diff --git a/.github/workflows/java-gradle-release.yaml b/.github/workflows/java-gradle-release.yaml
index 5ec07d742..c593bcfc8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/java-gradle-release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/java-gradle-release.yaml
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - name: Release on Github
         id: release
-        uses: bakdata/ci-templates/actions/java-gradle-release@1.50.2
+        uses: bakdata/ci-templates/actions/java-gradle-release@1.50.3
         with:
           release-type: ${{ inputs.release-type }}
           github-email: ${{ secrets.github-email }}
diff --git a/actions/java-gradle-release/action.yaml b/actions/java-gradle-release/action.yaml
index c718572ad..8945792d1 100644
--- a/actions/java-gradle-release/action.yaml
+++ b/actions/java-gradle-release/action.yaml
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@ runs:
   using: "composite"
   steps:
     - name: Check out repository
-      uses: bakdata/ci-templates/actions/checkout@1.50.2
+      uses: bakdata/ci-templates/actions/checkout@1.50.3
       with:
-        fetch-depth: 0
-        token: ${{ inputs.github-token }}
+        fetch-depth: 0 # required for changelog generation
+        persist-credentials: false # required for pushing to protected branch later
 
     - name: Setup git
       run: |
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ runs:
       working-directory: ${{ inputs.working-directory }}
 
     - name: Set up Gradle with version ${{ inputs.gradle-version }}
-      uses: bakdata/ci-templates/actions/java-gradle-setup@1.50.2
+      uses: bakdata/ci-templates/actions/java-gradle-setup@1.50.3
       with:
         java-distribution: ${{ inputs.java-distribution }}
         java-version: ${{ inputs.java-version }}
@@ -103,15 +103,17 @@ runs:
       shell: bash
 
     - name: Create changelog
-      uses: bakdata/ci-templates/actions/changelog-generate@1.50.2
+      uses: bakdata/ci-templates/actions/changelog-generate@1.50.3
       with:
         github-token: ${{ inputs.github-token }}
         tag: ${{ steps.evaluate-version.outputs.release-version }}
         changelog-file: CHANGELOG.md
 
-    - name: Commit and push changes including the bump config file
-      run: |
-        git add CHANGELOG.md
-        git commit -m "Changelog for version ${{ steps.evaluate-version.outputs.release-version }}"
-        git push --follow-tags origin ${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}
-      shell: bash
+    - name: Commit and push CHANGELOG.md file
+      uses: bakdata/ci-templates/actions/commit-and-push@1.50.3
+      with:
+        commit-message: "Changelog for version ${{ steps.evaluate-version.outputs.release-version }}"
+        github-username: ${{ inputs.github-username }}
+        github-email: ${{ inputs.github-email }}
+        github-token: ${{ inputs.github-token }}
+        add-untracked: "true"