diff --git a/tools/release/rc-to-main.sh b/tools/release/rc-to-main.sh
index c037337ba..3f1ea2daa 100755
--- a/tools/release/rc-to-main.sh
+++ b/tools/release/rc-to-main.sh
@@ -44,12 +44,12 @@ echo "  Update example templates to point to it:" >> rc_to_main.md
 echo "    \`./tools/release/example.sh . aws-all ~/psoxy-example-aws\`" >> rc_to_main.md
 echo "    \`./tools/release/example.sh . gcp ~/psoxy-example-gcp\`" >> rc_to_main.md
 
-PR_URL=$(gh pr create --title "$RELEASE" --body-file rc_to_main.d --base main --assignee "@me")
-PR_NUMBER=$(echo $PR_URL | sed -n 's/.*\/pull\/\([0-9]*\).*/\1/p').
+PR_URL=$(gh pr create --title "$RELEASE" --body-file rc_to_main.md --base main --assignee "@me")
+PR_NUMBER=$(echo $PR_URL | sed -n 's/.*\/pull\/\([0-9]*\).*/\1/p')
 
 rm rc_to_main.md
-# TODO: setting merge like this never seems to work
-gh pr merge $PR_NUMBER --merge --auto
+
+gh pr merge $PR_NUMBER --auto --merge --subject "release $RELEASE from PR #${PR_NUMBER}" --body "release $RELEASE from PR #${PR_NUMBER}"
 
 printf "created PR ${GREEN}${PR_URL}${NC} and set to auto-merge to ${BLUE}main${NC}\n"