diff --git a/.github/actions/check-links/action.yml b/.github/actions/check-links/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..05c6582e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/check-links/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+name: "Check Links"
+description: "Run a link check function for a repo"
+runs:
+  using: "composite"
+  steps:
+    - shell: bash
+      id: check-links
+      run: |
+        set -eux
+
+        # Set up env variables
+        export RH_REPOSITORY=${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}
+        export RH_REF=${GITHUB_REF}
+
+        if [ ! -z ${GITHUB_BASE_REF} ]; then
+          echo "Using GITHUB_BASE_REF: ${GITHUB_BASE_REF}"
+          export RH_BRANCH=${GITHUB_BASE_REF}
+        else
+          # e.g refs/head/foo or refs/tag/bar
+          echo "Using GITHUB_REF: ${GITHUB_REF}"
+          export RH_BRANCH=$(echo ${GITHUB_REF} | cut -d'/' -f 3-)
+        fi
+
+        # Install Jupyter Releaser from git unless we are testing Releaser itself
+        if ! command -v jupyter-releaser &> /dev/null
+        then
+            pip install git+https://github.com/jupyter-server/jupyter_releaser.git
+        fi
+
+        jupyter-releaser prep-git
+        jupyter-releaser check-links --force
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-release.yml b/.github/workflows/check-release.yml
index 3a221cdf..82c9f8ee 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-release.yml
@@ -34,13 +34,6 @@ jobs:
           restore-keys: |
             ${{ runner.os }}-pip-
             ${{ runner.os }}-pip-
-      - name: Cache checked links
-        uses: actions/cache@v2
-        with:
-          path: ~/.cache/pytest-link-check
-          key: ${{ runner.os }}-linkcheck-${{ hashFiles('**/*.md') }}-md-links
-          restore-keys: |
-            ${{ runner.os }}-linkcheck-
       - name: Print env
         run: env
       - name: Upgrade packaging dependencies
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 0bb8310b..495e8e9b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -29,6 +29,42 @@ jobs:
           echo "or after-the-fact on already committed files with"
           echo "    pre-commit run --all-files"
 
+  check-links:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+        with:
+          python-version: 3.9
+      - name: Get pip cache dir
+        id: pip-cache
+        run: |
+          echo "::set-output name=dir::$(pip cache dir)"
+      - name: Cache pip
+        uses: actions/cache@v2
+        with:
+          path: ${{ steps.pip-cache.outputs.dir }}
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-pip-${{ matrix.python-version }}-${{ hashFiles('setup.cfg') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            ${{ runner.os }}-pip-${{ matrix.python-version }}-
+            ${{ runner.os }}-pip-
+      - name: Install the Python dependencies
+        run: |
+          pip install -e .[test] codecov
+      - name: Cache checked links
+        uses: actions/cache@v2
+        with:
+          path: ~/.cache/pytest-link-check
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-linkcheck-${{ hashFiles('**/*.md') }}-md-links
+          restore-keys: |
+            ${{ runner.os }}-linkcheck-
+      - name: Install the Python dependencies
+        run: |
+          pip install -e .[test] codecov
+      - name: Check Links
+        uses: ./.github/actions/check-links
+
   build:
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}-latest
     strategy:
diff --git a/jupyter_releaser/cli.py b/jupyter_releaser/cli.py
index dcad7010..9f9ab02b 100644
--- a/jupyter_releaser/cli.py
+++ b/jupyter_releaser/cli.py
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ def invoke(self, ctx):
         hooks = config.get("hooks", {})
         options = config.get("options", {})
         skip = config.get("skip", [])
+        if "--force" in ctx.args:
+            skip = []
+            ctx.args.remove("--force")
 
         # Print a separation header
         util.log(f'\n\n{"-" * 50}')
@@ -119,7 +122,10 @@ def list_commands(self, ctx):
 
 
 @click.group(cls=ReleaseHelperGroup)
-def main():
+@click.option(
+    "--force", default=False, help="Force a command to run even when skipped by config"
+)
+def main(force):
     """Jupyter Releaser scripts"""
     pass
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 92df9183..3667f598 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -19,5 +19,8 @@ tag_template = "v{new_version}"
 [[tool.tbump.file]]
 src = "jupyter_releaser/__init__.py"
 
+[tool.jupyter-releaser]
+skip = ["check-links"]
+
 [tool.jupyter-releaser.hooks]
 after-draft-release = "bash ./.github/scripts/bump_tag.sh"