diff --git a/lib/promote_release.js b/lib/promote_release.js
index a83f088d..b3551af0 100644
--- a/lib/promote_release.js
+++ b/lib/promote_release.js
@@ -134,12 +134,9 @@ export default class ReleasePromotion extends Session {
 
     // Set up for next release.
     cli.startSpinner('Setting up for next release');
-    await this.setupForNextRelease();
+    const workingOnNewReleaseCommit = await this.setupForNextRelease();
     cli.stopSpinner('Successfully set up for next release');
 
-    // Merge vX.Y.Z-proposal into vX.x.
-    await this.mergeProposalBranch();
-
     // Cherry pick release commit to master.
     const shouldCherryPick = await cli.prompt(
       'Cherry-pick release commit to the default branch?', { defaultAnswer: true });
@@ -186,8 +183,8 @@ export default class ReleasePromotion extends Session {
       }
     }
 
-    // Push to the remote default branch and release tag.
-    await this.pushTagAndDefaultBranchToRemote();
+    // Push to the remote the release tag, and default, release, and staging branch.
+    await this.pushToRemote(workingOnNewReleaseCommit);
 
     // Promote and sign the release builds.
     await this.promoteAndSignRelease();
@@ -385,7 +382,7 @@ export default class ReleasePromotion extends Session {
 
     // Create 'Working On' commit.
     await forceRunAsync('git', ['add', filePath], { ignoreFailure: false });
-    return forceRunAsync('git', [
+    await forceRunAsync('git', [
       'commit',
       ...this.gpgSign,
       '-m',
@@ -393,48 +390,27 @@ export default class ReleasePromotion extends Session {
       '-m',
       `PR-URL: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/${prid}`
     ], { ignoreFailure: false });
+    return forceRunAsync('git', ['rev-parse', 'HEAD'],
+      { ignoreFailure: false, captureStdout: true });
   }
 
-  async mergeProposalBranch() {
-    const { cli, dryRun, stagingBranch, versionComponents } = this;
+  async pushToRemote(workingOnNewReleaseCommit) {
+    const { cli, dryRun, version, versionComponents, stagingBranch } = this;
     const releaseBranch = `v${versionComponents.major}.x`;
-
-    let prompt = 'Merge proposal branch into staging branch?';
-    if (dryRun) {
-      cli.info(dryRunMessage);
-      cli.info('Run the following commands to merge the staging branch:');
-      cli.info(`git push ${this.upstream} HEAD:refs/heads/${releaseBranch
-                                        } HEAD:refs/heads/${stagingBranch}`);
-      prompt = 'Ready to continue?';
-    }
-
-    const shouldMergeProposalBranch = await cli.prompt(prompt, { defaultAnswer: true });
-    if (!shouldMergeProposalBranch) {
-      cli.warn('Aborting release promotion');
-      throw new Error('Aborted');
-    } else if (dryRun) {
-      return;
-    }
-
-    // TODO: find a solution for key passphrase from the terminal
-    cli.startSpinner('Merging proposal branch');
-    await forceRunAsync('git', ['push', this.upstream, `HEAD:refs/heads/${releaseBranch}`,
-                                                       `HEAD:refs/heads/${stagingBranch}`],
-    { ignoreFailure: false });
-    cli.stopSpinner('Merged proposal branch');
-  }
-
-  async pushTagAndDefaultBranchToRemote() {
-    const { cli, dryRun, version } = this;
     const tagVersion = `v${version}`;
 
     this.defaultBranch ??= await this.getDefaultBranch();
 
-    let prompt = `Push release tag and ${this.defaultBranch} to ${this.upstream}?`;
+    let prompt = `Push release tag and commits to ${this.upstream}?`;
     if (dryRun) {
       cli.info(dryRunMessage);
-      cli.info('Run the following commands to push to remote:');
-      cli.info(`git push ${this.upstream} ${this.defaultBranch} ${tagVersion}`);
+      cli.info('Run the following command to push to remote:');
+      cli.info(`git push ${this.upstream} ${
+        this.defaultBranch} ${
+        tagVersion} ${
+        workingOnNewReleaseCommit}:refs/heads/${releaseBranch} ${
+        workingOnNewReleaseCommit}:refs/heads/${stagingBranch}`);
+      cli.warn('Once pushed, you must not delete the local tag');
       prompt = 'Ready to continue?';
     }
 
@@ -447,9 +423,13 @@ export default class ReleasePromotion extends Session {
     }
 
     cli.startSpinner('Pushing to remote');
-    await forceRunAsync('git', ['push', this.upstream, this.defaultBranch, tagVersion],
-      { ignoreFailure: false });
-    cli.stopSpinner(`Pushed ${tagVersion} and ${this.defaultBranch} to remote`);
+    await forceRunAsync('git', ['push', this.upstream, this.defaultBranch, tagVersion,
+      `${workingOnNewReleaseCommit}:refs/heads/${releaseBranch}`,
+      `${workingOnNewReleaseCommit}:refs/heads/${stagingBranch}`],
+    { ignoreFailure: false });
+    cli.stopSpinner(`Pushed ${tagVersion}, ${this.defaultBranch}, ${
+      releaseBranch}, and ${stagingBranch} to remote`);
+    cli.warn('Now that it has been pushed, you must not delete the local tag');
   }
 
   async promoteAndSignRelease() {