diff --git a/lib/octokit.js b/lib/octokit.js
index 6bb6db1c..264eaa2b 100644
--- a/lib/octokit.js
+++ b/lib/octokit.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { throttling } from "@octokit/plugin-throttling";
 import urljoin from "url-join";
 import { HttpProxyAgent } from "http-proxy-agent";
 import { HttpsProxyAgent } from "https-proxy-agent";
+import { ProxyAgent, fetch as undiciFetch } from "undici";
 
 import { RETRY_CONF } from "./definitions/retry.js";
 import { THROTTLE_CONF } from "./definitions/throttle.js";
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ export const SemanticReleaseOctokit = Octokit.plugin(
 
 /**
  * @param {{githubToken: string, proxy: any} | {githubUrl: string, githubApiPathPrefix: string, githubApiUrl: string,githubToken: string, proxy: any}} options
- * @returns {{ auth: string, baseUrl?: string, request: { agent?: any } }}
+ * @returns {{ auth: string, baseUrl?: string, request: { agent?: any, fetch?: any } }}
  */
 export function toOctokitOptions(options) {
   const baseUrl =
@@ -69,11 +70,17 @@ export function toOctokitOptions(options) {
       : new HttpsProxyAgent(options.proxy, options.proxy)
     : undefined;
 
+  const fetchWithDispatcher = (url, opts) =>
+    undiciFetch(url, {
+      ...opts,
+      dispatcher: options.proxy
+        ? new ProxyAgent({ uri: options.proxy })
+        : undefined,
+    });
+
   return {
     ...(baseUrl ? { baseUrl } : {}),
     auth: options.githubToken,
-    request: {
-      agent,
-    },
+    request: { agent, fetch: fetchWithDispatcher },
   };
 }
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 52621c51..a0e61ef1 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
         "mime": "^4.0.0",
         "p-filter": "^4.0.0",
         "tinyglobby": "^0.2.14",
+        "undici": "^7.16.0",
         "url-join": "^5.0.0"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
@@ -15087,6 +15088,14 @@
         "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/ljharb"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/undici": {
+      "version": "7.16.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/undici/-/undici-7.16.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-QEg3HPMll0o3t2ourKwOeUAZ159Kn9mx5pnzHRQO8+Wixmh88YdZRiIwat0iNzNNXn0yoEtXJqFpyW7eM8BV7g==",
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=20.18.1"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/undici-types": {
       "version": "7.14.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/undici-types/-/undici-types-7.14.0.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2886f67d..de7d6b78 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
     "mime": "^4.0.0",
     "p-filter": "^4.0.0",
     "tinyglobby": "^0.2.14",
+    "undici": "^7.0.0",
     "url-join": "^5.0.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/test/octokit-proxy-integration.test.js b/test/octokit-proxy-integration.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6897b2ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/octokit-proxy-integration.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+import { createServer } from "node:http";
+import { createServer as createHttpsServer } from "node:https";
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+
+import test from "ava";
+import { SemanticReleaseOctokit, toOctokitOptions } from "../lib/octokit.js";
+
+process.env.NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED = 0;
+
+test("Octokit proxy setup creates proper fetch function", async (t) => {
+  // This test verifies that the proxy setup creates the expected function structure
+  // without actually testing network connectivity which can be flaky in CI environments
+
+  const options = toOctokitOptions({
+    githubToken: "test_token",
+    githubApiUrl: "https://api.github.com",
+    proxy: "http://proxy.example.com:8080",
+  });
+
+  const octokit = new SemanticReleaseOctokit(options);
+
+  // Verify that the options are set up correctly
+  t.true(typeof options.request.fetch === "function");
+  t.is(options.auth, "test_token");
+  t.is(options.baseUrl, "https://api.github.com");
+
+  // Verify that both agent (for backwards compatibility) and fetch are present
+  t.truthy(options.request.agent);
+  t.truthy(options.request.fetch);
+
+  // Verify that the fetch function has the correct signature
+  t.is(options.request.fetch.length, 2);
+});
+
+test("Octokit works without proxy using custom fetch", async (t) => {
+  let requestReceived = false;
+
+  // Create a mock GitHub API server
+  const mockApiServer = createServer((req, res) => {
+    requestReceived = true;
+    res.writeHead(200, { "Content-Type": "application/json" });
+    res.end(
+      JSON.stringify({
+        id: 1,
+        tag_name: "v1.0.0",
+        name: "Test Release",
+        body: "Test release body",
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  await new Promise((resolve) => {
+    mockApiServer.listen(0, "127.0.0.1", resolve);
+  });
+
+  const apiPort = mockApiServer.address().port;
+
+  try {
+    const options = toOctokitOptions({
+      githubToken: "test_token",
+      githubApiUrl: `http://127.0.0.1:${apiPort}`,
+      // No proxy specified
+    });
+
+    const octokit = new SemanticReleaseOctokit(options);
+
+    // Test that the custom fetch function is still created (even without proxy)
+    t.true(typeof options.request.fetch === "function");
+
+    const response = await options.request.fetch(
+      `http://127.0.0.1:${apiPort}/test`,
+      {
+        method: "GET",
+        headers: {
+          Authorization: "token test_token",
+        },
+      },
+    );
+
+    t.is(response.status, 200);
+    t.true(requestReceived);
+
+    const data = await response.json();
+    t.is(data.tag_name, "v1.0.0");
+  } finally {
+    mockApiServer.close();
+  }
+});
diff --git a/test/to-octokit-options.test.js b/test/to-octokit-options.test.js
index 38c3a4b8..57b1dc07 100644
--- a/test/to-octokit-options.test.js
+++ b/test/to-octokit-options.test.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { createServer as _createServer } from "node:https";
 import test from "ava";
 import { HttpProxyAgent } from "http-proxy-agent";
 import { HttpsProxyAgent } from "https-proxy-agent";
+import { ProxyAgent } from "undici";
 
 import { toOctokitOptions } from "../lib/octokit.js";
 
@@ -67,3 +68,92 @@ test("githubApiUrl with trailing slash", async (t) => {
   });
   t.is(options.baseUrl, "http://api.localhost:10001");
 });
+
+test("fetch function uses ProxyAgent with proxy", async (t) => {
+  const proxyUrl = "http://localhost:1002";
+  const options = toOctokitOptions({
+    githubToken: "github_token",
+    githubUrl: "https://localhost:10001",
+    githubApiPathPrefix: "",
+    proxy: proxyUrl,
+  });
+
+  t.true(typeof options.request.fetch === "function");
+
+  // Test that the fetch function is created and different from the default undici fetch
+  const { fetch: undiciFetch } = await import("undici");
+  t.not(options.request.fetch, undiciFetch);
+});
+
+test("fetch function does not use ProxyAgent without proxy", async (t) => {
+  const options = toOctokitOptions({
+    githubToken: "github_token",
+    githubUrl: "https://localhost:10001",
+    githubApiPathPrefix: "",
+  });
+
+  t.true(typeof options.request.fetch === "function");
+
+  // Test that the fetch function is created and different from the default undici fetch
+  const { fetch: undiciFetch } = await import("undici");
+  t.not(options.request.fetch, undiciFetch);
+});
+
+test("fetch function preserves original fetch options", async (t) => {
+  const proxyUrl = "http://localhost:1002";
+  const options = toOctokitOptions({
+    githubToken: "github_token",
+    proxy: proxyUrl,
+  });
+
+  // Test that we get a custom fetch function when proxy is set
+  t.true(typeof options.request.fetch === "function");
+
+  // Test that we can call the function without errors (even though we can't mock the actual fetch)
+  t.notThrows(() => {
+    const fetchFn = options.request.fetch;
+    // Just verify it's a function that can be called with the expected signature
+    t.is(typeof fetchFn, "function");
+    t.is(fetchFn.length, 2); // fetch function should accept 2 parameters (url, options)
+  });
+});
+
+test("both agent and fetch are provided for backwards compatibility", async (t) => {
+  const proxyUrl = "http://localhost:1002";
+  const options = toOctokitOptions({
+    githubToken: "github_token",
+    githubUrl: "https://localhost:10001",
+    githubApiPathPrefix: "",
+    proxy: proxyUrl,
+  });
+
+  const { request, ...rest } = options;
+
+  // Should have both agent and fetch for compatibility
+  t.true(request.agent instanceof HttpsProxyAgent);
+  t.true(typeof request.fetch === "function");
+
+  t.deepEqual(rest, {
+    baseUrl: "https://localhost:10001",
+    auth: "github_token",
+  });
+});
+
+test("only fetch is provided when no proxy is set", async (t) => {
+  const options = toOctokitOptions({
+    githubToken: "github_token",
+    githubUrl: "https://localhost:10001",
+    githubApiPathPrefix: "",
+  });
+
+  const { request, ...rest } = options;
+
+  // Should have fetch function but no agent when no proxy
+  t.is(request.agent, undefined);
+  t.true(typeof request.fetch === "function");
+
+  t.deepEqual(rest, {
+    baseUrl: "https://localhost:10001",
+    auth: "github_token",
+  });
+});