diff --git a/scripts/publish-binary-release.cjs b/scripts/publish-binary-release.cjs
index e6d3f2f..ba556a6 100644
--- a/scripts/publish-binary-release.cjs
+++ b/scripts/publish-binary-release.cjs
@@ -60,13 +60,13 @@ app.whenReady().then(async () => {
       await fs.readFile(path.join(root, "package.json"), "utf8"),
     );
     const configPath = path.join(configuredUserData, "forgeflow-config.json");
-    const config = await readOptionalConfig(configPath);
+    const config = (await readOptionalConfig(configPath)) || {};
     const actionsToken = String(
       process.env.GITEA_TOKEN || process.env.FORGEFLOW_RELEASE_TOKEN || "",
     ).trim();
     let token = actionsToken;
     if (!token) {
-      if (!config?.gitea?.encryptedToken) {
+      if (!config.gitea?.encryptedToken) {
         throw new Error(
           `No release token was supplied and no encrypted Gitea token was found in ${configPath}. Sign in to Gitea once from ForgeFlow or run from Gitea Actions with GITEA_TOKEN.`,
         );
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ app.whenReady().then(async () => {
       );
     }
     const configuredBaseUrl =
-      process.env.FORGEFLOW_RELEASE_BASE_URL || config?.gitea?.baseUrl;
+      process.env.FORGEFLOW_RELEASE_BASE_URL || config.gitea?.baseUrl;
     if (!configuredBaseUrl) {
       throw new Error(
         "No Gitea release base URL was supplied. Set FORGEFLOW_RELEASE_BASE_URL or configure Gitea in ForgeFlow.",
@@ -84,15 +84,15 @@ app.whenReady().then(async () => {
     }
     const baseUrl = normalizeBaseUrl(configuredBaseUrl);
     const owner = safeRepositoryPart(
-      process.env.FORGEFLOW_RELEASE_OWNER || config?.updates?.owner || "Jens",
+      process.env.FORGEFLOW_RELEASE_OWNER || config.updates?.owner || "Jens",
       "Release repository owner",
     );
     const repo = safeRepositoryPart(
-      process.env.FORGEFLOW_RELEASE_REPO || config?.updates?.repo || "ForgeFlow",
+      process.env.FORGEFLOW_RELEASE_REPO || config.updates?.repo || "ForgeFlow",
       "Release repository name",
     );
     const branch = safeRepositoryPart(
-      process.env.FORGEFLOW_RELEASE_BRANCH || config?.updates?.branch || "main",
+      process.env.FORGEFLOW_RELEASE_BRANCH || config.updates?.branch || "main",
       "Release branch",
     );
     const version = manifest.version;