diff --git a/.github/actions/release-branches/release-branches.py b/.github/actions/release-branches/release-branches.py
index 8e8bf37db5..664d016ed7 100644
--- a/.github/actions/release-branches/release-branches.py
+++ b/.github/actions/release-branches/release-branches.py
@@ -1,12 +1,19 @@
 import argparse
 import json
 import os
-import subprocess
+import configparser
 
 # Name of the remote
 ORIGIN = 'origin'
 
-OLDEST_SUPPORTED_MAJOR_VERSION = 2
+script_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
+grandparent_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(script_dir))
+
+config = configparser.ConfigParser()
+with open(os.path.join(grandparent_dir, 'releases.ini')) as stream:
+    config.read_string('[default]\n' + stream.read())
+
+OLDEST_SUPPORTED_MAJOR_VERSION = config['default']['OLDEST_SUPPORTED_MAJOR_VERSION']
 
 def main():
 
diff --git a/.github/releases.ini b/.github/releases.ini
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..83aee4b155
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/releases.ini
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+OLDEST_SUPPORTED_MAJOR_VERSION=2
diff --git a/.github/workflows/script/update-required-checks.sh b/.github/workflows/script/update-required-checks.sh
index a06e90a380..f55ee8256b 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/script/update-required-checks.sh
+++ b/.github/workflows/script/update-required-checks.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 # Update the required checks based on the current branch.
 # Typically, this will be main.
 
+SCRIPT_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" >/dev/null 2>&1 && pwd )"
+REPO_DIR="$(dirname "$SCRIPT_DIR")"
+GRANDPARENT_DIR="$(dirname "$REPO_DIR")"
+source "$GRANDPARENT_DIR/releases.ini"
+
 if ! gh auth status 2>/dev/null; then
   gh auth status
   echo "Failed: Not authorized. This script requires admin access to github/codeql-action through the gh CLI."
@@ -29,7 +34,22 @@ echo "$CHECKS" | jq
 
 echo "{\"contexts\": ${CHECKS}}" > checks.json
 
-for BRANCH in main releases/v2; do
+echo "Updating main"
+gh api --silent -X "PATCH" "repos/github/codeql-action/branches/main/protection/required_status_checks" --input checks.json
+
+# list all branchs on origin remote matching releases/v*
+BRANCHES="$(git ls-remote --heads origin 'releases/v*' | sed 's?.*refs/heads/??' | sort -V)"
+
+for BRANCH in $BRANCHES; do
+
+  # strip exact 'releases/v' prefix from $BRANCH using count of characters
+  VERSION="${BRANCH:10}"
+
+  if [ "$VERSION" -lt "$OLDEST_SUPPORTED_MAJOR_VERSION" ]; then
+    echo "Skipping $BRANCH"
+    continue
+  fi
+
   echo "Updating $BRANCH"
   gh api --silent -X "PATCH" "repos/github/codeql-action/branches/$BRANCH/protection/required_status_checks" --input checks.json
 done
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 67d435103c..ea4ac72adb 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -76,7 +76,9 @@ Since the `codeql-action` runs most of its testing through individual Actions wo
 
 1. By default, this script retrieves the checks from the latest SHA on `main`, so make sure that your `main` branch is up to date.
 2. Run the script. If there's a reason to, you can pass in a different SHA as a CLI argument.
-3. After running, go to the [branch protection rules settings page](https://github.com/github/codeql-action/settings/branches) and validate that the rules for `main`, `v1`, and `v2` have been updated.
+3. After running, go to the [branch protection rules settings page](https://github.com/github/codeql-action/settings/branches) and validate that the rules for `main`, `v2`, and `v3` have been updated.
+
+Note that any updates to checks need to be backported to the `releases/v2` branch, in order to maintain the same set of names for required checks.
 
 ## Deprecating a CodeQL version (write access required)
 
@@ -111,8 +113,8 @@ To deprecate an older version of the Action:
    - Add a changelog note announcing the deprecation.
    - Implement an Actions warning for customers using the deprecated version.
 1. Wait for the deprecation period to pass.
-1. Upgrade the Actions warning for customers using the deprecated version to a non-fatal error, and mention that this version of the Action is no longer supported. 
-1. Make a PR to bump the `OLDEST_SUPPORTED_MAJOR_VERSION` in [release-branches.py](.github/actions/release-branches/release-branches.py).  Once this PR is merged, the release process will no longer backport changes to the deprecated release version.
+1. Upgrade the Actions warning for customers using the deprecated version to a non-fatal error, and mention that this version of the Action is no longer supported.
+1. Make a PR to bump the `OLDEST_SUPPORTED_MAJOR_VERSION` in [releases.ini](.github/releases.ini).  Once this PR is merged, the release process will no longer backport changes to the deprecated release version.
 
 ## Resources