diff --git a/.github/workflows/plugin-update-check.yml b/.github/workflows/plugin-update-check.yml
index 7e9a5fad5b..361fd501ba 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/plugin-update-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/plugin-update-check.yml
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ jobs:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN}}
         continue-on-error: true
         run: |
-          if [ -z "$vault_pr_num" ]; then
+          if [ -z "${{ steps.pr.outputs.vault_pr_url }}" ]; then
             echo "error: no vault PR found"
             exit 1
           fi
diff --git a/.github/workflows/plugin-update.yml b/.github/workflows/plugin-update.yml
index ab74c448dc..b7ddafebcc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/plugin-update.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/plugin-update.yml
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ on:
     inputs:
       repo:
         type: string
-        description: 'The owner and repository name as per the github.repository context property.'
+        description: 'The owner and repository name. Ex: hashicorp/vault-plugin-auth-jwt'
         required: true
       plugin_tag:
         type: string
-        description: 'The name of the plugin tag.'
+        description: 'The name of the plugin tag. Ex: v0.5.1'
         required: true
 
 jobs:
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           git config user.name hc-github-team-secure-vault-ecosystem
           git config user.email hc-github-team-secure-vault-ecosystem@users.noreply.github.com
-          git add .
+          git add go.mod go.sum
           git commit -m "Automated dependency upgrades"
           git push -f origin ${{ github.ref_name }}:"$VAULT_BRANCH"
 
@@ -63,8 +63,9 @@ jobs:
           if [ -z "$PR" ]; then
             gh pr create \
             --head "$VAULT_BRANCH" \
+            --reviewer "${{ github.actor }}" \
             --title "Update ${{ inputs.repo }} to ${{ inputs.plugin_tag }}" \
-            --body "Updates ${{ inputs.repo }} to verify vault CI. Full log: https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}"
+            --body "This PR was generated by a GitHub Action. Full log: https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}"
 
             echo "vault_pr_num=$(gh pr list --head "$VAULT_BRANCH" --json number -q '.[0].number')" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
             echo "vault_pr_url=$(gh pr list --head "$VAULT_BRANCH" --json url -q '.[0].url')" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
@@ -73,13 +74,8 @@ jobs:
           fi
 
       - name: Add changelog
-        continue-on-error: true
+        if: steps.pr.outputs.vault_pr_num != ''
         run: |
-          if [ -z "$vault_pr_num" ]; then
-            echo "error: no vault PR found"
-            exit 1
-          fi
-
           # strip "hashicorp/" from repo name
           PLUGIN=$(echo ${{ inputs.repo }} | awk -F/ '{print $NF}')
           echo "plugin: $PLUGIN"
@@ -94,24 +90,20 @@ jobs:
 
           echo "\`\`\`release-note:change
           ${PLUGIN_TYPE}/${PLUGIN_SERVICE}: Update plugin to ${{ inputs.plugin_tag }}
-          \`\`\`" > "changelog/${vault_pr_num}.txt"
+          \`\`\`" > "changelog/${{ steps.pr.outputs.vault_pr_num }}.txt"
 
-          git add .
+          git add changelog/
           git commit -m "Add changelog"
           git push origin ${{ github.ref_name }}:"$VAULT_BRANCH"
 
       - name: Add labels to Vault PR
+        if: steps.pr.outputs.vault_pr_num != ''
         env:
           # this is a different token to the one we have been using that should
           # allow us to add labels
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN}}
         continue-on-error: true
         run: |
-          if [ -z "$vault_pr_num" ]; then
-            echo "error: no vault PR found"
-            exit 1
-          fi
-
           gh pr edit "${{ steps.pr.outputs.vault_pr_num }}" \
             --add-label "dependencies" \
             --repo hashicorp/vault