diff --git a/etc/check-remote.sh b/etc/check-remote.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..98e115ee5ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etc/check-remote.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+
+if git remote get-url --push origin | grep -qv "github.com:mongodb"; then
+    echo "git remote does not match node-mongodb-native.  are you working off of a fork?"
+    exit 1
+fi
diff --git a/etc/docs/build.ts b/etc/docs/build.ts
index cdb275045d6..d2b8c4d973f 100755
--- a/etc/docs/build.ts
+++ b/etc/docs/build.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ async function updateSiteTemplateForNewVersion(
 }
 
 async function main() {
+  await exec('bash ./etc/check-remote.sh');
+
   chdir(__dirname);
 
   const { tag, status, skipPrompts } = getCommandLineArguments();
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 63e3ffa5924..aeca0e6342e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@
     "fix:eslint": "npm run check:eslint -- --fix",
     "prepare": "node etc/prepare.js",
     "preview:docs": "ts-node etc/docs/preview.ts",
-    "release": "standard-version -a -i HISTORY.md",
+    "release": "bash etc/check-remote.sh && standard-version -a -i HISTORY.md",
     "test": "npm run check:lint && npm run test:all",
     "test:all": "npm run check:unit && npm run check:test",
     "update:docs": "npm run build:docs -- --yes"