diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy_packages.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy_packages.yml
index 459f48336e..ed02a313fe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy_packages.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy_packages.yml
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ jobs:
       # Grabs the version in the root package.json and creates a tag on GitHub
       - name: Create a release tag
         id: create_tag
-        run: node scripts/create-release-tag.js
+        run: node scripts/create-release-tag.js --dispatch-workflows
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GH_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN }}
 
diff --git a/scripts/create-release-tag.js b/scripts/create-release-tag.js
index 042b00866a..f898705ce5 100755
--- a/scripts/create-release-tag.js
+++ b/scripts/create-release-tag.js
@@ -25,31 +25,17 @@ const baseOptions = {
   repo: 'backstage',
 };
 
-async function main() {
-  const { GITHUB_SHA, GITHUB_TOKEN } = process.env;
-  if (!GITHUB_SHA) {
-    throw new Error('GITHUB_SHA is not set');
-  }
-  if (!GITHUB_TOKEN) {
-    throw new Error('GITHUB_TOKEN is not set');
-  }
-
-  const octokit = new Octokit({ auth: GITHUB_TOKEN });
-
-  const rootPath = path.resolve(__dirname, '..');
-  const { version: currentVersion } = await fs.readJson(
-    path.join(rootPath, 'package.json'),
-  );
-
-  const tagName = `v${currentVersion}`;
-
-  console.log(`Creating release tag ${tagName}`);
+async function getCurrentReleaseTag() {
+  const rootPath = path.resolve(__dirname, '../package.json');
+  return fs.readJson(rootPath).then(_ => _.version);
+}
 
+async function createGitTag(octokit, commitSha, tagName) {
   const annotatedTag = await octokit.git.createTag({
     ...baseOptions,
     tag: tagName,
     message: tagName,
-    object: GITHUB_SHA,
+    object: commitSha,
     type: 'commit',
   });
 
@@ -69,8 +55,58 @@ async function main() {
     console.error(`Tag creation for ${tagName} failed`);
     throw ex;
   }
+}
+
+async function dispatchReleaseWorkflows(octokit, releaseVersion) {
+  console.log('Dispatching release manifest sync');
+  await octokit.actions.createWorkflowDispatch({
+    owner: 'backstage',
+    repo: 'backstage',
+    workflow_id: 'sync_release-manifest.yml',
+    ref: 'master',
+    inputs: {
+      version: releaseVersion,
+    },
+  });
+
+  console.log('Dispatching upgrade helper sync');
+  await octokit.actions.createWorkflowDispatch({
+    owner: 'backstage',
+    repo: 'upgrade-helper-diff',
+    workflow_id: 'release.yml',
+    ref: 'master',
+    inputs: {
+      // TODO(Rugvip): Switch this over to use the release version once it's ready
+      version: require('../packages/create-app/package.json').version,
+    },
+  });
+}
+
+async function main() {
+  const shouldDispatch = process.argv.includes('--dispatch-workflows');
+
+  if (!process.env.GITHUB_SHA) {
+    throw new Error('GITHUB_SHA is not set');
+  }
+  if (!process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN) {
+    throw new Error('GITHUB_TOKEN is not set');
+  }
+
+  const commitSha = process.env.GITHUB_SHA;
+  const octokit = new Octokit({ auth: process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN });
+
+  const releaseVersion = await getCurrentReleaseTag();
+  const tagName = `v${releaseVersion}`;
+
+  console.log(`Creating release tag ${tagName} at ${commitSha}`);
+  await createGitTag(octokit, commitSha, tagName);
 
   console.log(`::set-output name=tag_name::${tagName}`);
+
+  if (shouldDispatch) {
+    console.log(`Dispatching release workflows for ${tagName}`);
+    await dispatchReleaseWorkflows(octokit, releaseVersion);
+  }
 }
 
 main().catch(error => {