diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 056e1e899..05f19ef69 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ on:
 concurrency: release
 
 env:
-  TOTAL_SHARDS: 256
+  TOTAL_SHARDS: 40
   TF_VAR_target_repository: cgr.dev/chainguard
 
 permissions:
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ jobs:
         name: Shard
         shell: bash # bash math foo required
         run: |
-          images=($(find ./images -maxdepth 1 -type d -not -path "./images/TEMPLATE" | awk -F'/' '{print $3}' | sort -u))
+          images=($(find ./images -maxdepth 1 -type d -not -path "./images/TEMPLATE" | awk -F'/' '{print $3}' | sort -u | shuf))
 
           # n buckets to shard into
           n=${{ env.TOTAL_SHARDS }}