diff --git a/.github/dep-suggests-matrix.json b/.github/dep-suggests-matrix.json
deleted file mode 100644
index b8c4507..0000000
--- a/.github/dep-suggests-matrix.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-{"package":["lubridate"]}
diff --git a/.github/versions-matrix.json b/.github/versions-matrix.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 5af4434..0000000
--- a/.github/versions-matrix.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-{"include":[{"os":"macos-latest","r":"4.4"},{"os":"macos-latest","r":"4.3"},{"os":"windows-latest","r":"devel"},{"os":"windows-latest","r":"4.4"},{"os":"windows-latest","r":"4.3"},{"os":"ubuntu-22.04","r":"devel","http-user-agent":"release"},{"os":"ubuntu-22.04","r":"4.4"},{"os":"ubuntu-22.04","r":"4.3"},{"os":"ubuntu-22.04","r":"4.2"},{"os":"ubuntu-22.04","r":"4.1"},{"os":"ubuntu-22.04","r":"4.0"},{"os":"ubuntu-22.04","r":"4.4","covr":"true","desc":"with covr"}]}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/fledge.yaml b/.github/workflows/fledge.yaml
index 02e9101..b197fb3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/fledge.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/fledge.yaml
@@ -72,8 +72,18 @@ jobs:
           packages: cynkra/fledge
           cache-version: fledge-1
 
+      - name: Count rulesets
+        # Assume that branch is protected if ruleset exists
+        id: rulesets
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+        run: |
+          n_rulesets=$(gh api repos/${{ github.repository }}/rulesets -q length)
+          echo "count=${n_rulesets}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        shell: bash
+
       - name: Switch to branch if branch protection is enabled
-        if: github.ref_protected == 'true' || inputs.pr == 'true'
+        if: github.ref_protected == 'true' || inputs.pr == 'true' || steps.rulesets.outputs.count > 0
         run: |
           git checkout -b fledge
           git push -f -u origin HEAD
@@ -83,14 +93,14 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GITHUB_PAT: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
         run: |
-          check_default_branch <- ("${{ github.ref_protected == 'true' || inputs.pr == 'true' }}" != "true")
+          check_default_branch <- ("${{ github.ref_protected == 'true' || inputs.pr == 'true' || steps.rulesets.outputs.count > 0 }}" != "true")
           if (fledge::bump_version(which = "dev", no_change_behavior = "noop", check_default_branch = check_default_branch)) {
             fledge::finalize_version(push = TRUE)
           }
         shell: Rscript {0}
 
       - name: Create and merge PR if branch protection is enabled
-        if: github.ref_protected == 'true' || inputs.pr == 'true'
+        if: github.ref_protected == 'true' || inputs.pr == 'true' || steps.rulesets.outputs.count > 0
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
         run: |