diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 171aec932fb..b54150ba9f9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 name: Release
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      validate:
+        type: boolean
+        default: false
+        description: "Validate the release artifacts"
+      version:
+        type: string
+        required: false
+        description: "Override the default version (e.g. v0.0.0-manual-<git-sha>)"
   push:
     tags:
       - 'v*'
@@ -33,13 +42,17 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set the release related variables
         id: set_vars
         run: |
-          GIT_TAG=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 --always)
+          set -x
           GIT_SHA=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)
           GIT_BRANCH=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD | sed -e "s/\//-/g")
 
           # Set version based on event type
           if [[ ${{ github.event_name }} == 'workflow_dispatch' ]]; then
-            VERSION="${GIT_TAG}-${GIT_SHA}"
+            if [[ -n "${{ inputs.version }}" ]]; then
+              VERSION="${{ inputs.version }}"
+            else
+              VERSION="v0.0.0-manual-${GIT_SHA}"
+            fi
             echo "goreleaser_args=--clean --skip=validate" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           elif [[ $GITHUB_REF == refs/tags/* ]]; then
             VERSION="${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/}"
@@ -48,70 +61,123 @@ jobs:
             VERSION="v0.0.0-main"
             echo "goreleaser_args=--clean --skip=validate" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           elif [[ $GITHUB_REF == refs/pull/* ]]; then
+            GIT_TAG=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0)
             PR_NUM=$(echo "${GITHUB_REF}" | sed -E 's|refs/pull/([^/]+)/?.*|\1|')
             VERSION="${GIT_TAG}-pr.${PR_NUM}-${GIT_SHA}"
             echo "goreleaser_args=--snapshot --clean" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           else
-            VERSION="${GIT_TAG}-${GIT_BRANCH}-${GIT_SHA}"
-            echo "goreleaser_args=--snapshot --clean" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+            echo "Unknown event type"
+            exit 1
           fi
           echo "version=${VERSION}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
-  helm:
-    name: Package helm charts
-    needs: setup
-    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+  # helm:
+  #   name: Package helm charts
+  #   needs: setup
+  #   runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+  #   steps:
+  #     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Helm login to ${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }}
-        if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
-        run: echo "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" | helm registry login ${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }} -u ${{ github.repository_owner }} --password-stdin
+  #     - name: Helm login to ${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }}
+  #       if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
+  #       run: echo "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" | helm registry login ${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }} -u ${{ github.repository_owner }} --password-stdin
 
-      - name: Lint kgateway chart on PRs
-        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' }}
-        run: helm lint install/helm/kgateway
+  #     - name: Lint kgateway chart on PRs
+  #       if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' }}
+  #       run: helm lint install/helm/kgateway
 
-      - name: Package kgateway chart
-        run: make package-kgateway-chart
-        env:
-          VERSION: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.version }}
+  #     - name: Package kgateway chart
+  #       run: make package-kgateway-chart
+  #       env:
+  #         VERSION: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.version }}
 
-      - name: Push kgateway chart to registry
-        if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
-        run: |
-          helm push _test/kgateway-${{ needs.setup.outputs.version }}.tgz oci://${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }}/charts
+  #     - name: Push kgateway chart to registry
+  #       if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
+  #       run: |
+  #         helm push _test/kgateway-${{ needs.setup.outputs.version }}.tgz oci://${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }}/charts
+
+  # goreleaser:
+  #   name: goreleaser
+  #   needs: [setup, helm]
+  #   runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+  #   steps:
+  #     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+  #       with:
+  #         fetch-depth: 0
+
+  #     - uses: actions/setup-go@v5
+  #       with:
+  #         go-version-file: "go.mod"
+  #         cache: true
+
+  #     - name: Log into ghcr.io
+  #       if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
+  #       uses: docker/login-action@v3
+  #       with:
+  #         registry: ${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }}
+  #         username: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
+  #         password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+  #     - uses: "docker/setup-qemu-action@v3"
+  #     - uses: "docker/setup-buildx-action@v3"
 
-  goreleaser:
-    name: goreleaser
-    needs: [setup, helm]
+  #     - name: Run goreleaser
+  #       run: make release
+  #       env:
+  #         GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+  #         VERSION: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.version }}
+  #         IMAGE_REGISTRY: ${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }}
+  #         GORELEASER_ARGS: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.goreleaser_args }}
+  #         GORELEASER_CURRENT_TAG: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.version }}
+
+  validate:
+    name: Validate release artifacts
+    needs: [setup]
+    if: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/') || inputs.validate }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
     steps:
+      - name: Print out validate inputs
+        run: |
+          set -x
+          echo "validate: ${{ inputs.validate }}"
+          echo "version: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.version }}"
+
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          fetch-depth: 0
 
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
           go-version-file: "go.mod"
-          cache: true
 
-      - name: Log into ghcr.io
+      - name: Login to ghcr.io
         if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
-        uses: docker/login-action@v3
-        with:
-          registry: ${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }}
-          username: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
-          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: echo "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" | helm registry login ${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }} -u ${{ github.repository_owner }} --password-stdin
 
-      - uses: "docker/setup-qemu-action@v3"
-      - uses: "docker/setup-buildx-action@v3"
+      - name: Download module dependencies
+        run: make mod-download
+
+      - name: Setup kind cluster
+        run: ./ci/kind/setup-kind.sh
+        env:
+          VERSION: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.version }}
+          SKIP_DOCKER: "true"
+          CONFORMANCE: "true"
+
+      - name: Install the released chart
+        run: |
+          helm install --create-namespace --namespace kgateway-system kgateway \
+            oci://${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }}/charts/kgateway \
+            --version ${{ needs.setup.outputs.version }} \
+            --set controller.image.registry=${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }} \
+            --set gateway.envoyContainer.image.registry=${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }} \
+            --set gateway.sdsContainer.image.registry=${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }} \
+            --wait --timeout 5m
+
+      - name: Wait for the kgateway deployment to be ready
+        run: |
+          kubectl wait --for=condition=available --timeout=5m deployment/kgateway -n kgateway-system
 
-      - name: Run goreleaser
-        run: make release
+      - name: Run Conformance Tests
+        run: make conformance
+        shell: bash
         env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           VERSION: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.version }}
-          IMAGE_REGISTRY: ${{ env.IMAGE_REGISTRY }}
-          GORELEASER_ARGS: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.goreleaser_args }}
-          GORELEASER_CURRENT_TAG: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.version }}