diff --git a/lib/github.js b/lib/github.js
index 6d838bd..c725825 100644
--- a/lib/github.js
+++ b/lib/github.js
@@ -8,10 +8,32 @@ var __awaiter = (this && this.__awaiter) || function (thisArg, _arguments, P, ge
         step((generator = generator.apply(thisArg, _arguments || [])).next());
     });
 };
+var __asyncValues = (this && this.__asyncValues) || function (o) {
+    if (!Symbol.asyncIterator) throw new TypeError("Symbol.asyncIterator is not defined.");
+    var m = o[Symbol.asyncIterator], i;
+    return m ? m.call(o) : (o = typeof __values === "function" ? __values(o) : o[Symbol.iterator](), i = {}, verb("next"), verb("throw"), verb("return"), i[Symbol.asyncIterator] = function () { return this; }, i);
+    function verb(n) { i[n] = o[n] && function (v) { return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) { v = o[n](v), settle(resolve, reject, v.done, v.value); }); }; }
+    function settle(resolve, reject, d, v) { Promise.resolve(v).then(function(v) { resolve({ value: v, done: d }); }, reject); }
+};
 Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", { value: true });
 const fs_1 = require("fs");
 const mime_1 = require("mime");
 const path_1 = require("path");
+class GitHubReleaseer {
+    constructor(github) {
+        this.github = github;
+    }
+    getReleaseByTag(params) {
+        return this.github.repos.getReleaseByTag(params);
+    }
+    createRelease(params) {
+        return this.github.repos.createRelease(params);
+    }
+    allReleases(params) {
+        return this.github.paginate.iterator(this.github.repos.listReleases.endpoint.merge(params));
+    }
+}
+exports.GitHubReleaseer = GitHubReleaseer;
 exports.asset = (path) => {
     return {
         name: path_1.basename(path),
@@ -36,11 +58,35 @@ exports.upload = (gh, url, path) => __awaiter(void 0, void 0, void 0, function*
         file
     });
 });
-exports.release = (config, gh) => __awaiter(void 0, void 0, void 0, function* () {
+exports.release = (config, releaser) => __awaiter(void 0, void 0, void 0, function* () {
+    var e_1, _a;
     const [owner, repo] = config.github_repository.split("/");
     const tag = config.github_ref.replace("refs/tags/", "");
     try {
-        let release = yield gh.repos.getReleaseByTag({
+        // you can't get a an existing draft by tag
+        // so we must find one in the list of all releases
+        if (config.input_draft) {
+            try {
+                for (var _b = __asyncValues(releaser.allReleases({
+                    owner,
+                    repo
+                })), _c; _c = yield _b.next(), !_c.done;) {
+                    const release = _c.value;
+                    if (tag == release.data.tag_name) {
+                        return release.data;
+                    }
+                    console.log(`release '${release.data.tag_name}' not equal to target tag '${tag}'`);
+                }
+            }
+            catch (e_1_1) { e_1 = { error: e_1_1 }; }
+            finally {
+                try {
+                    if (_c && !_c.done && (_a = _b.return)) yield _a.call(_b);
+                }
+                finally { if (e_1) throw e_1.error; }
+            }
+        }
+        let release = yield releaser.getReleaseByTag({
             owner,
             repo,
             tag
@@ -55,7 +101,7 @@ exports.release = (config, gh) => __awaiter(void 0, void 0, void 0, function* ()
                 const body = config.input_body;
                 const draft = config.input_draft;
                 console.log(`👩‍🏭 Creating new GitHub release for tag ${tag_name}...`);
-                let release = yield gh.repos.createRelease({
+                let release = yield releaser.createRelease({
                     owner,
                     repo,
                     tag_name,
@@ -68,7 +114,7 @@ exports.release = (config, gh) => __awaiter(void 0, void 0, void 0, function* ()
             catch (error) {
                 // presume a race with competing metrix runs
                 console.log(`⚠️ GitHub release failed with status: ${error.status}, retrying...`);
-                return exports.release(config, gh);
+                return exports.release(config, releaser);
             }
         }
         else {
diff --git a/lib/main.js b/lib/main.js
index cd98f3c..f62300c 100644
--- a/lib/main.js
+++ b/lib/main.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ function run() {
                 throw new Error(`⚠️ GitHub Releases requires a tag`);
             }
             const gh = new github_2.GitHub(config.github_token);
-            let rel = yield github_1.release(config, gh);
+            let rel = yield github_1.release(config, new github_1.GitHubReleaseer(gh));
             if (config.input_files) {
                 util_1.paths(config.input_files).forEach((path) => __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
                     yield github_1.upload(gh, rel.upload_url, path);
diff --git a/src/github.ts b/src/github.ts
index 2c8ed71..d586f39 100644
--- a/src/github.ts
+++ b/src/github.ts
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ export const release = async (
         if (tag == release.data.tag_name) {
           return release.data;
         }
+        console.log(`release '${release.data.tag_name}' not equal to target tag '${tag}'`);
       }
     }
     let release = await releaser.getReleaseByTag({