diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 0832b079955..3136189bc27 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -9,10 +9,6 @@ on:
         required: true
         type: "string"
 
-env:
-  GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL: "167856002+mongodb-dbx-release-bot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
-  GIT_AUTHOR_NAME: "mongodb-dbx-release-bot[bot]"
-
 jobs:
   prepare-release:
     environment: release
@@ -72,10 +68,13 @@ jobs:
           echo '🆕 Creating new release branch ${RELEASE_BRANCH} from ${{ github.ref_name }}' >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
           git checkout -b ${RELEASE_BRANCH}
 
+      # Set commit author information to the user that triggered the release workflow
       - name: "Set git author information"
         run: |
-          git config user.name "${GIT_AUTHOR_NAME}"
-          git config user.email "${GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL}"
+          GITHUB_USER_NAME=$(gh api users/${{ github.actor }} --jq '.name')
+          GITHUB_USER_ID=$(gh api users/${{ github.actor }} --jq '.id')
+          git config user.name "${GITHUB_USER_NAME}}"
+          git config user.email "${GITHUB_USER_ID}+${{ github.actor }}@users.noreply.github.com"
 
       # This step bumps version numbers in build.gradle and creates git artifacts for the release
       - name: "Bump version numbers and create release tag"