diff --git a/src/image/prepare_single_image_build_matrix.py b/src/image/prepare_single_image_build_matrix.py
index 52432701..0f4d0a98 100755
--- a/src/image/prepare_single_image_build_matrix.py
+++ b/src/image/prepare_single_image_build_matrix.py
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ def main():
         # so let's remove this field since we don't need it for the builds
         del build["release"]
 
-    release_to = "true" if "release" in image_trigger else ""
+    release_to = "true" if builds else ""
 
     write_github_output(release_to, builds, args.revision_data_dir)
 
diff --git a/tests/data/image_all_eol_tracks.yaml b/tests/data/image_all_eol_tracks.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cbba0afa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/image_all_eol_tracks.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+version: 1
+
+release:
+  latest:
+    end-of-life: "2030-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+    candidate: 1.2-22.04_beta
+  test:
+    end-of-life: "2030-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+    beta: 1.1-22.04_beta
+
+upload:
+  - source: "canonical/rocks-toolbox"
+    commit: 17916dd5de270e61a6a3fd3f4661a6413a50fd6f
+    directory: mock_rock/1.0
+    release:
+      1.0-22.04:
+        end-of-life: "2000-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+        risks:
+          - candidate
+          - edge
+          - beta
+  - source: "canonical/rocks-toolbox"
+    commit: 17916dd5de270e61a6a3fd3f4661a6413a50fd6f
+    directory: mock_rock/1.1
+    release:
+      1.1-22.04:
+        end-of-life: "2000-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+        risks:
+          - candidate
+          - edge
+          - beta
+      1-22.04:
+        end-of-life: "2000-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+        risks:
+          - candidate
+          - edge
+          - beta
+  - source: "canonical/rocks-toolbox"
+    commit: 17916dd5de270e61a6a3fd3f4661a6413a50fd6f
+    directory: mock_rock/1.2
+    release:
+      1.2-22.04:
+        end-of-life: "2000-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+        risks:
+          - beta
diff --git a/tests/data/image_with_release.yaml b/tests/data/image_with_release.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..72382b32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/image_with_release.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+version: 1
+
+release:
+  latest:
+    end-of-life: "2030-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+    candidate: 1.2-22.04_beta
+  test:
+    end-of-life: "2030-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+    beta: 1.1-22.04_beta
+
+upload:
+  - source: "canonical/rocks-toolbox"
+    commit: 17916dd5de270e61a6a3fd3f4661a6413a50fd6f
+    directory: mock_rock/1.0
+    release:
+      1.0-22.04:
+        end-of-life: "2024-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+        risks:
+          - candidate
+          - edge
+          - beta
+  - source: "canonical/rocks-toolbox"
+    commit: 17916dd5de270e61a6a3fd3f4661a6413a50fd6f
+    directory: mock_rock/1.1
+    release:
+      1.1-22.04:
+        end-of-life: "2030-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+        risks:
+          - candidate
+          - edge
+          - beta
+      1-22.04:
+        end-of-life: "2030-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+        risks:
+          - candidate
+          - edge
+          - beta
+  - source: "canonical/rocks-toolbox"
+    commit: 17916dd5de270e61a6a3fd3f4661a6413a50fd6f
+    directory: mock_rock/1.2
+    release:
+      1.2-22.04:
+        end-of-life: "2030-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+        risks:
+          - beta
diff --git a/tests/data/image_without_release.yaml b/tests/data/image_without_release.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..488174c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/image_without_release.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+version: 1
+
+upload:
+  - source: "canonical/rocks-toolbox"
+    commit: 17916dd5de270e61a6a3fd3f4661a6413a50fd6f
+    directory: mock_rock/1.0
+    release:
+      1.0-22.04:
+        end-of-life: "2024-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+        risks:
+          - candidate
+          - edge
+          - beta
+  - source: "canonical/rocks-toolbox"
+    commit: 17916dd5de270e61a6a3fd3f4661a6413a50fd6f
+    directory: mock_rock/1.1
+    release:
+      1.1-22.04:
+        end-of-life: "2030-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+        risks:
+          - candidate
+          - edge
+          - beta
+      1-22.04:
+        end-of-life: "2030-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+        risks:
+          - candidate
+          - edge
+          - beta
+  - source: "canonical/rocks-toolbox"
+    commit: 17916dd5de270e61a6a3fd3f4661a6413a50fd6f
+    directory: mock_rock/1.2
+    release:
+      1.2-22.04:
+        end-of-life: "2030-05-01T00:00:00Z"
+        risks:
+          - beta
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_prepare_single_image_build_matrix.py b/tests/integration/test_prepare_single_image_build_matrix.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2ba426e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/test_prepare_single_image_build_matrix.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+# from pathlib import Path
+# import pytest
+
+# from src.image.utils.schema.triggers import ImageTriggerValidationError
+# import yaml
+# from glob import glob
+from src.image.prepare_single_image_build_matrix import main as prepare_build_matrix
+import pytest
+import re
+import shutil
+import sys
+
+from .. import DATA_DIR
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def prep_execution(tmpdir, monkeypatch, request):
+
+    image_trigger_sample = getattr(request, "param", None)
+
+    # configure files/env requried for the test
+    github_output = tmpdir / "github_output"
+    monkeypatch.setenv("GITHUB_OUTPUT", str(github_output))
+
+    revision_data_dir = tmpdir / "revision-data"
+    revision_data_dir.mkdir()
+
+    oci_trigger_dir = tmpdir / "image_trigger"
+    oci_trigger_dir.mkdir()
+    shutil.copy(
+        image_trigger_sample,
+        oci_trigger_dir / "image.yaml",
+    )
+
+    # patch the arv for the test. script.py can be anything
+    args = (
+        f"--oci-path {oci_trigger_dir} --revision-data-dir {revision_data_dir}".split(
+            " "
+        )
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(sys, "argv", ["script.py"] + args)
+
+    return revision_data_dir, github_output
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "prep_execution, release_to",
+    [
+        (DATA_DIR / "image_with_release.yaml", True),
+        (DATA_DIR / "image_without_release.yaml", True),
+        (DATA_DIR / "image_all_eol_tracks.yaml", False),
+    ],
+    indirect=["prep_execution"],
+)
+def test_release_to(prep_execution, release_to):
+    """Test state of release-to in github output after running prepare_single_image_build_matrix"""
+    _, github_output = prep_execution
+
+    # run main from prepare_single_image_build_matrix
+    prepare_build_matrix()
+
+    github_output_content = github_output.read_text("utf8")
+    print(github_output_content)
+    assert re.search(
+        "^release-to=" + "true" if release_to else "", github_output_content, re.M
+    ), "Invalid release-to value"