diff --git a/dev-support/bin/create-release b/dev-support/bin/create-release
index 473aab32fd9..64bd02ad400 100755
--- a/dev-support/bin/create-release
+++ b/dev-support/bin/create-release
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ function startgpgagent
   if [[ "${SIGN}" = true ]]; then
     if [[ -n "${GPGAGENT}" && -z "${GPG_AGENT_INFO}" ]]; then
       echo "starting gpg agent"
-      echo "default-cache-ttl 7200" > "${LOGDIR}/gpgagent.conf"
+      echo "default-cache-ttl 14400" > "${LOGDIR}/gpgagent.conf"
       # shellcheck disable=2046
       eval $("${GPGAGENT}" --daemon \
         --options "${LOGDIR}/gpgagent.conf" \
@@ -506,6 +506,9 @@ function makearelease
 
   mkdir -p "${LOGDIR}"
 
+  # Install the Hadoop maven plugins first
+  run_and_redirect "${LOGDIR}/mvn_install_maven_plugins.log" "${MVN}" "${MVN_ARGS[@]}" -pl hadoop-maven-plugins -am clean install
+
   # mvn clean for sanity
   run_and_redirect "${LOGDIR}/mvn_clean.log" "${MVN}" "${MVN_ARGS[@]}" clean
 
diff --git a/hadoop-dist/pom.xml b/hadoop-dist/pom.xml
index 48574b325d9..fa1fc078274 100644
--- a/hadoop-dist/pom.xml
+++ b/hadoop-dist/pom.xml
@@ -68,6 +68,24 @@
         <configuration>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
+
+      <!--
+           The "dist" profile automatically attaches many artifacts
+           to the module.
+
+           Disable these, since we are only concerned with assembling
+           the dist layout.
+      -->
+      <!-- Disable the sign plugin, since there isn't anything to sign -->
+      <plugin>
+        <artifactId>maven-gpg-plugin</artifactId>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <id>sign-artifacts</id>
+            <phase>never</phase>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+      </plugin>
     </plugins>
   </build>