diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 2d9a6a5..9de58ea 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -94,6 +94,11 @@ cve_sbom_analysis:
       when: never
     - when: on_success
 
+# Override release job to wait for stage integration tests before creating tag
+# This ensures the tag (which triggers prod deploy) is only created after stage passes
+release:
+  needs: [integration_test_stage, changelog]
+
 # Full integration test suite template (for feature/stage deployments)
 # Runs the complete pytest integration test suite against the deployed environment
 .integration_test_template: &integration_test_template