diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 224f2ef..08724fe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ jobs:
           - { name: 'graalvm', short-name: 'graal' }
           - { name: 'graalvm-community', short-name: 'graalce' }
         java-version:
-          - '22.0.1'
+          - '22.0.2'
         clojure-version: [ '1.11', '1.12' ]
 
     name: ${{matrix.os.name}} ${{matrix.distribution.short-name}} jdk${{matrix.java-version}} clj${{ matrix.clojure-version }}
diff --git a/bb.edn b/bb.edn
index 4a1be82..af6a4a4 100644
--- a/bb.edn
+++ b/bb.edn
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {:paths ["script" "build"]
  :deps {lread/status-line {:git/url "https://github.com/lread/status-line.git"
                            :sha "cf44c15f30ea3867227fa61ceb823e5e942c707f"}
-        io.github.babashka/neil {:git/tag "v0.3.65" :git/sha "9a79582"}
+        io.github.babashka/neil {:git/tag "v0.3.67" :git/sha "054ca51"}
         version-clj/version-clj {:mvn/version "2.0.2"}}
  :tasks {;; setup
          :requires ([babashka.fs :as fs]
diff --git a/deps.edn b/deps.edn
index 9558930..678a53d 100644
--- a/deps.edn
+++ b/deps.edn
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
   :1.9 {:override-deps {org.clojure/clojure {:mvn/version "1.9.0"}}}
   :1.10 {:override-deps {org.clojure/clojure {:mvn/version "1.10.3"}}}
   :1.11 {:override-deps {org.clojure/clojure {:mvn/version "1.11.3"}}}
-  :1.12 {:override-deps {org.clojure/clojure {:mvn/version "1.12.0-beta1"}}}
+  :1.12 {:override-deps {org.clojure/clojure {:mvn/version "1.12.0-beta2"}}}
   :test {:extra-paths ["test"]
          :extra-deps {io.github.cognitect-labs/test-runner
                       {:git/tag "v0.5.1" :git/sha "dfb30dd"}}
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
    :extra-deps {com.github.clj-easy/graal-build-time {:mvn/version "1.0.5"}}}
   :build
   {:extra-paths ["build"]
-   :deps {io.github.clojure/tools.build {:mvn/version "0.10.4"}
+   :deps {io.github.clojure/tools.build {:mvn/version "0.10.5"}
           slipset/deps-deploy {:mvn/version "0.2.2"}
           babashka/fs {:mvn/version "0.5.21"}}
    :ns-default build}
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
   :clj-kondo {:extra-deps {clj-kondo/clj-kondo {:mvn/version "2024.05.24"}}
               :override-deps {org.clojure/clojure {:mvn/version "1.11.3"}}
               :main-opts ["-m" "clj-kondo.main"]}
-  :eastwood {:extra-deps {jonase/eastwood {:mvn/version "1.4.2"}}
+  :eastwood {:extra-deps {jonase/eastwood {:mvn/version "1.4.3"}}
              :main-opts ["-m" "eastwood.lint" {:source-paths ["src/clojure"]
                                                :test-paths ["test"]
                                                :add-linters [:performance]}]}}}
diff --git a/nvd_check_helper_project/deps.edn b/nvd_check_helper_project/deps.edn
index ae006aa..4f5c8cd 100644
--- a/nvd_check_helper_project/deps.edn
+++ b/nvd_check_helper_project/deps.edn
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@
         #_:clj-kondo/ignore
         {:mvn/version "RELEASE"}
         ;; temporarily try bumping transitive dep to current release
-        org.owasp/dependency-check-core {:mvn/version "10.0.2"}}}
+        org.owasp/dependency-check-core {:mvn/version "10.0.3"}}}
diff --git a/script/publish.clj b/script/publish.clj
index d086c5d..90a8d1a 100644
--- a/script/publish.clj
+++ b/script/publish.clj
@@ -52,13 +52,15 @@
       :out
       string/trim
       seq))
+(defn- local-branch? []
+  (let [{:keys [exit]} (t/shell {:continue true :out :string :err :out}
+                                "git rev-parse --symbolic-full-name @{u}")]
+    (not (zero? exit))))
 
 (defn- unpushed-commits? []
   (let [{:keys [exit :out]} (t/shell {:continue true :out :string}
                                      "git cherry -v")]
-    (if (zero? exit)
-      (-> out string/trim seq)
-      (status/die 1 "Failed to check for unpushed commits, are you on an unpushed branch?"))))
+    (and (zero? exit) (-> out string/trim seq))))
 
 (defn- analyze-changelog
   "Certainly not fool proof, but should help for common mistakes"
@@ -87,7 +89,7 @@
      {:check "no uncommitted code"
       :result (if (uncommitted-code?) :fail :pass)}
      {:check "no unpushed commits"
-      :result (if (unpushed-commits?) :fail :pass)}
+      :result (if (or (local-branch?) (unpushed-commits?)) :fail :pass)}
      {:check "changelog has unreleased section"
       :result (if (:section-missing changelog-findings) :fail :pass)}
      {:check "changelog unreleased section attributes valid"