diff --git a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/release-checklist.md b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/release-checklist.md
index 8679a37154f..d71683b04ba 100644
--- a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/release-checklist.md
+++ b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/release-checklist.md
@@ -101,9 +101,6 @@ cargo release replace --verbose --execute --allow-branch '*' --package zebrad
 cargo release commit --verbose --execute --allow-branch '*'
 ```
 
-Crate publishing is [automatically checked in CI](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/actions/workflows/release-crates-io.yml) using "dry run" mode, however due to a bug in `cargo-release` we need to pass exact versions to the alpha crates:
-
-- [ ] Update `zebra-scan` and `zebra-grpc` alpha crates in the [release-crates-dry-run workflow script](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/blob/main/.github/workflows/scripts/release-crates-dry-run.sh)
 - [ ] Push the above version changes to the release branch.
 
 ## Update End of Support
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-crates-io.patch.yml b/.github/workflows/release-crates-io.patch.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index e8f18d6c755..00000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/release-crates-io.patch.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-name: Release crates
-
-on:
-  # Only patch the Release PR test job
-  pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      # code and tests
-      - '**/*.rs'
-      # hard-coded checkpoints (and proptest regressions, which are not actually needed)
-      - '**/*.txt'
-      # dependencies
-      - '**/Cargo.toml'
-      - '**/Cargo.lock'
-      # configuration files
-      - '.cargo/config.toml'
-      - '**/clippy.toml'
-      # READMEs, which are shown on the crate page
-      - '**/README.md'
-      # workflow definitions
-      - '.github/workflows/release-crates.io.yml'
-
-
-jobs:
-  check-release:
-    name: Check crate release dry run
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - run: 'echo "No check required"'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-crates-io.yml b/.github/workflows/release-crates-io.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 32586ce5fbe..00000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/release-crates-io.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,126 +0,0 @@
-# This workflow checks that Zebra's crates.io release script works.
-#
-# We use a separate action, because the changed files are different to a Continuous Deployment
-# or Docker release.
-#
-# This workflow is triggered when:
-# - A PR that changes Rust files, a README, or this workflow is opened or updated
-# - A change is pushed to the main branch
-#
-# TODO:
-# If we decide to automate crates.io releases, we can also publish crates using this workflow, when:
-# - A release is published
-# - A pre-release is changed to a release
-
-name: Release crates
-
-# Ensures that only one workflow task will run at a time. Previous releases, if
-# already in process, won't get cancelled. Instead, we let the first release complete,
-# then queue the latest pending workflow, cancelling any workflows in between.
-#
-# Since the different event types do very different things (test vs release),
-# we can run different event types concurrently.
-#
-# For pull requests, we only run the tests from this workflow, and don't do any releases.
-# So an in-progress pull request gets cancelled, just like other tests.
-concurrency:
-  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event_name }}-${{ github.ref }}
-  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' }}
-
-
-on:
-# disabled for now
-#  release:
-#    types:
-#      - released
-
-  # Only runs the release tests, doesn't release any crates.
-  #
-  # We test all changes on the main branch, just in case the PR paths are too strict.
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - main
-
-  pull_request:
-    paths:
-      # code and tests
-      - '**/*.rs'
-      # hard-coded checkpoints (and proptest regressions, which are not actually needed)
-      - '**/*.txt'
-      # dependencies
-      - '**/Cargo.toml'
-      - '**/Cargo.lock'
-      # configuration files
-      - '.cargo/config.toml'
-      - '**/clippy.toml'
-      # READMEs, which are shown on the crate page
-      - '**/README.md'
-      # workflow definitions
-      - '.github/workflows/release-crates.io.yml'
-
-
-jobs:
-  # Test that Zebra can be released to crates.io using `cargo`.
-  # This checks that Zebra's dependencies and release configs are correct.
-  check-release:
-    name: Check crate release dry run
-    timeout-minutes: 15
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: r7kamura/rust-problem-matchers@v1.5.0
-
-      - name: Checkout git repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4.2.2
-        with:
-          persist-credentials: false
-
-      - name: Inject slug/short variables
-        uses: rlespinasse/github-slug-action@v5
-        with:
-          short-length: 7
-
-      # Setup Rust with stable toolchain and minimal profile
-      - name: Setup Rust
-        run: |
-          curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh -s -- -y --default-toolchain=stable --profile=minimal
-
-      - name: Install cargo-release
-        uses: baptiste0928/cargo-install@v3.3.0
-        with:
-          crate: cargo-release
-
-      # Make sure Zebra can be released!
-      #
-      # These steps should be kept up to date with the release checklist.
-      #
-      - name: Crate release dry run
-        run: |
-          ./.github/workflows/scripts/release-crates-dry-run.sh
-
-  # TODO: actually do the release here
-  #release-crates:
-  #  name: Release Zebra Crates
-  #  needs: [ check-release ]
-  #  runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-  #  timeout-minutes: 30
-  #  if: ${{ !cancelled() && !failure() && github.event_name == 'release' }}
-  #  steps:
-  #  ...
-
-  failure-issue:
-    name: Open or update issues for release crates failures
-    # When a new job is added to this workflow, add it to this list.
-    needs: [ check-release ]
-    # Only open tickets for failed or cancelled jobs that are not coming from PRs.
-    # (PR statuses are already reported in the PR jobs list, and checked by GitHub's Merge Queue.)
-    if: (failure() && github.event.pull_request == null) || (cancelled() && github.event.pull_request == null)
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: jayqi/failed-build-issue-action@v1
-        with:
-          title-template: "{{refname}} branch CI failed: {{eventName}} in {{workflow}}"
-          # New failures open an issue with this label.
-          label-name: S-ci-fail-release-crates-auto-issue
-          # If there is already an open issue with this label, any failures become comments on that issue.
-          always-create-new-issue: false
-          github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scripts/release-crates-dry-run.sh b/.github/workflows/scripts/release-crates-dry-run.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index c83b068f5bd..00000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/scripts/release-crates-dry-run.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-set -ex
-
-# Check if necessary tools are installed
-if ! command -v git &>/dev/null || ! command -v cargo &>/dev/null; then
-    echo "ERROR: Required tools (git, cargo) are not installed."
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-git config --global user.email "release-tests-no-reply@zfnd.org"
-git config --global user.name "Automated Release Test"
-
-# Ensure cargo-release is installed
-if ! cargo release --version &>/dev/null; then
-    echo "ERROR: cargo release must be installed."
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-# Release process
-# We use the same commands as the [release drafter](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/blob/main/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/release-checklist.md#update-crate-versions)
-# with an extra `--no-confirm` argument for non-interactive testing.
-# Update everything except for alpha crates and zebrad:
-cargo release version --verbose --execute --no-confirm --allow-branch '*' --workspace --exclude zebrad --exclude zebra-scan --exclude zebra-grpc beta
-
-# Due to a bug in cargo-release, we need to pass exact versions for alpha crates:
-cargo release version --verbose --execute --no-confirm --allow-branch '*' --package zebra-scan 0.1.0-alpha.13
-cargo release version --verbose --execute --no-confirm --allow-branch '*' --package zebra-grpc 0.1.0-alpha.11
-
-# Update zebrad:
-cargo release version --verbose --execute --no-confirm --allow-branch '*' --package zebrad patch
-# Continue with the release process:
-cargo release replace --verbose --execute --no-confirm --allow-branch '*' --package zebrad
-cargo release commit --verbose --execute --no-confirm --allow-branch '*'
-
-# Dry run to check the release
-# Workaround for unpublished dependency version errors: https://github.com/crate-ci/cargo-release/issues/691
-# TODO: check all crates after fixing these errors
-cargo release publish --verbose --dry-run --allow-branch '*' --workspace --exclude zebra-consensus --exclude zebra-utils --exclude zebrad --exclude zebra-scan
-
-echo "Release process completed."