diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 2305ca21..2d9b2329 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -62,7 +62,12 @@ concurrency:
 
 jobs:
   release:
-    if: '!cancelled()'
+    if: |
+      !cancelled()
+      && (
+        github.event_name != 'pull_request'
+        || github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
+      )
     uses: NVIDIA-NeMo/FW-CI-templates/.github/workflows/_release_library.yml@v1.4.3
     with:
       release-ref: ${{ inputs.release-ref || github.sha }}
@@ -82,7 +87,7 @@ jobs:
 
   release-summary:
     needs: [release]
-    if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
+    if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.release.result != 'skipped' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Result
diff --git a/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/docker.py b/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/docker.py
index 4f68920c..b162cfe1 100644
--- a/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/docker.py
+++ b/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/docker.py
@@ -276,8 +276,11 @@ def local_logs(container: DockerContainer):
     def _cancel_existing(self, app_id: str) -> None:
         req = DockerJobRequest.load(app_id=app_id)
         if not req:
-            return None
+            return
+        status = json.dumps({"id": app_id, "exit_code": "1"}) + "\n"
         for container in req.containers:
+            status_file = Path(req.executor.job_dir) / f"status_{container.name}.out"
+            status_file.write_text(status)
             container.delete(client=self._docker_client, id=req.id)
 
     def close(self) -> None:
diff --git a/test/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/test_docker.py b/test/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/test_docker.py
index 551d8a60..e555d4ae 100644
--- a/test/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/test_docker.py
+++ b/test/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/test_docker.py
@@ -84,6 +84,34 @@ def test_docker_scheduler_methods(docker_scheduler):
     assert hasattr(docker_scheduler, "close")
 
 
+def test_cancel_existing_without_request_is_noop():
+    docker_scheduler = object.__new__(PersistentDockerScheduler)
+    docker_scheduler._DockerWorkspaceMixin__docker_client = mock.Mock()
+    docker_scheduler._scheduled_reqs = []
+
+    with mock.patch.object(DockerJobRequest, "load", return_value=None):
+        docker_scheduler._cancel_existing("app-id")
+
+
+def test_cancel_existing_persists_terminal_status(tmp_path):
+    docker_scheduler = object.__new__(PersistentDockerScheduler)
+    docker_scheduler._DockerWorkspaceMixin__docker_client = mock.Mock()
+    docker_scheduler._scheduled_reqs = []
+    container = mock.Mock(name="container")
+    container.name = "task-1-0"
+    request = mock.Mock()
+    request.id = "app-id"
+    request.executor.job_dir = str(tmp_path)
+    request.containers = [container]
+
+    with mock.patch.object(DockerJobRequest, "load", return_value=request):
+        docker_scheduler._cancel_existing("app-id")
+
+    container.delete.assert_called_once_with(client=docker_scheduler._docker_client, id="app-id")
+    status = json.loads((tmp_path / "status_task-1-0.out").read_text())
+    assert status == {"id": "app-id", "exit_code": "1"}
+
+
 def test_schedule(docker_scheduler, mock_app_def, docker_executor):
     with (
         mock.patch.object(DockerExecutor, "package") as mock_package,