diff --git a/.github/workflows/code_freeze.yml b/.github/workflows/code_freeze.yml
index a802776f07..894b803160 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/code_freeze.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/code_freeze.yml
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@ name: Code Freeze
 
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        description: "New release version (calculated automatically if not provided)"
+        required: false
+        type: string
 
 jobs:
 
@@ -14,7 +19,7 @@ jobs:
 
     outputs:
       release_branch_name: ${{ steps.make_release_branch.outputs.release_branch_name }}
-      asana_task_url: ${{ steps.create_release_task.outputs.asana_task_url }}
+      asana_task_url: ${{ steps.make_release_branch.outputs.asana_task_url }}
 
     steps:
 
@@ -38,12 +43,15 @@ jobs:
         id: make_release_branch
         env:
           ASANA_ACCESS_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.ASANA_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
         run: |
           git config --global user.name "Dax the Duck"
           git config --global user.email "dax@duckduckgo.com"
           bundle exec fastlane run start_new_release \
             platform:"macos" \
-            github_handle:"${{ github.actor }}"
+            version:"${{ inputs.version }}" \
+            github_handle:"${{ github.actor }}" \
+            validation_section_id:"${{ vars.TEST_MACOS_APP_BOARD_VALIDATION_SECTION_ID }}" \
 
       # - name: Update Asana tasks for the release
       #   env:
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 8d37b096bd..0bb752f454 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 GIT
   remote: https://github.com/duckduckgo/fastlane-plugin-ddg_apple_automation
-  revision: 7613ee453b98503684a761ea37d6cb6aac7a6ba5
+  revision: db4f149013f4babd7fb5d676adfc93ef68df21ac
   branch: dominik/start-new-release
   specs:
     fastlane-plugin-ddg_apple_automation (0.11.1)
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ GEM
       oauth2 (>= 1.4, < 3)
     atomos (0.1.3)
     aws-eventstream (1.3.0)
-    aws-partitions (1.980.0)
+    aws-partitions (1.982.0)
     aws-sdk-core (3.209.1)
       aws-eventstream (~> 1, >= 1.3.0)
       aws-partitions (~> 1, >= 1.651.0)
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ GEM
     domain_name (0.6.20240107)
     dotenv (2.8.1)
     emoji_regex (3.2.3)
-    excon (0.111.0)
+    excon (0.112.0)
     faraday (1.10.4)
       faraday-em_http (~> 1.0)
       faraday-em_synchrony (~> 1.0)
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ GEM
       trailblazer-option (>= 0.1.1, < 0.2.0)
       uber (< 0.2.0)
     retriable (3.1.2)
-    rexml (3.3.7)
+    rexml (3.3.8)
     rouge (2.0.7)
     ruby2_keywords (0.0.5)
     rubyzip (2.3.2)