diff --git a/.gitlab/scripts/release.sh b/.gitlab/scripts/release.sh
index fe0d8c5af7e110f57fb17681c8e154457da87418..565fd40dc1a36fd21ad5c3dc34f792788e2cc11a 100755
--- a/.gitlab/scripts/release.sh
+++ b/.gitlab/scripts/release.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ if [ -z "${GITLAB_TOKEN}" ]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
-if [ "main" = "$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)" ]; then
+if [ "main" != "$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)" ]; then
   echo "Error: please checkout the main branch first: git checkout main." >&2
   exit 1
 fi