diff --git a/lib/promote_release.js b/lib/promote_release.js
index 14585586..49967f58 100644
--- a/lib/promote_release.js
+++ b/lib/promote_release.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { pipeline } from 'node:stream/promises';
 import semver from 'semver';
 import * as gst from 'git-secure-tag';
 
-import { forceRunAsync } from './run.js';
+import { forceRunAsync, runSync } from './run.js';
 import PRData from './pr_data.js';
 import PRChecker from './pr_checker.js';
 import Session from './session.js';
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ export default class ReleasePromotion extends Session {
     if (!localCloneIsClean) {
       if (await cli.prompt('Should we checkout the release proposal?')) {
         cli.startSpinner('Fetching the proposal upstream...');
-        await forceRunAsync('git', ['fetch', proposalUpstreamRemote, releaseCommitSha],
+        // We need a sync spawn here to avoid the spinner getting in the way of SSH key passphrase
+        runSync('git', ['fetch', proposalUpstreamRemote, releaseCommitSha],
           { ignoreFailure: false });
         await forceRunAsync('git', ['checkout', releaseCommitSha], { ignoreFailure: false });
         cli.stopSpinner('Local HEAD is now in sync with the proposal');