diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/website.gradle.kts b/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/website.gradle.kts
index 0678ce18..11b5c400 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/website.gradle.kts
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/website.gradle.kts
@@ -288,8 +288,8 @@ val updateWebsiteChangelog by tasks.registering(Copy::class) {
 
 val versionDocs by tasks.registering(Exec::class) {
 
-  description =
-    "creates a new version snapshot of website docs, using the current version defined in gradle.properties"
+  description = "creates a new version snapshot of website docs, " +
+      "using the current version defined in gradle.properties"
   group = "website"
 
   val existingVersions = with(File("$rootDir/website/versions.json")) {
@@ -306,6 +306,8 @@ val versionDocs by tasks.registering(Exec::class) {
 
   workingDir("$rootDir/website")
   commandLine("yarn", "run", "docusaurus", "docs:version", version)
+
+  dependsOn(yarnInstall)
 }
 
 val startSite by tasks.registering(Exec::class) {
diff --git a/release.sh b/release.sh
index 1e5ef9c0..5bf6cbd0 100644
--- a/release.sh
+++ b/release.sh
@@ -1,20 +1,49 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2021-2022 Rick Busarow
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+#
+
+# exit when any command fails
+set -e
+
+# keep track of the last executed command
+# shellcheck disable=SC2154
+trap 'last_command=$current_command; current_command=$BASH_COMMAND' DEBUG
+# echo an error message before exiting
+# shellcheck disable=SC2154
+trap 'echo "\"${last_command}\" command filed with exit code $?."' EXIT
+
+./gradlew clean
 
 # Publish Maven release
-./gradlew publish --no-daemon --no-parallel
+./gradlew publish --no-daemon --no-parallel --no-configuration-cache
 
 # Close Maven release
-./gradlew closeAndReleaseRepository --no-daemon --no-parallel
+./gradlew closeAndReleaseRepository --no-daemon --no-parallel --no-configuration-cache
 
 # Publish to Gradle Plugin Portal
-./gradlew publishPlugins
+./gradlew publishPlugins --no-configuration-cache
 
 # Create new website docs version
 ./gradlew versionDocs
 
 # Set all versions in the root README to the new version
-./gradlew updateProjectReadmeVersionRefs
+./gradlew updateProjectReadmeVersionRefs --no-configuration-cache
+
+# Copy the CHANGELOG from project root to the website dir and update its formatting
+./gradlew updateWebsiteChangelog
 
 echo
 echo ' ___ _   _  ___ ___ ___  ___ ___'