diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index c4c2457efb..4cd269da45 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -1,19 +1,21 @@
 name: publish
 
 on:
-  workflow_dispatch:
-      inputs:
-          ci_status:
-              description: 'required CI status'
-              default: 'success'
-              required: true
-          prerelease:
-              description: 'prerelease name'
-              required: false
+    workflow_dispatch:
+        inputs:
+            ci_status:
+                description: 'required CI status'
+                default: 'success'
+                required: true
+            prerelease:
+                description: 'prerelease name'
+                required: false
 
 jobs:
     publish:
         runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+        env:
+            PublishBranch: publish/${{github.ref_name }}-${{ github.run_id }}-${{ github.run_number }}
         steps:
             - name: 'check successful status'
               run: |
@@ -28,16 +30,20 @@ jobs:
                   version: nightly
             - uses: actions/checkout@v2
               with:
-                ref: ${{ github.ref }}
-                fetch-depth: 0
+                  ref: ${{ github.ref }}
+                  fetch-depth: 0
             - uses: actions/setup-node@v1
               with:
-                node-version: 16
+                  node-version: 16
             - uses: actions/setup-python@v2
             - name: 'configure git'
               run: |
                   git config --global user.email "github-actions@github.com"
                   git config --global user.name "Github Actions"
+            - name: 'Checkout new branch'
+              run: |
+                  git checkout -b $PublishBranch
+                  git push -u origin $PublishBranch
             - name: 'install dependencies'
               run: |
                   yarn -D
@@ -49,9 +55,23 @@ jobs:
                   NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_PUBLISH_TOKEN }}
                   GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
                   PUBLISH_PRERELEASE: ${{ github.event.inputs.prerelease }}
-            - name: 'merge into main branch'
-              if: github.event.inputs.prerelease == '' # unless it's a prerelease
+            - name: 'Create PR to merge into ref branch'
+              run: |
+                  gh pr create \
+                    -B ${{ github.ref_name }} \
+                    -H $PublishBranch \
+                    --title "Publish: CHANGELOG and Package Version Updates into ${{ github.ref_name }}" \
+                    --body "Syncing CHANGELOG and package version updates from publish action ${{github.run_id}}-${{github.run_number}} into ${{ github.ref_name}} branch" \
+                    --reviewer ${{ github.actor }}
+              env:
+                  GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+            - name: 'Create PR to merge ref branch into main'
               run: |
-                  git checkout main && \
-                  git merge ${{ github.ref }} && \
-                  git push
+                  gh pr create \
+                    -B main \
+                    -H ${{ github.ref_name }} \
+                    --title "Publish: Sync ${{ github.ref_name }} into main " \
+                    --body "Syncing ${{ github.ref_name }} back into main after publish action. NOTE: this PR should be merged after CHANGELOG and package version updates have been merged into ${{ github.ref_name }}" \
+                    --reviewer ${{ github.actor }}
+              env:
+                  GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}