diff --git a/.woodpecker/docker.yaml b/.woodpecker/docker.yaml
index c740514487b..eeb47988b53 100644
--- a/.woodpecker/docker.yaml
+++ b/.woodpecker/docker.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ when:
   - event: push
     branch:
       - ${CI_REPO_DEFAULT_BRANCH}
+      - release/*
       - renovate/*
 
 depends_on:
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ steps:
         path: *when_path
       - branch:
           - ${CI_REPO_DEFAULT_BRANCH}
+          - release/*
           - renovate/*
         event: [push, tag]
         path: *when_path
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ steps:
         path: *when_path
       - branch:
           - ${CI_REPO_DEFAULT_BRANCH}
+          - release/*
           - renovate/*
         event: [push, tag]
         path: *when_path
@@ -105,8 +108,10 @@ steps:
       - event: pull_request
         path: *when_path
       - event: push
-        branch: renovate/*
         path: *when_path
+        branch:
+          - release/*
+          - renovate/*
 
   cross-compile-server:
     depends_on:
@@ -138,7 +143,7 @@ steps:
       platforms: *platforms_preview
       tag: pull_${CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST}
       logins: *publish_logins
-    when:
+    when: &when-preview
       evaluate: 'CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST_LABELS contains "build_pr_images"'
       event: pull_request
 
@@ -152,11 +157,9 @@ steps:
       platforms: *platforms_preview
       tag: pull_${CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST}-alpine
       logins: *publish_logins
-    when:
-      evaluate: 'CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST_LABELS contains "build_pr_images"'
-      event: pull_request
+    when: *when-preview
 
-  build-server:
+  build-server-dryrun:
     depends_on:
       - vendor
       - build-web
@@ -168,13 +171,15 @@ steps:
       dockerfile: docker/Dockerfile.server.multiarch
       platforms: *platforms_preview
       tag: pull_${CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST}
-    when:
+    when: &when-dryrun
       - evaluate: 'not (CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST_LABELS contains "build_pr_images")'
         event: pull_request
         path: *when_path
       - event: push
-        branch: renovate/*
         path: *when_path
+        branch:
+          - release/*
+          - renovate/*
 
   publish-next-server:
     depends_on:
@@ -186,7 +191,7 @@ steps:
       platforms: *platforms_server
       tag: [next, 'next-${CI_COMMIT_SHA:0:10}']
       logins: *publish_logins
-    when:
+    when: &when-publish-next
       branch: ${CI_REPO_DEFAULT_BRANCH}
       event: push
       path: *when_path
@@ -201,10 +206,7 @@ steps:
       platforms: *platforms_alpine
       tag: [next-alpine, 'next-${CI_COMMIT_SHA:0:10}-alpine']
       logins: *publish_logins
-    when:
-      branch: ${CI_REPO_DEFAULT_BRANCH}
-      event: push
-      path: *when_path
+    when: *when-publish-next
 
   release-server:
     depends_on:
@@ -217,7 +219,7 @@ steps:
       # remove 'latest' on older version branches to avoid accidental downgrade
       tag: [latest, '${CI_COMMIT_TAG}']
       logins: *publish_logins
-    when:
+    when: &when-release
       event: tag
 
   release-server-alpine:
@@ -231,8 +233,7 @@ steps:
       # remove 'latest-alpine' on older version branches to avoid accidental downgrade
       tag: [latest-alpine, '${CI_COMMIT_TAG}-alpine']
       logins: *publish_logins
-    when:
-      event: tag
+    when: *when-release
 
   #############
   # A g e n t #
@@ -249,11 +250,9 @@ steps:
       tag: pull_${CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST}
       build_args: *build_args
       logins: *publish_logins
-    when:
-      evaluate: 'CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST_LABELS contains "build_pr_images"'
-      event: pull_request
+    when: *when-preview
 
-  build-agent:
+  build-agent-dryrun:
     depends_on:
       - vendor
     image: *buildx_plugin
@@ -264,13 +263,7 @@ steps:
       platforms: *platforms_preview
       tag: pull_${CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST}
       build_args: *build_args
-    when:
-      - evaluate: 'not (CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST_LABELS contains "build_pr_images")'
-        event: pull_request
-        path: *when_path
-      - event: push
-        branch: renovate/*
-        path: *when_path
+    when: *when-dryrun
 
   publish-next-agent:
     depends_on:
@@ -305,10 +298,7 @@ steps:
       tag: [next-alpine, 'next-${CI_COMMIT_SHA:0:10}-alpine']
       logins: *publish_logins
       build_args: *build_args
-    when:
-      branch: ${CI_REPO_DEFAULT_BRANCH}
-      event: push
-      path: *when_path
+    when: *when-publish-next
 
   release-agent:
     depends_on:
@@ -325,8 +315,7 @@ steps:
       tag: [latest, '${CI_COMMIT_TAG}']
       logins: *publish_logins
       build_args: *build_args
-    when:
-      event: tag
+    when: *when-release
 
   release-agent-alpine:
     depends_on:
@@ -343,8 +332,7 @@ steps:
       tag: [latest-alpine, '${CI_COMMIT_TAG}-alpine']
       logins: *publish_logins
       build_args: *build_args
-    when:
-      event: tag
+    when: *when-release
 
   #########
   # C L I #
@@ -361,11 +349,9 @@ steps:
       tag: pull_${CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST}
       build_args: *build_args
       logins: *publish_logins
-    when:
-      evaluate: 'CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST_LABELS contains "build_pr_images"'
-      event: pull_request
+    when: *when-preview
 
-  build-cli:
+  build-cli-dryrun:
     depends_on:
       - vendor
     image: *buildx_plugin
@@ -376,13 +362,7 @@ steps:
       platforms: *platforms_preview
       tag: pull_${CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST}
       build_args: *build_args
-    when:
-      - evaluate: 'not (CI_COMMIT_PULL_REQUEST_LABELS contains "build_pr_images")'
-        event: pull_request
-        path: *when_path
-      - event: push
-        branch: renovate/*
-        path: *when_path
+    when: *when-dryrun
 
   publish-next-cli:
     depends_on:
@@ -398,10 +378,7 @@ steps:
       tag: [next, 'next-${CI_COMMIT_SHA:0:10}']
       logins: *publish_logins
       build_args: *build_args
-    when:
-      branch: ${CI_REPO_DEFAULT_BRANCH}
-      event: push
-      path: *when_path
+    when: *when-publish-next
 
   publish-next-cli-alpine:
     depends_on:
@@ -417,10 +394,7 @@ steps:
       tag: [next-alpine, 'next-${CI_COMMIT_SHA:0:10}-alpine']
       logins: *publish_logins
       build_args: *build_args
-    when:
-      branch: ${CI_REPO_DEFAULT_BRANCH}
-      event: push
-      path: *when_path
+    when: *when-publish-next
 
   release-cli:
     depends_on:
@@ -437,8 +411,7 @@ steps:
       tag: [latest, '${CI_COMMIT_TAG}']
       logins: *publish_logins
       build_args: *build_args
-    when:
-      event: tag
+    when: *when-release
 
   release-cli-alpine:
     depends_on:
@@ -455,5 +428,4 @@ steps:
       tag: [latest-alpine, '${CI_COMMIT_TAG}-alpine']
       logins: *publish_logins
       build_args: *build_args
-    when:
-      event: tag
+    when: *when-release