diff --git a/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/android_releaser.dart b/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/android_releaser.dart
index a4f1e66d0..3b5796800 100644
--- a/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/android_releaser.dart
+++ b/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/android_releaser.dart
@@ -61,8 +61,6 @@ class AndroidReleaser extends Releaser {
 
   @override
   Future<void> assertArgsAreValid() async {
-    argResults.assertAbsentOrValidPublicKey();
-
     if (argResults.wasParsed('release-version')) {
       logger.err(
         '''
diff --git a/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/ios_releaser.dart b/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/ios_releaser.dart
index 18a25046d..c7a79edad 100644
--- a/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/ios_releaser.dart
+++ b/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/ios_releaser.dart
@@ -42,8 +42,6 @@ class IosReleaser extends Releaser {
 
   @override
   Future<void> assertArgsAreValid() async {
-    argResults.assertAbsentOrValidPublicKey();
-
     if (argResults.wasParsed('release-version')) {
       logger.err(
         '''
diff --git a/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/release_command.dart b/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/release_command.dart
index 1bb8851ff..4ec3245f0 100644
--- a/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/release_command.dart
+++ b/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/release_command.dart
@@ -248,6 +248,7 @@ of the iOS app that is using this module. (aar and ios-framework only)''',
   @visibleForTesting
   Future<void> createRelease(Releaser releaser) async {
     await releaser.assertPreconditions();
+    await assertArgsAreValid();
     await releaser.assertArgsAreValid();
 
     await shorebirdValidator.validateFlavors(flavorArg: flavor);
@@ -327,6 +328,11 @@ of the iOS app that is using this module. (aar and ios-framework only)''',
     );
   }
 
+  /// Validates arguments that are common to all release types.
+  Future<void> assertArgsAreValid() async {
+    results.assertAbsentOrValidPublicKey();
+  }
+
   /// Determines which Flutter version to use for the release. This will be
   /// either the version specified by the user or the version provided by
   /// [shorebirdEnv]. Will exit with [ExitCode.software] if the version
diff --git a/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/windows_releaser.dart b/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/windows_releaser.dart
index a92d4f7da..99e8de508 100644
--- a/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/windows_releaser.dart
+++ b/packages/shorebird_cli/lib/src/commands/release/windows_releaser.dart
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ class WindowsReleaser extends Releaser {
 
   @override
   Future<void> assertArgsAreValid() async {
-    argResults.assertAbsentOrValidPublicKey();
-
     if (argResults.wasParsed('release-version')) {
       logger.err(
         '''
diff --git a/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/android_releaser_test.dart b/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/android_releaser_test.dart
index a74c007bf..6e2f9297f 100644
--- a/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/android_releaser_test.dart
+++ b/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/android_releaser_test.dart
@@ -235,45 +235,6 @@ To change the version of this release, change your app's version in your pubspec
           );
         });
       });
-
-      group('when a public key is provided and it exists', () {
-        setUp(() {
-          when(() => argResults['artifact']).thenReturn('apk');
-          final publicKeyFile = File(
-            p.join(
-              Directory.systemTemp.createTempSync().path,
-              'public-key.pem',
-            ),
-          )..writeAsStringSync('public key');
-          when(() => argResults[CommonArguments.publicKeyArg.name])
-              .thenReturn(publicKeyFile.path);
-        });
-
-        test('returns normally', () async {
-          expect(
-            () => runWithOverrides(androidReleaser.assertArgsAreValid),
-            returnsNormally,
-          );
-        });
-      });
-
-      group('when a public key is provided but does not exist', () {
-        setUp(() {
-          when(() => argResults['artifact']).thenReturn('apk');
-          when(() => argResults[CommonArguments.publicKeyArg.name])
-              .thenReturn('non-existing-key.pem');
-        });
-
-        test('logs and exits with usage err', () async {
-          await expectLater(
-            () => runWithOverrides(androidReleaser.assertArgsAreValid),
-            exitsWithCode(ExitCode.usage),
-          );
-
-          verify(() => logger.err('No file found at non-existing-key.pem'))
-              .called(1);
-        });
-      });
     });
 
     group('buildReleaseArtifacts', () {
diff --git a/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/ios_releaser_test.dart b/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/ios_releaser_test.dart
index a5221212a..01f5414f3 100644
--- a/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/ios_releaser_test.dart
+++ b/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/ios_releaser_test.dart
@@ -278,43 +278,6 @@ To change the version of this release, change your app's version in your pubspec
             );
           });
         });
-
-        group('when a public key is provided and it exists', () {
-          setUp(() {
-            final publicKeyFile = File(
-              p.join(
-                Directory.systemTemp.createTempSync().path,
-                'public-key.pem',
-              ),
-            )..writeAsStringSync('public key');
-            when(() => argResults[CommonArguments.publicKeyArg.name])
-                .thenReturn(publicKeyFile.path);
-          });
-
-          test('returns normally', () async {
-            expect(
-              () => runWithOverrides(iosReleaser.assertArgsAreValid),
-              returnsNormally,
-            );
-          });
-        });
-
-        group('when the provided public key is a nonexistent file', () {
-          setUp(() {
-            when(() => argResults[CommonArguments.publicKeyArg.name])
-                .thenReturn('non-existing-key.pem');
-          });
-
-          test('logs and exits with usage err', () async {
-            await expectLater(
-              () => runWithOverrides(iosReleaser.assertArgsAreValid),
-              exitsWithCode(ExitCode.usage),
-            );
-
-            verify(() => logger.err('No file found at non-existing-key.pem'))
-                .called(1);
-          });
-        });
       });
 
       group('buildReleaseArtifacts', () {
diff --git a/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/release_command_test.dart b/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/release_command_test.dart
index ebc71fab6..7f8020b88 100644
--- a/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/release_command_test.dart
+++ b/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/release_command_test.dart
@@ -252,6 +252,24 @@ void main() {
       });
     });
 
+    group('when public key path is provided but no key exists', () {
+      setUp(() {
+        when(() => argResults[CommonArguments.publicKeyArg.name])
+            .thenReturn('/path/to/nonexistent/file');
+      });
+
+      test('exits with usage code', () async {
+        await expectLater(
+          runWithOverrides(command.run),
+          exitsWithCode(ExitCode.usage),
+        );
+
+        verifyNever(
+          () => codePushClientWrapper.getApp(appId: any(named: 'appId')),
+        );
+      });
+    });
+
     test('executes commands in order, completes successfully', () async {
       final exitCode = await runWithOverrides(command.run);
       expect(exitCode, equals(ExitCode.success.code));
diff --git a/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/windows_releaser_test.dart b/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/windows_releaser_test.dart
index c67a89974..6ab16babb 100644
--- a/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/windows_releaser_test.dart
+++ b/packages/shorebird_cli/test/src/commands/release/windows_releaser_test.dart
@@ -151,22 +151,6 @@ To change the version of this release, change your app's version in your pubspec
           ).called(1);
         });
       });
-
-      group('when public key is provided but file does not exist', () {
-        setUp(() {
-          when(() => argResults.wasParsed(CommonArguments.publicKeyArg.name))
-              .thenReturn(true);
-          when(() => argResults[CommonArguments.publicKeyArg.name])
-              .thenReturn('nonexistent');
-        });
-
-        test('fails progress, exits', () async {
-          await expectLater(
-            () => runWithOverrides(releaser.assertArgsAreValid),
-            exitsWithCode(ExitCode.usage),
-          );
-        });
-      });
     });
 
     group('assertPreconditions', () {