diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-test.yml b/.github/workflows/release-test.yml
index 55f382ab7a..f159a9e274 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-test.yml
@@ -1,36 +1,28 @@
 name: Release tests
 
-on: pull_request
+on:
+  release:
+    types: [published]
 
 jobs:
-  oqs-provider-release-test: # TODO: this is highly coupled to oqs-provider structure. Might be better downstream?
-    if:  startsWith(github.head_ref, 'sw-provider-') # TODO: settle on standard prefix
-    container:
-      image: openquantumsafe/ci-ubuntu-jammy:latest
+  # trigger oqs-provider release tests on a tracker branch
+  oqs-provider-release-test:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout oqs-provider
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          repository: open-quantum-safe/oqs-provider
-      - name: Checkout liboqs
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          path: liboqs
-      - name: Activate all algorithms
-        env:
-          LIBOQS_SRC_DIR: liboqs
+      - name: Trigger oqs-provider release tests
         run: |
-          sed -i "s/enable\: false/enable\: true/g" oqs-template/generate.yml && \
-          python3 oqs-template/generate.py
-      - name: Full build of oqs-provider
-        env:
-          OPENSSL_BRANCH: master # TODO: verify that this is the correct branch
-        run: scripts/fullbuild.sh
-      - name: Run basic tests for oqs-provider
-        run: scripts/runtests.sh
-      - name: Test all TLS KEM/signature algorithm combinations
-        env:
-          OPENSSL_MODULES: _build/lib
-          OPENSSL_CONF: scripts/openssl-ca.cnf
-        run: python3 -m pytest --numprocesses=auto scripts/test_tls_full.py
+          curl --silent \
+               --write-out "\n%{response_code}\n" \
+               --request POST \
+               --header "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
+               --header "Authorization: Bearer ${{ secrets.OQSBOT_GITHUB_ACTIONS }}" \
+               --header "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
+               --data '{ \
+                         "event_type": "liboqs-release", \
+                         "client_payload": { \
+                                             "liboqs_ref": "tags/${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}", \
+                                             "provider_ref": "heads/${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}-tracker" \
+                         } \
+                       }' \
+               https://api.github.com/repos/open-quantum-safe/oqs-provider/dispatches | tee curl_out \
+            && grep -q "204" curl_out