diff --git a/.github/workflows/release_extension.yaml b/.github/workflows/release_extension.yaml
index a4106c1d81..3807bc3440 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release_extension.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release_extension.yaml
@@ -1,14 +1,32 @@
 name: Release VSCode Extension
 on:
-  push:
-    tags:
-      - 'vscode@v*'
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        description: 'Version to release (e.g., 1.0.0)'
+        required: true
+        type: string
 jobs:
   release:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Check branch is main
+        run: |
+          if [[ "${{ github.ref }}" != "refs/heads/main" ]]; then
+            echo "Error: This workflow can only be run from the main branch"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "Branch check passed: running from main branch"
+      - name: Validate version format
+        run: |
+          version="${{ github.event.inputs.version }}"
+          if ! [[ $version =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(-[0-9A-Za-z-]+(\.[0-9A-Za-z-]+)*)?(\+[0-9A-Za-z-]+(\.[0-9A-Za-z-]+)*)?$ ]]; then
+            echo "Error: Version must be a valid semantic version (e.g., 1.0.0, 1.0.0-beta.1, 1.0.0+build.1)"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "Version format is valid: $version"
       - name: Setup Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
@@ -19,25 +37,20 @@ jobs:
           version: 10
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
-      - name: Extract version from tag
-        id: extract_version
-        run: |
-          VERSION=${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/vscode@v}
-          echo "VERSION=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
       - name: Update package.json version
         working-directory: vscode/extension
         run: |
-          npm version ${{ steps.extract_version.outputs.VERSION }} --no-git-tag-version
+          npm version ${{ github.event.inputs.version }} --no-git-tag-version
       - name: Build extension
         working-directory: vscode/extension
         run: pnpm run vscode:package
       - name: Upload extension to Marketplace
         working-directory: vscode/extension
         run: |
-          pnpx vsce publish --packagePath sqlmesh-${{ steps.extract_version.outputs.VERSION }}.vsix
+          pnpx vsce publish --packagePath sqlmesh-${{ github.event.inputs.version }}.vsix
         env:
           VSCE_PAT: ${{ secrets.VSCE_PAT }}
       - name: Upload extension to OpenVSX
         working-directory: vscode/extension
         run: |
-          pnpx ovsx publish -p ${{ secrets.OPEN_VSX_TOKEN }} sqlmesh-${{ steps.extract_version.outputs.VERSION }}.vsix
+          pnpx ovsx publish -p ${{ secrets.OPEN_VSX_TOKEN }} sqlmesh-${{ github.event.inputs.version }}.vsix