the two branches."
 echo " "
-echo "   gh pr create -w --title 'Release of v$RELEASE_VERSION' --base $BASE_BRANCH --head USER_ON_WHICH_YOU_PUSHED:$current_branch --label 'Type: Release','Component: General' --body 'Includes the release notes and release commit for the v$RELEASE_VERSION release. Once this PR is merged, we will be able to tag v$RELEASE_VERSION on the merge commit.'"
+echo "   gh pr create -w --title 'Release of v$RELEASE_VERSION' --base $BASE_BRANCH --head USER_ON_WHICH_YOU_PUSHED:$current_branch --label 'Type: Release','Component: General','Do Not Merge' --body 'Includes the release notes and release commit for the v$RELEASE_VERSION release. Once this PR is merged, we will be able to tag v$RELEASE_VERSION on the merge commit.'"
 echo " "
 echo "----------------"