diff --git a/check_releasepy.bash b/check_releasepy.bash
index 8a92b7f03..58bd6611e 100755
--- a/check_releasepy.bash
+++ b/check_releasepy.bash
@@ -11,14 +11,14 @@ exec_releasepy_test()
     ./release.py \
       --dry-run \
       --no-sanity-checks \
-    gz-foo 1.2.3 token ${test_params}
+    gz-foo 1.2.3 token ${test_params}""
 }
 
 expect_job_run()
 {
   output="${1}" job="${2}"
 
-  if ! $(grep -q "job/${job}/buildWith" <<< "${output}"); then
+  if ! grep -q "job/${job}/buildWith" <<< "${output}"; then
     echo "${job} not found in test output"
     exit 1
   fi
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ expect_job_not_run()
 {
   output="${1}" job="${2}"
 
-  if $(grep -q "job/${job}/buildWith" <<< "${output}"); then
+  if grep -q "job/${job}/buildWith" <<< "${output}"; then
     echo "${job} found in test output. Should not appear."
     exit 1
   fi
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ expect_number_of_jobs()
 {
   output=${1} njobs=${2}
 
-  if [[ `grep  "job/.*/buildWithParameters" <<< "${output}" | wc -l` != "${njobs}" ]]; then
+  if [[ $(grep  -c "job/.*/buildWithParameters" <<< "${output}") != "${njobs}" ]]; then
     echo "Number of jobs caled is not the expected ${njobs}"
     exit 1
   fi
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ expect_param()
 {
   output="${1}" param="${2}"
 
-  if ! $(grep -q "[&\?]${param}" <<< "${output}"); then
+  if ! grep -q "[&\?]${param}" <<< "${output}"; then
     echo "${param} not found in test output"
     exit 1
   fi
diff --git a/release.py b/release.py
index fafebaafd..7d4f6268e 100755
--- a/release.py
+++ b/release.py
@@ -181,21 +181,25 @@ def get_release_repository_info(package):
 
     error("release repository not found in github.com/gazebo-release")
 
-def download_release_repository(package, release_branch):
-    vcs, url = get_release_repository_info(package)
-    release_tmp_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-
-    if vcs == "git" and release_branch == "default":
-        release_branch = "master"
-
-    # If main branch exists, prefer it over master
-    if release_branch == "master":
-        if exists_main_branch(url):
-            release_branch = 'main'
 
-    cmd = [vcs, "clone", "-b", release_branch, url, release_tmp_dir]
-    check_call(cmd, IGNORE_DRY_RUN)
-    return release_tmp_dir, release_branch
+def download_release_repository(package, release_branch):
+    try:
+        return os.environ['_RELEASEPY_TEST_RELEASE_REPO'], 'main'
+    except KeyError:
+        vcs, url = get_release_repository_info(package)
+        release_tmp_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+
+        if vcs == "git" and release_branch == "default":
+            release_branch = "master"
+
+        # If main branch exists, prefer it over master
+        if release_branch == "master":
+            if exists_main_branch(url):
+                release_branch = 'main'
+
+        cmd = [vcs, "clone", "-b", release_branch, url, release_tmp_dir]
+        check_call(cmd, IGNORE_DRY_RUN)
+        return release_tmp_dir, release_branch
 
 
 def sanity_package_name_underscore(package, package_alias):