diff --git a/dev-support/create-release/release-tag.sh b/dev-support/create-release/release-tag.sh
index 98be22fa869..28ade2c0915 100755
--- a/dev-support/create-release/release-tag.sh
+++ b/dev-support/create-release/release-tag.sh
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ if [[ -z "$ASF_PASSWORD" ]]; then
   stty -echo && printf "ASF password: " && read ASF_PASSWORD && printf '\n' && stty echo
 fi
 
-for env in ASF_USERNAME ASF_PASSWORD RELEASE_VERSION RELEASE_TAG NEXT_VERSION GIT_EMAIL GIT_NAME GIT_BRANCH; do
+for env in ASF_USERNAME ASF_PASSWORD RELEASE_VERSION RELEASE_TAG NEXT_VERSION GIT_EMAIL \
+    GIT_NAME GIT_BRANCH GPG_KEY; do
   if [ -z "${!env}" ]; then
     echo "$env must be set to run this script"
     exit 1
diff --git a/dev-support/create-release/release-util.sh b/dev-support/create-release/release-util.sh
index 38a8b0ec94e..471e7b2dfd7 100755
--- a/dev-support/create-release/release-util.sh
+++ b/dev-support/create-release/release-util.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@
 #
 DRY_RUN=${DRY_RUN:-0}
 GPG="gpg --pinentry-mode loopback --no-tty --batch"
-YETUS_VERSION=0.11.0
+YETUS_VERSION=${YETUS_VERSION:-0.11.1}
+set -x
 
 function error {
   echo "$*"
@@ -296,7 +297,7 @@ function update_releasenotes {
   local release_version="$2"
   local yetus="apache-yetus-${YETUS_VERSION}"
   wget -qO- "https://www.apache.org/dyn/mirrors/mirrors.cgi?action=download&filename=/yetus/${YETUS_VERSION}/${yetus}-bin.tar.gz" | \
-    tar xvz -C .
+    tar xvz -C . || exit
   cd ./${yetus} || exit
   ./bin/releasedocmaker -p HBASE --fileversions -v ${release_version} -l --sortorder=newer --skip-credits
   # First clear out the changes written by previous RCs.