diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 23460d78b..072e30698 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@
 name: ci
 on:
   pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - '*.md'
-      - 'VERSION'
 
 jobs:
   checks:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-dryrun.yml b/.github/workflows/release-dryrun.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 281f7b829..000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/release-dryrun.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-# Copyright 2023 Terramate GmbH
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
-
-name: release-dryrun
-on:
-  pull_request:
-    paths:
-      - 'VERSION'
-      - 'Makefile'
-      - 'makefiles/**'
-      - '.goreleaser.yaml'
-      - 'hack/release/Dockerfile'
-
-jobs:
-  release_dry_run:
-    name: Release Dry Run
-
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
-
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          ref: ${{github.event.pull_request.head.ref}}
-          repository: ${{github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name}}
-          fetch-depth: 0
-      - uses: actions/setup-go@v4
-        with:
-          go-version: '1.20'
-
-      - name: Configure asdf and plugins needed
-        uses: asdf-vm/actions/install@83133f03f5693901c2296a8e622955087dc20267
-
-      - name: check semver in VERSION
-        run: make version/check
-
-      - name: release dry run
-        run: terramate run --tags golang --changed -- make release/dry-run
diff --git a/hack/version-check b/hack/version-check
deleted file mode 100755
index 2c4cb91ce..000000000
--- a/hack/version-check
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-
-set -e
-
-VERSION=$(cat VERSION)
-
-if [[ $VERSION =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(-[0-9A-Za-z-]+(\.[0-9A-Za-z-]+)*)?$ ]]; then
-  echo "VERSION contains a valid semver: $VERSION"
-else
-  echo "ERROR: VERSION does not contain a valid semver: $VERSION"
-  exit 1
-fi
diff --git a/makefiles/unix.mk b/makefiles/unix.mk
index dc20dc3d9..cc48e9f79 100644
--- a/makefiles/unix.mk
+++ b/makefiles/unix.mk
@@ -51,11 +51,6 @@ test/ci: build
 mod/check:
 	@./hack/mod-check
 
-## check if VERSION file contains a valid semantic version
-.PHONY: version/check
-version/check:
-	@./hack/version-check
-
 ## creates a new release tag
 .PHONY: release/tag
 release/tag: VERSION?=v$(shell cat VERSION)