diff --git a/package/release.py b/package/release.py
index 44dd32b..d9a6c2a 100755
--- a/package/release.py
+++ b/package/release.py
@@ -10,10 +10,6 @@ import http.client
 from urllib.error import HTTPError
 
 
-encoder = json.encoder.JSONEncoder()
-decoder = json.decoder.JSONDecoder()
-
-
 def parse_changelog(tag: str) -> Optional[str]:
     release_changelog: str = ''
     with open('CHANGELOG.md', 'r') as f:
@@ -45,13 +41,13 @@ def fetch_job_ids(project_id: int, pipeline_id: int, api_token: str) -> Dict[str
         print(e.read().decode())
         sys.exit(1)
     resp_data: bytes = resp.read()
-    joblist: List[Dict[str, Any]] = decoder.decode(resp_data.decode())
+    joblist: List[Dict[str, Any]] = json.loads(resp_data.decode())
 
     jobidmap: Dict[str, str] = {}
     for job in joblist:
         name: str = job['name']
-        id: str = job['id']
-        jobidmap[name] = id
+        job_id: str = job['id']
+        jobidmap[name] = job_id
     return jobidmap
 
 
@@ -136,12 +132,13 @@ def main():
 - [Arch Linux Package]({arch_url}) ([sha256]({arch_sha_url}))
 - Docker image: registry.gitlab.com/{project_name}:{release_tag}'''
 
-    post_body: str = encoder.encode({'description': augmented_changelog})
+    post_body: str = json.dumps({'description': augmented_changelog})
 
     gitlab_release_api_url: str = \
         f'https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/{project_id}/repository/tags/{release_tag}/release'
     headers: Dict[str, str] = {
-        'Private-Token': api_token
+        'Private-Token': api_token,
+        'Content-Type': 'application/json; charset=utf-8'
     }
 
     request = urllib.request.Request(
@@ -157,7 +154,7 @@ def main():
         sys.exit(1)
     response_bytes: bytes = response.read()
     response_str: str = response_bytes.decode()
-    response_data: Dict[str, Any] = decoder.decode(response_str)
+    response_data: Dict[str, Any] = json.loads(response_str)
 
     if response_data['tag_name'] != release_tag:
         print('Something went wrong...', file=sys.stderr)