diff --git a/release.py b/release.py
index 35b14093..3dcc48af 100755
--- a/release.py
+++ b/release.py
@@ -291,6 +291,20 @@ def run_cmd(
         error(f"{cmd} failed")
 
 
+def ask_question(question: str) -> bool:
+    answer = ""
+    print(question)
+    while answer not in ("yes", "no"):
+        answer = input("Enter yes or no: ")
+        if answer == "yes":
+            return True
+        elif answer == "no":
+            return False
+        else:
+            print("Please enter yes or no.")
+    return True
+
+
 readme_re = re.compile(r"This is Python version 3\.\d").match
 
 
@@ -763,7 +777,7 @@ def make_tag(tag: Tag, *, sign_gpg: bool = True) -> bool:
             print("There are still reST files in NEWS.d/next/...")
         if not good_files:
             print(f"There is no Misc/NEWS.d/{tag}.rst file.")
-        if input("Are you sure you want to tag? (y/n) > ") not in ("y", "yes"):
+        if not ask_question("Are you sure you want to tag?"):
             print("Aborting.")
             return False
 
@@ -774,10 +788,7 @@ def make_tag(tag: Tag, *, sign_gpg: bool = True) -> bool:
             != f"branch-{tag}"
         ):
             print("It doesn't look like you're on the correct branch.")
-            if input("Are you sure you want to tag? (y/n) > ").lower() not in (
-                "y",
-                "yes",
-            ):
+            if not ask_question("Are you sure you want to tag?"):
                 print("Aborting.")
                 return False
 
diff --git a/run_release.py b/run_release.py
index b346af37..b69b2d2e 100755
--- a/run_release.py
+++ b/run_release.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 import sbom
 import update_version_next
 from buildbotapi import BuildBotAPI, Builder
-from release import ReleaseShelf, Tag, Task
+from release import ReleaseShelf, Tag, Task, ask_question
 
 API_KEY_REGEXP = re.compile(r"(?P<user>\w+):(?P<key>\w+)")
 RELEASE_REGEXP = re.compile(
@@ -287,20 +287,6 @@ def run(self) -> None:
         print(f"Congratulations, Python {self.db['release']} is released 🎉🎉🎉")
 
 
-def ask_question(question: str) -> bool:
-    answer = ""
-    print(question)
-    while answer not in ("yes", "no"):
-        answer = input("Enter yes or no: ")
-        if answer == "yes":
-            return True
-        elif answer == "no":
-            return False
-        else:
-            print("Please enter yes or no.")
-    return True
-
-
 @contextlib.contextmanager
 def cd(path: Path) -> Iterator[None]:
     current_path = os.getcwd()
diff --git a/tests/test_release.py b/tests/test_release.py
index c72289ae..96d7bc68 100644
--- a/tests/test_release.py
+++ b/tests/test_release.py
@@ -46,6 +46,38 @@ def test_task(mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
     my_task.assert_called_once_with(cast(release.ReleaseShelf, db))
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ["test_inputs", "expected"],
+    [
+        (["yes"], True),
+        (["no"], False),
+        (["maybe", "yes"], True),
+        (["maybe", "no"], False),
+        (["", "nope", "y", "yes"], True),
+        (["", "nope", "n", "no"], False),
+    ],
+)
+def test_ask_question(
+    mocker: MockerFixture,
+    capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str],
+    test_inputs: list[str],
+    expected: bool,
+) -> None:
+    # Arrange
+    mocker.patch("release.input", side_effect=test_inputs)
+
+    # Act
+    result = release.ask_question("Do you want to proceed?")
+
+    # Assert
+    assert result is expected
+    captured = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert "Do you want to proceed?" in captured.out
+    # All inputs except the last are invalid
+    invalid_count = len(test_inputs) - 1
+    assert captured.out.count("Please enter yes or no.") == invalid_count
+
+
 def test_tweak_patchlevel(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     # Arrange
     tag = release.Tag("3.14.0b2")