diff --git a/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml b/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml
index affeca90..d15d148d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml
@@ -66,7 +66,12 @@ jobs:
         branch: "release-prep"
         delete-branch: true
         title: "Release prep v${{ steps.gv.outputs.ver }}"
-        body: "Automated release-prep through [pdk-templates](https://github.com/puppetlabs/pdk-templates/blob/main/moduleroot/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml.erb) from commit ${{ github.sha }}"
+        body: |
+          Automated release-prep through [pdk-templates](https://github.com/puppetlabs/pdk-templates/blob/main/moduleroot/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml.erb) from commit ${{ github.sha }}. 
+          Please verify before merging:
+          - [ ] last [nightly](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/actions/workflows/nightly.yml) run is green
+          - [ ] [Changelog](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/blob/release-prep/CHANGELOG.md) is readable and has no unlabeled pull requests
+          - [ ] Ensure the [changelog](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/blob/release-prep/CHANGELOG.md) version and [metadata](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/blob/release-prep/metadata.json) version match
         labels: "maintenance"
 
     - name: PR outputs
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 1ed03092..8a8318da 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -47,16 +47,6 @@ gems['puppet'] = location_for(puppet_version)
 gems['facter'] = location_for(facter_version) if facter_version
 gems['hiera'] = location_for(hiera_version) if hiera_version
 
-if Gem.win_platform? && puppet_version =~ %r{^(file:///|git://)}
-  # If we're using a Puppet gem on Windows which handles its own win32-xxx gem
-  # dependencies (>= 3.5.0), set the maximum versions (see PUP-6445).
-  gems['win32-dir'] =      ['<= 0.4.9', require: false]
-  gems['win32-eventlog'] = ['<= 0.6.5', require: false]
-  gems['win32-process'] =  ['<= 0.7.5', require: false]
-  gems['win32-security'] = ['<= 0.2.5', require: false]
-  gems['win32-service'] =  ['0.8.8', require: false]
-end
-
 gems.each do |gem_name, gem_params|
   gem gem_name, *gem_params
 end
diff --git a/metadata.json b/metadata.json
index 17f5b6ff..69b3460b 100644
--- a/metadata.json
+++ b/metadata.json
@@ -58,5 +58,5 @@
   ],
   "pdk-version": "1.18.1",
   "template-url": "https://github.com/puppetlabs/pdk-templates.git#main",
-  "template-ref": "heads/main-0-g7be43a3"
+  "template-ref": "heads/main-0-g12a5dea"
 }