diff --git a/.github/workflows/apim-apk-agent-release.yml b/.github/workflows/apim-apk-agent-release.yml
index d9615306..6e3129b7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/apim-apk-agent-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/apim-apk-agent-release.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ on:
       - '**/apim-apk-agent/**'
     branches:
       - 'master'
+env:
+  GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.APK_BOT_TOKEN }}
 concurrency:
   group: apim-apk-agent-${{ github.event.number || github.run_id }}
   cancel-in-progress: true
@@ -34,6 +36,14 @@ jobs:
           go install github.com/mgechev/revive@v1.3.4
       - name: Checkout product-apim-tooling-repo
         uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: "0"
+          token: ${{ secrets.APK_BOT_TOKEN }}
+      - name: Set release username and email
+        shell: sh
+        run: |
+          git config --global user.name ${{ secrets.APK_BOT_USER }}
+          git config --global user.email ${{ secrets.APK_BOT_EMAIL }}
       - name: checkout pull request and merge.
         shell: sh
         if: github.event_name == 'pull_request_target' && contains(github.event.label.name, 'trigger-action')
@@ -47,7 +57,7 @@ jobs:
           git checkout -b apim-apk-agent-1.x
           git push origin apim-apk-agent-1.x
           cd apim-apk-agent
-          ./gradlew build
+          ./gradlew release -Prelease.useAutomaticVersion=true -Pdocker_organization=${{ secrets.DOCKER_ORGANIZATION }} -Pdocker_username=${{ secrets.DOCKER_USERNAME }} -Pdocker_password=${{ secrets.DOCKER_PASSWORD }} -Prelease.releaseVersion=${{ github.event.inputs.release_version }} -Prelease.newVersion=${{ github.event.inputs.next_version }} -PmultiArch=true -PreleaseBranch=apim-apk-agent-1.x
       - name: Run Gradle Build
         run: |
           cd apim-apk-agent
@@ -56,7 +66,8 @@ jobs:
         if: github.event_name == 'pull_request_target' && github.event.action == 'closed' && github.event.pull_request.merged == true
         run: |
           cd apim-apk-agent
-          ./gradlew build
+          ./gradlew docker_push -Pdocker_organization=${{ secrets.DOCKER_ORGANIZATION }} -Pdocker_username=${{ secrets.DOCKER_USERNAME }} -Pdocker_password=${{ secrets.DOCKER_PASSWORD }} -Pimage_version=latest -PmultiArch=true
+          ./gradlew docker_push -Pdocker_organization=${{ secrets.DOCKER_ORGANIZATION }} -Pdocker_username=${{ secrets.DOCKER_USERNAME }} -Pdocker_password=${{ secrets.DOCKER_PASSWORD }} -Pimage_version=${{ github.sha }} -PmultiArch=true
       - name: run codecov
         uses: codecov/codecov-action@v3
         with:
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 879edeb1..e89f5965 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ import-export-cli/integration/ci-resources/offset1/distribution/
 # Project-local glide cache, RE: https://github.com/Masterminds/glide/issues/736
 import-export-cli/.glide/
 
+apim-apk-agent/.gradle/
+
 import-export-cli/vendor
 
 # Sample API and App for testing
diff --git a/apim-apk-agent/build.gradle b/apim-apk-agent/build.gradle
index 3427b643..d4edf5f0 100644
--- a/apim-apk-agent/build.gradle
+++ b/apim-apk-agent/build.gradle
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ release {
     tagTemplate = 'apim-apk-agent-$version'
 
     git {
-        requireBranch= "main"
+        requireBranch = project.hasProperty('releaseBranch') ? project.releaseBranch : 'master'
         pushToRemote= "origin"
     }
 }