diff --git a/.github/workflows/mirror-selenium-releases.yml b/.github/workflows/mirror-selenium-releases.yml
index 1a7829fdad0ed..755b981e51978 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mirror-selenium-releases.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mirror-selenium-releases.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v6
       with:
+        ref: trunk
         persist-credentials: false
     - name: Read api.github.com and filter response
       run: |
@@ -54,4 +55,4 @@ jobs:
       uses: ad-m/github-push-action@master
       with:
         github_token: ${{ secrets.SELENIUM_CI_TOKEN }}
-        branch: ${{ github.ref }}
+        branch: trunk
diff --git a/rake_tasks/java.rake b/rake_tasks/java.rake
index cdfa825a24b44..776bb71083f98 100644
--- a/rake_tasks/java.rake
+++ b/rake_tasks/java.rake
@@ -281,12 +281,10 @@ task :release do |_task, arguments|
 
   unless nightly
     already_published = begin
-      Rake::Task['java:verify'].invoke
+      SeleniumRake.verify_package_published(maven_central_pom_url)
       true
     rescue StandardError
       false
-    ensure
-      Rake::Task['java:verify'].reenable
     end
 
     if already_published
@@ -327,10 +325,26 @@ task :release do |_task, arguments|
   trigger_sonatype_publish(token)
 end
 
+def maven_central_pom_url
+  base = 'https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/seleniumhq/selenium/selenium-java'
+  "#{base}/#{java_version}/selenium-java-#{java_version}.pom"
+end
+
 desc 'Verify Java packages are published on Maven Central'
 task :verify do
-  base = 'https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/seleniumhq/selenium/selenium-java'
-  SeleniumRake.verify_package_published("#{base}/#{java_version}/selenium-java-#{java_version}.pom")
+  deadline = Process.clock_gettime(Process::CLOCK_MONOTONIC) + 600
+
+  begin
+    SeleniumRake.verify_package_published(maven_central_pom_url)
+  rescue StandardError => e
+    if Process.clock_gettime(Process::CLOCK_MONOTONIC) > deadline
+      raise "#{e.class}: #{e.message}; check https://central.sonatype.com/publishing/deployments"
+    end
+
+    puts "  #{e.class}: #{e.message}; Maven Central may still be indexing, retrying in 15s"
+    sleep 15
+    retry
+  end
 end
 
 desc 'Install jars to local m2 directory'