diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 88e6a672f..5c9349814 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -44,7 +44,11 @@ jobs:
         with:
           repo: ${{ github.repository }}
           live-run: ${{ inputs.live-run || false }}
-          version: ${{ inputs.version }}
+          # NOTE(fuzzypixelz): When the version is undefined (e.g. on schedule
+          # events) we cannot use git-describe as CMake doesn't support it.
+          # However, we still need some placeholder version to test that the
+          # version can be reliably bumped.
+          version: ${{ inputs.version || '0.0.0' }}
           github-token: ${{ secrets.BOT_TOKEN_WORKFLOW }}
 
       - name: Checkout this repository
@@ -57,7 +61,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           VERSION: ${{ steps.create-release-branch.outputs.version }}
           BUMP_DEPS_VERSION: ${{ inputs.zenoh-version }}
-          BUMP_DEPS_PATTERN: ${{ inputs.zenoh-version && 'zenoh.*' || '^$' }}
+          BUMP_DEPS_PATTERN: ${{ inputs.zenoh-version && 'zenoh.*' || '' }}
           BUMP_DEPS_BRANCH: ${{ inputs.zenoh-version && format('release/{0}', inputs.zenoh-version) || '' }}
           GIT_USER_NAME: eclipse-zenoh-bot
           GIT_USER_EMAIL: eclipse-zenoh-bot@users.noreply.github.com
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d7a6cf967..68a5929e8 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -70,4 +70,9 @@ dkms.conf
 .cache
 
 # Platform dependent generated files
-include/zenoh_configure.h
\ No newline at end of file
+include/zenoh_configure.h
+
+# CMake
+CMakeFiles/
+debug/
+release/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ci/scripts/bump-and-tag.bash b/ci/scripts/bump-and-tag.bash
index dcead5bc2..a8aafb00c 100644
--- a/ci/scripts/bump-and-tag.bash
+++ b/ci/scripts/bump-and-tag.bash
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-set -eo pipefail
+set -xeo pipefail
 
 # Release number
 readonly version=${VERSION:-''}
 # Dependencies' pattern
-readonly bump_deps_pattern=${BUMP_DEPS_PATTERN:-input BUMP_DEPS_PATTERN is required}
+readonly bump_deps_pattern=${BUMP_DEPS_PATTERN:-''}
 # Dependencies' version
 readonly bump_deps_version=${BUMP_DEPS_VERSION:-''}
 # Dependencies' git branch
@@ -46,25 +46,27 @@ toml_set_in_place Cargo.toml.in "package.metadata.deb.variants.libzenohc-dev.dep
 git commit version.txt Cargo.toml Cargo.toml.in Cargo.lock -m "chore: Bump version to $version"
 
 # Select all package dependencies that match $bump_deps_pattern and bump them to $bump_deps_version
-deps=$(toml get Cargo.toml dependencies | jq -r "keys.[] | select(test(\"$bump_deps_pattern\"))")
-for dep in $deps; do
-  if [[ -n $bump_deps_version ]]; then
-    toml_set_in_place Cargo.toml "dependencies.$dep.version" "$bump_deps_version"
-    toml_set_in_place Cargo.toml.in "dependencies.$dep.version" "$bump_deps_version"
-  fi
+if [[ "$bump_deps_pattern" != '' ]]; then
+  deps=$(toml get Cargo.toml dependencies | jq -r "keys.[] | select(test(\"$bump_deps_pattern\"))")
+  for dep in $deps; do
+    if [[ -n $bump_deps_version ]]; then
+      toml_set_in_place Cargo.toml "dependencies.$dep.version" "$bump_deps_version"
+      toml_set_in_place Cargo.toml.in "dependencies.$dep.version" "$bump_deps_version"
+    fi
 
-  if [[ -n $bump_deps_branch ]]; then
-    toml_set_in_place Cargo.toml "dependencies.$dep.branch" "$bump_deps_branch"
-    toml_set_in_place Cargo.toml.in "dependencies.$dep.branch" "$bump_deps_branch"
-  fi
-done
-# Update lockfile
-cargo check
+    if [[ -n $bump_deps_branch ]]; then
+      toml_set_in_place Cargo.toml "dependencies.$dep.branch" "$bump_deps_branch"
+      toml_set_in_place Cargo.toml.in "dependencies.$dep.branch" "$bump_deps_branch"
+    fi
+  done
+  # Update lockfile
+  cargo check
 
-if [[ -n $bump_deps_version || -n $bump_deps_branch ]]; then
-  git commit Cargo.toml Cargo.toml.in Cargo.lock -m "chore: Bump $bump_deps_pattern version to $bump_deps_version"
-else
-  echo "info: no changes have been made to any dependencies"
+  if [[ -n $bump_deps_version || -n $bump_deps_branch ]]; then
+    git commit Cargo.toml Cargo.toml.in Cargo.lock -m "chore: Bump $bump_deps_pattern version to $bump_deps_version"
+  else
+    echo "warn: no changes have been made to any dependencies matching $bump_deps_pattern"
+  fi
 fi
 
 git tag "$version" -m "v$version"