diff --git a/.github/actions/docker-build/action.yml b/.github/actions/docker-build/action.yml
index b66b34ab9adc4631200c5e1d81ec9f0de819aa80..84f0021546c4f9b0be35a2b70a32f04a8e72a8a3 100644
--- a/.github/actions/docker-build/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/docker-build/action.yml
@@ -12,11 +12,18 @@ inputs:
   action-arguments:
     description: Arguments to pass to the action
     required: false
+  use_cache:
+    description: Whether to use the gradle cache
+    type: boolean
+    required: false
+    default: true
+
 runs:
   using: composite
   steps:
-  - uses: actions/cache@v4
-    name: Gradle Cache
+  - name: Gradle Cache
+    if: ${{ github.event.inputs.use_cache == 'true' }}
+    uses: actions/cache@v4
     with:
       path: |
         gradle/caches
@@ -24,7 +31,7 @@ runs:
       key: ${{ runner.os }}-gradle-${{ hashFiles('gradle/caches/**/*', 'gradle/wrapper/**/*') }}
       restore-keys: |
         ${{ runner.os }}-gradle-
-    # Pinned to the commit hash of v2.7.3
+       # Pinned to the commit hash of v2.7.3
   - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@23bce251a8cd2ffc3c1075eaa2367cf899916d84
     with:
       shared-key: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ github.job }}
@@ -53,7 +60,7 @@ runs:
       # configuration won't cause each individual action to build its own image, which would
       # drastically increase the total CI time. Fail fast!
       ALLOW_LOCAL_BUILD=false ./smithy-rs/.github/scripts/acquire-build-image
-    # This runs the commands from the matrix strategy
+     # This runs the commands from the matrix strategy
   - name: Run ${{ inputs.action }}
     shell: bash
     run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 0a7c3374df5135c4ac88228cdb25e8dd5e48e172..4678c6ab9f3a7dfcbd49c68c08d6773ec449c918 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ jobs:
       uses: ./smithy-rs/.github/actions/docker-build
       with:
         action: check-semver-hazards
+        use_cache: false
 
   get-or-create-release-branch:
     name: Get or create a release branch
@@ -185,13 +186,14 @@ jobs:
       uses: ./smithy-rs/.github/actions/docker-build
       with:
         action: generate-smithy-rs-release
+        use_cache: false
     - name: Download all artifacts
       uses: ./smithy-rs/.github/actions/download-all-artifacts
-    # This step is not idempotent, as it pushes release artifacts to the `smithy-rs-release-1.x.y` branch. However,
-    # if this step succeeds but a subsequent step fails, retrying the release workflow is "safe" in that it does not
-    # create any inconsistent states; this step would simply fail because the release branch would be ahead of `main`
-    # due to previously pushed artifacts.
-    # To successfully retry a release, revert the commits in the release branch that pushed the artifacts.
+        # This step is not idempotent, as it pushes release artifacts to the `smithy-rs-release-1.x.y` branch. However,
+        # if this step succeeds but a subsequent step fails, retrying the release workflow is "safe" in that it does not
+        # create any inconsistent states; this step would simply fail because the release branch would be ahead of `main`
+        # due to previously pushed artifacts.
+        # To successfully retry a release, revert the commits in the release branch that pushed the artifacts.
     - name: Push smithy-rs changes
       shell: bash
       working-directory: smithy-rs-release/smithy-rs
@@ -219,7 +221,7 @@ jobs:
           fi
         fi
         echo "commit_sha=$(git rev-parse HEAD)" > $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-    # This step is idempotent; the `publisher` will not publish a crate if the version is already published on crates.io.
+       # This step is idempotent; the `publisher` will not publish a crate if the version is already published on crates.io.
     - name: Publish to crates.io
       shell: bash
       working-directory: smithy-rs-release/crates-to-publish
@@ -241,8 +243,8 @@ jobs:
         else
           publisher publish -y --location .
         fi
-    # This step is not idempotent and MUST be performed last, as it will generate a new release in the `smithy-rs`
-    # repository with the release tag that is always unique and has an increasing numerical suffix.
+       # This step is not idempotent and MUST be performed last, as it will generate a new release in the `smithy-rs`
+        # repository with the release tag that is always unique and has an increasing numerical suffix.
     - name: Tag release
       uses: actions/github-script@v7
       with: