diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-prod.yml b/.github/workflows/build-prod.yml
index 096a6a5cf..0d9b4f050 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-prod.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-prod.yml
@@ -2,20 +2,22 @@ name: build-prod
 
 on:
   pull_request:
-    branches:
-      - master
+    types: [labeled, opened, synchronize, reopened]
   push:
     branches:
       - master
+      - "*.*.z"
 
 jobs:
   version-check:
+    if: ${{ contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'release-prep')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
+      # checkout the branch that triggered the workflow
       - name: Checkout master (the latest release)
         uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 # v4
         with:
-          ref: master
+          ref: ${GITHUB_REF##*/} # this only works with branches that don't include /
       - name: Install jq to parse json
         uses: awalsh128/cache-apt-pkgs-action@latest
         with:
@@ -59,6 +61,7 @@ jobs:
         if: (env.newManVersion != env.newPackVersion) || (env.newManVersion != env.newMakeVersion)
         run: exit 1
   prod:
+    if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' || contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'release-prep') }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 # v4