diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index a0e496f69b..cf3c375e5d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -119,20 +119,34 @@ jobs:
           name: "${{ matrix.env.TARGET }}"
           path: ${{ github.workspace }}/crate_universe/target/artifacts/${{ matrix.env.TARGET }}
           if-no-files-found: error
-  release:
-    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/heads/main')
+  archive:
     needs: builds
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    outputs:
+      release_version: ${{ steps.version.outputs.release_version }}
+      archive_sha256_base64: ${{ steps.archive.outputs.archive_sha256_base64 }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
           path: ${{ github.workspace }}/crate_universe/target/artifacts
       - name: Detect the current version
+        id: version
         run: |
           version="$(grep 'VERSION =' ${{ github.workspace }}/version.bzl | grep -o '[[:digit:].]\+')"
           echo "RELEASE_VERSION=${version}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "release_version=${version}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      - name: Comment out module overrides in .bazelrc files
+        run: |
+          # Find all .bazelrc files and comment out rules_rust module overrides
+          find . -name "*.bazelrc" -type f | while read -r file; do
+            if grep -q "^common --override_module=rules_rust=" "$file"; then
+              echo "Commenting out module override in: $file"
+              sed -i 's/^common --override_module=rules_rust=/# &/' "$file"
+            fi
+          done
       - name: Create the rules archive
+        id: archive
         run: |
           # Update urls and sha256 values
           bazel ${BAZEL_STARTUP_FLAGS[@]} run //crate_universe/tools/urls_generator \
@@ -151,20 +165,34 @@ jobs:
             --exclude="examples" \
             .
 
-          # Save the sha256 checksum of the distro archive to the environment
+          # Save the sha256 checksum of the distro archive to the environment and output
           sha256_base64="$(shasum --algorithm 256 ${{ github.workspace }}/.github/rules_rust.tar.gz | awk '{ print $1 }' | xxd -r -p | base64)"
           echo "ARCHIVE_SHA256_BASE64=${sha256_base64}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "archive_sha256_base64=${sha256_base64}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
         env:
           CARGO_BAZEL_GENERATOR_URL: file://${{ github.workspace }}/crate_universe/target/artifacts/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/cargo-bazel
           ARTIFACTS_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}/crate_universe/target/artifacts
           URL_PREFIX: https://github.com/${{ github.repository_owner }}/rules_rust/releases/download/${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}
 
-      # Upload the artifact in case creating a release fails so all artifacts can then be manually recovered.
+      # Upload the archive for review in PRs or manual recovery if release fails
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: "rules_rust.tar.gz"
           path: ${{ github.workspace }}/.github/rules_rust.tar.gz
           if-no-files-found: error
+  release:
+    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/heads/main')
+    needs: [archive]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          path: ${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts
+      - name: Set release version
+        run: |
+          echo "RELEASE_VERSION=${{ needs.archive.outputs.release_version }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "ARCHIVE_SHA256_BASE64=${{ needs.archive.outputs.archive_sha256_base64 }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - name: Generate release notes
         run: |
           # Generate the release notes
@@ -189,7 +217,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           upload_url: ${{ steps.rules_rust_release.outputs.upload_url }}
           asset_name: rules_rust-${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}.tar.gz
-          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/.github/rules_rust.tar.gz
+          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts/rules_rust.tar.gz/rules_rust.tar.gz
           asset_content_type: application/gzip
 
       # There must be a upload action for each platform triple we create
@@ -200,7 +228,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           upload_url: ${{ steps.rules_rust_release.outputs.upload_url }}
           asset_name: cargo-bazel-aarch64-apple-darwin
-          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/crate_universe/target/artifacts/aarch64-apple-darwin/cargo-bazel
+          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts/aarch64-apple-darwin/cargo-bazel
           asset_content_type: application/octet-stream
       - name: "Upload aarch64-pc-windows-msvc"
         uses: actions/upload-release-asset@v1
@@ -209,7 +237,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           upload_url: ${{ steps.rules_rust_release.outputs.upload_url }}
           asset_name: cargo-bazel-aarch64-pc-windows-msvc.exe
-          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/crate_universe/target/artifacts/aarch64-pc-windows-msvc/cargo-bazel.exe
+          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts/aarch64-pc-windows-msvc/cargo-bazel.exe
           asset_content_type: application/octet-stream
       - name: "Upload aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu"
         uses: actions/upload-release-asset@v1
@@ -218,7 +246,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           upload_url: ${{ steps.rules_rust_release.outputs.upload_url }}
           asset_name: cargo-bazel-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
-          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/crate_universe/target/artifacts/aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu/cargo-bazel
+          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts/aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu/cargo-bazel
           asset_content_type: application/octet-stream
       - name: "Upload s390x-unknown-linux-gnu"
         uses: actions/upload-release-asset@v1
@@ -227,7 +255,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           upload_url: ${{ steps.rules_rust_release.outputs.upload_url }}
           asset_name: cargo-bazel-s390x-unknown-linux-gnu
-          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/crate_universe/target/artifacts/s390x-unknown-linux-gnu/cargo-bazel
+          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts/s390x-unknown-linux-gnu/cargo-bazel
           asset_content_type: application/octet-stream
       - name: "Upload x86_64-apple-darwin"
         uses: actions/upload-release-asset@v1
@@ -236,7 +264,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           upload_url: ${{ steps.rules_rust_release.outputs.upload_url }}
           asset_name: cargo-bazel-x86_64-apple-darwin
-          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/crate_universe/target/artifacts/x86_64-apple-darwin/cargo-bazel
+          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts/x86_64-apple-darwin/cargo-bazel
           asset_content_type: application/octet-stream
       - name: "Upload x86_64-pc-windows-gnu"
         uses: actions/upload-release-asset@v1
@@ -245,7 +273,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           upload_url: ${{ steps.rules_rust_release.outputs.upload_url }}
           asset_name: cargo-bazel-x86_64-pc-windows-gnu.exe
-          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/crate_universe/target/artifacts/x86_64-pc-windows-gnu/cargo-bazel.exe
+          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts/x86_64-pc-windows-gnu/cargo-bazel.exe
           asset_content_type: application/octet-stream
       - name: "Upload x86_64-pc-windows-msvc"
         uses: actions/upload-release-asset@v1
@@ -254,7 +282,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           upload_url: ${{ steps.rules_rust_release.outputs.upload_url }}
           asset_name: cargo-bazel-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.exe
-          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/crate_universe/target/artifacts/x86_64-pc-windows-msvc/cargo-bazel.exe
+          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts/x86_64-pc-windows-msvc/cargo-bazel.exe
           asset_content_type: application/octet-stream
       - name: "Upload x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu"
         uses: actions/upload-release-asset@v1
@@ -263,7 +291,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           upload_url: ${{ steps.rules_rust_release.outputs.upload_url }}
           asset_name: cargo-bazel-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
-          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/crate_universe/target/artifacts/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/cargo-bazel
+          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/cargo-bazel
           asset_content_type: application/octet-stream
       - name: "Upload x86_64-unknown-linux-musl"
         uses: actions/upload-release-asset@v1
@@ -272,7 +300,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           upload_url: ${{ steps.rules_rust_release.outputs.upload_url }}
           asset_name: cargo-bazel-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl
-          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/crate_universe/target/artifacts/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/cargo-bazel
+          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/cargo-bazel
           asset_content_type: application/octet-stream
       - name: "Upload aarch64-unknown-linux-musl"
         uses: actions/upload-release-asset@v1
@@ -281,5 +309,5 @@ jobs:
         with:
           upload_url: ${{ steps.rules_rust_release.outputs.upload_url }}
           asset_name: cargo-bazel-aarch64-unknown-linux-musl
-          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/crate_universe/target/artifacts/aarch64-unknown-linux-musl/cargo-bazel
+          asset_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts/aarch64-unknown-linux-musl/cargo-bazel
           asset_content_type: application/octet-stream