diff --git a/pkg/cmd/release/create/create.go b/pkg/cmd/release/create/create.go
index ee9ad3429..e667f65ef 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/release/create/create.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/release/create/create.go
@@ -426,6 +426,7 @@ func createRun(opts *CreateOptions) error {
 	}
 
 	hasAssets := len(opts.Assets) > 0
+	draftWhileUploading := false
 
 	if hasAssets && !opts.Draft {
 		// Check for an existing release
@@ -437,6 +438,7 @@ func createRun(opts *CreateOptions) error {
 			}
 		}
 		// Save the release initially as draft and publish it after all assets have finished uploading
+		draftWhileUploading = true
 		params["draft"] = true
 	}
 
@@ -445,6 +447,16 @@ func createRun(opts *CreateOptions) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	cleanupDraftRelease := func(err error) error {
+		if !draftWhileUploading {
+			return err
+		}
+		if cleanupErr := deleteRelease(httpClient, newRelease); cleanupErr != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%w\ncleaning up draft failed: %v", err, cleanupErr)
+		}
+		return err
+	}
+
 	if hasAssets {
 		uploadURL := newRelease.UploadURL
 		if idx := strings.IndexRune(uploadURL, '{'); idx > 0 {
@@ -455,13 +467,13 @@ func createRun(opts *CreateOptions) error {
 		err = shared.ConcurrentUpload(httpClient, uploadURL, opts.Concurrency, opts.Assets)
 		opts.IO.StopProgressIndicator()
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return cleanupDraftRelease(err)
 		}
 
-		if !opts.Draft {
+		if draftWhileUploading {
 			rel, err := publishRelease(httpClient, newRelease.APIURL, opts.DiscussionCategory)
 			if err != nil {
-				return err
+				return cleanupDraftRelease(err)
 			}
 			newRelease = rel
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/release/create/create_test.go b/pkg/cmd/release/create/create_test.go
index aec10911a..eef4e05b5 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/release/create/create_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/release/create/create_test.go
@@ -728,6 +728,102 @@ func Test_createRun(t *testing.T) {
 			wantStderr: ``,
 			wantErr:    `a release with the same tag name already exists: v1.2.3`,
 		},
+		{
+			name:  "clean up draft after uploading files fails",
+			isTTY: false,
+			opts: CreateOptions{
+				TagName:      "v1.2.3",
+				Name:         "",
+				Body:         "",
+				BodyProvided: true,
+				Draft:        false,
+				Target:       "",
+				Assets: []*shared.AssetForUpload{
+					{
+						Name: "ball.tgz",
+						Open: func() (io.ReadCloser, error) {
+							return io.NopCloser(bytes.NewBufferString(`TARBALL`)), nil
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				Concurrency: 1,
+			},
+			httpStubs: func(t *testing.T, reg *httpmock.Registry) {
+				reg.Register(httpmock.REST("HEAD", "repos/OWNER/REPO/releases/tags/v1.2.3"), httpmock.StatusStringResponse(404, ``))
+				reg.Register(httpmock.REST("POST", "repos/OWNER/REPO/releases"), httpmock.StatusStringResponse(201, `{
+					"url": "https://api.github.com/releases/123",
+					"upload_url": "https://api.github.com/assets/upload",
+					"html_url": "https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/releases/tag/v1.2.3"
+				}`))
+				reg.Register(httpmock.REST("POST", "assets/upload"), httpmock.StatusStringResponse(500, `{}`))
+				reg.Register(httpmock.REST("DELETE", "releases/123"), httpmock.StatusStringResponse(204, ``))
+			},
+			wantStdout: ``,
+			wantStderr: ``,
+			wantErr:    `HTTP 500 (https://api.github.com/assets/upload?label=&name=ball.tgz)`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "clean up draft after publishing fails",
+			isTTY: false,
+			opts: CreateOptions{
+				TagName:      "v1.2.3",
+				Name:         "",
+				Body:         "",
+				BodyProvided: true,
+				Draft:        false,
+				Target:       "",
+				Assets: []*shared.AssetForUpload{
+					{
+						Name: "ball.tgz",
+						Open: func() (io.ReadCloser, error) {
+							return io.NopCloser(bytes.NewBufferString(`TARBALL`)), nil
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				Concurrency: 1,
+			},
+			httpStubs: func(t *testing.T, reg *httpmock.Registry) {
+				reg.Register(httpmock.REST("HEAD", "repos/OWNER/REPO/releases/tags/v1.2.3"), httpmock.StatusStringResponse(404, ``))
+				reg.Register(httpmock.REST("POST", "repos/OWNER/REPO/releases"), httpmock.StatusStringResponse(201, `{
+					"url": "https://api.github.com/releases/123",
+					"upload_url": "https://api.github.com/assets/upload",
+					"html_url": "https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/releases/tag/v1.2.3"
+				}`))
+				reg.Register(httpmock.REST("POST", "assets/upload"), httpmock.StatusStringResponse(201, `{}`))
+				reg.Register(httpmock.REST("PATCH", "releases/123"), httpmock.StatusStringResponse(500, `{}`))
+				reg.Register(httpmock.REST("DELETE", "releases/123"), httpmock.StatusStringResponse(204, ``))
+			},
+			wantStdout: ``,
+			wantStderr: ``,
+			wantErr:    `HTTP 500 (https://api.github.com/releases/123)`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "upload files but release already exists",
+			isTTY: true,
+			opts: CreateOptions{
+				TagName:      "v1.2.3",
+				Name:         "",
+				Body:         "",
+				BodyProvided: true,
+				Draft:        false,
+				Target:       "",
+				Assets: []*shared.AssetForUpload{
+					{
+						Name: "ball.tgz",
+						Open: func() (io.ReadCloser, error) {
+							return io.NopCloser(bytes.NewBufferString(`TARBALL`)), nil
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				Concurrency: 1,
+			},
+			httpStubs: func(t *testing.T, reg *httpmock.Registry) {
+				reg.Register(httpmock.REST("HEAD", "repos/OWNER/REPO/releases/tags/v1.2.3"), httpmock.StatusStringResponse(200, ``))
+			},
+			wantStdout: ``,
+			wantStderr: ``,
+			wantErr:    `a release with the same tag name already exists: v1.2.3`,
+		},
 		{
 			name:  "upload files and create discussion",
 			isTTY: true,
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/release/create/http.go b/pkg/cmd/release/create/http.go
index 2a0b65468..f970d46f1 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/release/create/http.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/release/create/http.go
@@ -225,3 +225,28 @@ func publishRelease(httpClient *http.Client, releaseURL string, discussionCatego
 	err = json.Unmarshal(b, &release)
 	return &release, err
 }
+
+func deleteRelease(httpClient *http.Client, release *shared.Release) error {
+	req, err := http.NewRequest("DELETE", release.APIURL, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	resp, err := httpClient.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if resp.Body != nil {
+		defer resp.Body.Close()
+	}
+
+	success := resp.StatusCode >= 200 && resp.StatusCode < 300
+	if !success {
+		return api.HandleHTTPError(resp)
+	}
+
+	if resp.StatusCode != 204 {
+		_, _ = io.Copy(io.Discard, resp.Body)
+	}
+	return nil
+}