diff --git a/.github/workflows/run-patch-release.yml b/.github/workflows/run-patch-release.yml
index e1bd0ca2b25..57347730410 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/run-patch-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/run-patch-release.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ on:
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
       version:
-        description: 'The current version to be released, normally the `FF version` (semver format: major.minor.patch)'
+        description: 'The current to-be-released version (semver format: major.minor.patch). E.g. If the feature freeze / release for 9.3.1 is coming, use 9.3.1.'
         required: true
         type: string
 
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ jobs:
     env:
       RELEASE_BRANCH: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.release-branch }}
       RELEASE_TYPE: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.release-type }}
-      RELEASE_VERSION: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.release-version }}
     steps:
       - name: Get token
         id: get_token
@@ -59,10 +58,18 @@ jobs:
         with:
           # 0 indicates all history for all branches and tags.
           fetch-depth: 0
-          # Use the makefile in the given release branch.
-          ref: ${{ env.RELEASE_BRANCH }}
           token: ${{ steps.get_token.outputs.token }}
 
+      - id: bump_version
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          VERSION="${{ needs.prepare.outputs.release-version }}"
+          MAJOR=$(echo "$VERSION" | cut -d. -f1)
+          MINOR=$(echo "$VERSION" | cut -d. -f2)
+          PATCH=$(echo "$VERSION" | cut -d. -f3)
+          NEW_VERSION="${MAJOR}.${MINOR}.$((PATCH + 1))"
+          echo "version=${NEW_VERSION}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
       # Required to use a service account, otherwise PRs created by
       # GitHub bot won't trigger any CI builds.
       # See https://github.com/peter-evans/create-pull-request/issues/48#issuecomment-537478081
@@ -82,6 +89,7 @@ jobs:
       - run: make patch-release
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.get_token.outputs.token }}
+          BUMP_VERSION: ${{ steps.bump_version.outputs.version }}
 
       - if: success()
         uses: elastic/oblt-actions/slack/send@v1
@@ -89,8 +97,8 @@ jobs:
           bot-token: ${{ secrets.SLACK_BOT_TOKEN }}
           channel-id: ${{ env.SLACK_CHANNEL }}
           message: |-
-            Feature freeze for `${{ github.repository }}@${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}` is Today.
-            All the relevant PRs and issues have been created.
+            PRs to bump versions in `${{ github.repository }}@${{ env.RELEASE_BRANCH }}` branch to `${{ steps.bump_version.outputs.version }}` have been created.
+            Remember to create PRs for the changelogs separately!
           thread-timestamp: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.slack-thread || '' }}
 
       - if: failure()
diff --git a/release.mk b/release.mk
index 7d2c5300f3f..afa4cb6a6af 100644
--- a/release.mk
+++ b/release.mk
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ ifneq ($(shell command -v gh 2>/dev/null),)
 CURRENT_RELEASE ?= $(shell gh release list --exclude-drafts --exclude-pre-releases --repo elastic/apm-server --limit 10 --json tagName --jq '.[].tagName|select(. | startswith("v$(PROJECT_MAJOR_VERSION)"))' | sed 's|v||g' | sort -r | head -n 1)
 RELEASE_BRANCH ?= $(PROJECT_MAJOR_VERSION).$(PROJECT_MINOR_VERSION)
 NEXT_PROJECT_MINOR_VERSION ?= $(PROJECT_MAJOR_VERSION).$(shell expr $(PROJECT_MINOR_VERSION) + 1).0
-NEXT_RELEASE ?= $(RELEASE_BRANCH).$(shell expr $(PROJECT_PATCH_VERSION) + 1)
-BRANCH_PATCH = update-$(NEXT_RELEASE)
 endif
 
 # BASE_BRANCH select by release type (default patch)
@@ -106,26 +104,16 @@ major-release:
 
 # This is the contract with the GitHub action .github/workflows/run-patch-release.yml
 # The GitHub action will provide the below environment variables:
-#  - RELEASE_VERSION
+#  - BUMP_VERSION
 #
 .PHONY: patch-release
 patch-release:
 	@echo "INFO: Create feature branch and update the versions. Target branch $(RELEASE_BRANCH)"
-	$(MAKE) create-branch NAME=$(BRANCH_PATCH) BASE=$(RELEASE_BRANCH)
-	$(MAKE) update-version VERSION=$(RELEASE_VERSION)
-	$(MAKE) update-version-makefile VERSION=$(PROJECT_MAJOR_VERSION)\.$(PROJECT_MINOR_VERSION)
-	$(MAKE) update-version-legacy VERSION=$(NEXT_RELEASE) PREVIOUS_VERSION=$(CURRENT_RELEASE)
-	$(MAKE) create-commit COMMIT_MESSAGE="$(RELEASE_BRANCH): update versions to $(RELEASE_VERSION)"
-	@echo "INFO: Push changes to $(PROJECT_OWNER)/apm-server and create the relevant Pull Requests"
-	$(MAKE) create-pull-request BRANCH=$(BRANCH_PATCH) TARGET_BRANCH=$(RELEASE_BRANCH) TITLE="$(RELEASE_VERSION): update versions" BODY="Merge on request by the Release Manager." BACKPORT_LABEL=backport-skip
-
-	@echo "INFO: Create feature branch and update the versions. Target branch $(BASE_BRANCH)"
-	$(MAKE) create-branch NAME=update-$(RELEASE_VERSION) BASE=$(BASE_BRANCH)
-	$(MAKE) update-changelog VERSION=$(RELEASE_VERSION)
-	$(MAKE) create-commit COMMIT_MESSAGE="[Release] update changelogs for $(RELEASE_BRANCH) release"
+	$(MAKE) create-branch NAME="update-$(BUMP_VERSION)" BASE=$(RELEASE_BRANCH)
+	$(MAKE) update-version VERSION=$(BUMP_VERSION)
+	$(MAKE) create-commit COMMIT_MESSAGE="$(RELEASE_BRANCH): update versions to $(BUMP_VERSION)"
 	@echo "INFO: Push changes to $(PROJECT_OWNER)/apm-server and create the relevant Pull Requests"
-	git push origin update-$(RELEASE_VERSION)
-	$(MAKE) create-pull-request BRANCH=update-$(RELEASE_VERSION) TARGET_BRANCH=$(BASE_BRANCH) TITLE="$(RELEASE_BRANCH): update release notes" BODY="Merge as soon as the GitHub checks are green."
+	$(MAKE) create-pull-request BRANCH="update-$(BUMP_VERSION)" TARGET_BRANCH=$(RELEASE_BRANCH) TITLE="$(BUMP_VERSION): update versions" BODY="Merge on request by the Release Manager." BACKPORT_LABEL=backport-skip
 
 ############################################
 ## Internal make goals to bump versions