diff --git a/.circleci/config.pkl b/.circleci/config.pkl
index 5db95f94..ae3cfd16 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.pkl
+++ b/.circleci/config.pkl
@@ -51,44 +51,6 @@ main {
   }
 }
 
-// TODO: remove me once policy allows these jobs without approval
-circleCi {
-  workflows {
-    ["release-branch"] {
-      jobs = new Listing<*Mapping<String, WorkflowJob>|String> {
-        new {
-          ["hold"] {
-            type = "approval"
-          }
-        }
-        new {
-          ["pr-approval/authenticate"] {
-            context = "pkl-pr-approval"
-          }
-        }
-        for (job in super.jobs) {
-          job |> requireApproval
-        }
-      }
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-// TODO: remove me once policy allows these jobs without approval
-local requireApproval = (it: String|Mapping<String, WorkflowJob>) ->
-  if (it is String)
-    new Mapping<String, WorkflowJob> {
-      [it] {
-        requires { "hold" }
-      }
-    }
-  else
-    (it) {
-      [it.keys.first] {
-        requires { "hold" }
-      }
-    }
-
 release {
   jobs {
     ...releaseJobs
diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index e60e94c5..0ddc93f9 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -883,37 +883,15 @@ workflows:
             only: /^v?\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/
   release-branch:
     jobs:
-    - hold:
-        type: approval
-    - pr-approval/authenticate:
-        context: pkl-pr-approval
-    - gradle-check-jdk17:
-        requires:
-        - hold
-    - gradle-check-jdk21:
-        requires:
-        - hold
-    - bench:
-        requires:
-        - hold
-    - gradle-compatibility:
-        requires:
-        - hold
-    - pkl-cli-macOS-amd64-release:
-        requires:
-        - hold
-    - pkl-cli-linux-amd64-release:
-        requires:
-        - hold
-    - pkl-cli-macOS-aarch64-release:
-        requires:
-        - hold
-    - pkl-cli-linux-aarch64-release:
-        requires:
-        - hold
-    - pkl-cli-linux-alpine-amd64-release:
-        requires:
-        - hold
+    - gradle-check-jdk17
+    - gradle-check-jdk21
+    - bench
+    - gradle-compatibility
+    - pkl-cli-macOS-amd64-release
+    - pkl-cli-linux-amd64-release
+    - pkl-cli-macOS-aarch64-release
+    - pkl-cli-linux-aarch64-release
+    - pkl-cli-linux-alpine-amd64-release
     when:
       matches:
         value: << pipeline.git.branch >>