diff --git a/.github/workflows/dependabot-auto-merge.yml b/.github/workflows/dependabot-auto-merge.yml
index 1d9e126..7680b68 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dependabot-auto-merge.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dependabot-auto-merge.yml
@@ -10,13 +10,17 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   auto-merge:
-    name: Auto-merge
+    name: Auto-merge dependabot pull requests
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     if: github.actor == 'dependabot[bot]'
-
     steps:
+      - name: Approve
+        run: gh pr review "$PR_URL" --approve --comment --body "Auto-approve Dependabot pull requests"
+        env:
+          PR_URL: ${{ github.event.pull_request.html_url }}
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.LOCALSTACK_BOT_TOKEN }}
       - name: Enable auto-merge
-        run: gh pr merge --auto --squash "$PR_URL"
+        run: gh pr merge "$PR_URL" --auto --squash
         env:
           PR_URL: ${{ github.event.pull_request.html_url }}
-          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.LOCALSTACK_BOT_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-auto-merge.yml b/.github/workflows/release-auto-merge.yml
index 7edaa52..42c1c0c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-auto-merge.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-auto-merge.yml
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   auto-merge:
-    name: Enable auto-merge on release PRs
+    name: Auto-merge release pull requests
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - name: Enable auto-merge on release PRs
+      - name: Find release pull request, approve and enable auto-merge
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.LOCALSTACK_BOT_TOKEN }}
           GH_REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
@@ -26,5 +26,6 @@ jobs:
             --jq '.[].number' | \
           while read -r pr; do
             echo "Enabling auto-merge on PR #$pr"
+            gh pr review "$pr" --approve --comment --body "Auto-approve weekly releases"
             gh pr merge "$pr" --auto --squash
           done
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index ddd8620..e62b09e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ jobs:
       - uses: googleapis/release-please-action@v4
         id: release
         with:
-          token: ${{ secrets.LOCALSTACK_BOT_TOKEN }}
           release-type: node
 
   build: