diff --git a/forgejo-release.sh b/forgejo-release.sh
index 650be43..3eab2fe 100755
--- a/forgejo-release.sh
+++ b/forgejo-release.sh
@@ -91,22 +91,32 @@ upload_release() {
         done
     fi
     if $PRERELEASE || echo "${TAG}" | grep -qi '\-rc'; then
-        releaseType="--prerelease"
+        prerelease="true"
         echo "Uploading as Pre-Release"
     else
+        prerelease="false"
         echo "Uploading as Stable"
     fi
     ensure_tag
-    if ! $TEA_BIN release create "${assets[@]}" --repo $REPO --note "$RELEASENOTES" --tag "$TAG" --title "$TITLE" --draft ${releaseType} >&"$TMP_DIR"/tea.log; then
-        if grep --quiet 'Unknown API Error: 500' "$TMP_DIR"/tea.log && grep --quiet services/release/release.go:194 "$TMP_DIR"/tea.log; then
-            echo "workaround v1.20 race condition https://codeberg.org/forgejo/forgejo/issues/1370"
-            sleep 10
-            $TEA_BIN release create "${assets[@]}" --repo $REPO --note "$RELEASENOTES" --tag "$TAG" --title "$TITLE" --draft ${releaseType}
-        else
-            cat "$TMP_DIR"/tea.log
-            return 1
-        fi
+    jq --arg title "$TITLE" --arg body "$RELEASENOTES" --arg tag "$TAG" --arg pre $prerelease '{"draft": true, "name": $title, "body": $body, "prerelease": $pre }' >"$TMP_DIR"/release-payload.json
+    api POST repos/$REPO/releases -d @"$TMP_DIR"/release-payload.json >"$TMP_DIR"/release.json
+    if [ "$SKIP_ASSETS" == 'false' ]; then
+        local id=$(jq --raw-output .id <"$TMP_DIR"/release.json)
+        for file in "$RELEASE_DIR"/*; do
+            local name=$(basename $file)
+            api_bin repos/$REPO/releases/$id/assets/$name -D @$file
+        done
     fi
+    # if ! $TEA_BIN release create "${assets[@]}" --repo $REPO --note "$RELEASENOTES" --tag "$TAG" --title "$TITLE" --draft ${releaseType} >&"$TMP_DIR"/tea.log; then
+    #     if grep --quiet 'Unknown API Error: 500' "$TMP_DIR"/tea.log && grep --quiet services/release/release.go:194 "$TMP_DIR"/tea.log; then
+    #         echo "workaround v1.20 race condition https://codeberg.org/forgejo/forgejo/issues/1370"
+    #         sleep 10
+    #         $TEA_BIN release create "${assets[@]}" --repo $REPO --note "$RELEASENOTES" --tag "$TAG" --title "$TITLE" --draft ${releaseType}
+    #     else
+    #         cat "$TMP_DIR"/tea.log
+    #         return 1
+    #     fi
+    # fi
     maybe_use_release_note_assistant
     release_draft false
 }
@@ -160,9 +170,6 @@ maybe_override() {
 
 upload() {
     setup_api
-    setup_tea
-    rm -f ~/.config/tea/config.yml
-    GITEA_SERVER_TOKEN=$TOKEN $TEA_BIN login add --url $FORGEJO
     maybe_sign_release
     maybe_override
     upload_release
@@ -181,7 +188,16 @@ api() {
     path=$1
     shift
 
-    curl --fail -X "$method" -sS -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" "$@" $FORGEJO/api/v1/"$path"
+    curl --retry 5 --fail -X "$method" -sS -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" "$@" $FORGEJO/api/v1/"$path"
+}
+
+api_bin() {
+    method=$1
+    shift
+    path=$1
+    shift
+
+    curl --retry 5 --fail -X "$method" -sS -H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" "$@" $FORGEJO/api/v1/"$path"
 }
 
 wait_release() {