diff --git a/templates/gitlab-ci-helm.yml b/templates/gitlab-ci-helm.yml
index c7440ffe935f803abe59b911355094924359f89e..2f00bfb440cde4c1f7059e37e265da5561a4f975 100644
--- a/templates/gitlab-ci-helm.yml
+++ b/templates/gitlab-ci-helm.yml
@@ -575,20 +575,19 @@ stages:
 
   function helm_package() {
     rm -f helm-package.env
-    # determine chart version to publish (semantic-release integration)
-    if [[ "${SEMREL_INFO_ON}" && "${HELM_SEMREL_RELEASE_DISABLED}" != "true" ]]
+    # extract version from chart
+    base_version=$(awk -F':' '/^version:/ {print $2}' "$HELM_CHART_DIR/Chart.yaml")
+    base_version=${base_version// /}
+    # override version if semantic-release integration is enabled
+    if [[ "${SEMREL_INFO_ON}" ]] && [[ "${HELM_SEMREL_RELEASE_DISABLED}" != "true" ]]
     then
       if [[ -z "${SEMREL_INFO_NEXT_VERSION}" ]]
       then
-        log_warn "[semantic-release] no new version to release: skip"
-        exit 0
+        log_info "[semantic-release] no new version to release: use default"
       else
-        log_info "[semantic-release] use computed next version: \\e[33;1m${SEMREL_INFO_NEXT_VERSION}\\e[0m"
         base_version="${SEMREL_INFO_NEXT_VERSION}"
+        log_info "[semantic-release] use computed next version: \\e[33;1m${base_version}\\e[0m"
       fi
-    else
-      base_version=$(awk -F':' '/^version:/ {print $2}' "$HELM_CHART_DIR/Chart.yaml")
-      base_version=${base_version// /}
     fi
     chart_name=$(awk -F':' '/^name:/ {print $2}' "$HELM_CHART_DIR/Chart.yaml")
     chart_name=${chart_name// /}
@@ -603,8 +602,6 @@ stages:
       version_label="-$CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG"
     fi
 
-    add_helm_repositories
-
     # helm package
     log_info "packaging chart with version: \\e[33;1m${base_version}${version_label}\\e[0m"
     # shellcheck disable=SC2086
@@ -888,6 +885,13 @@ helm-publish:
   extends: .helm-base
   stage: publish
   script:
+    # skip if semantic-release integration enabled and no release is required
+    - |
+      if [[ "${SEMREL_INFO_ON}" ]] && [[ "${HELM_SEMREL_RELEASE_DISABLED}" != "true" ]] && [[ -z "${SEMREL_INFO_NEXT_VERSION}" ]]
+      then
+        log_warn "[semantic-release] no new version to release: skip"
+        exit 0
+      fi
     - helm_publish $helm_package_file
   rules:
     - if: '$HELM_PUBLISH_URL == null || $HELM_PUBLISH_URL == "" || $HELM_PUBLISH_METHOD == "disabled"'