diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/release.yml b/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
index 0e157c2..ad0c109 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
@@ -192,27 +192,35 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GITEA_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_TOKEN }}
           REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
-          VERSION: ${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
-          IMAGE: ${{ steps.version.outputs.image }}
           DIGEST: ${{ steps.push.outputs.digest }}
+          IMAGE: ${{ steps.version.outputs.image }}
         run: |
           set -eu
           API="https://${REGISTRY}/api/v1"
           TAG="${{ github.ref_name }}"
 
+          # Read the version from the checked-out commit rather than from a
+          # previous step's output. The tag points at this commit, so the two
+          # agree by construction, and this avoids the release quietly falling
+          # back to generic notes if the output ever arrives empty.
+          VERSION=$(grep -m1 '^version' Cargo.toml | sed 's/.*"\(.*\)".*/\1/')
+          echo "publishing release for ${VERSION} (tag ${TAG})"
+
           # Hand-written notes when they exist, because the interesting part of
           # a release here is what the operator has to do, not which commits
-          # landed. Falls back to a short factual note.
+          # landed. Falls back to a short factual note, and says which it used.
           if [ -f "docs/releases/${VERSION}.md" ]; then
             NOTES=$(cat "docs/releases/${VERSION}.md")
+            echo "using docs/releases/${VERSION}.md (${#NOTES} bytes)"
           else
             NOTES=$(printf 'Release %s.\n\nSee the repository README for deployment instructions.' "$VERSION")
+            echo "::warning::docs/releases/${VERSION}.md is missing; writing a placeholder"
           fi
 
-          BODY=$(NOTES="$NOTES" node -e '
+          VERSION="$VERSION" NOTES="$NOTES" node -e '
             const { NOTES, VERSION, IMAGE, DIGEST, REGISTRY } = process.env;
             const ref = REGISTRY + "/" + IMAGE + ":" + VERSION;
-            process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({
+            require("fs").writeFileSync("/tmp/release.json", JSON.stringify({
               body: NOTES +
                 "\n\n---\n\n" +
                 "**Image:** `" + ref + "`\n\n" +
@@ -222,28 +230,28 @@ jobs:
               tag_name: "v" + VERSION,
               draft: false,
               prerelease: false,
-            }));')
+            }));'
 
           # A re-run of the same tag updates the release in place rather than
           # failing on the duplicate.
           curl -s -H "Authorization: token ${GITEA_TOKEN}" \
-            "${API}/repos/${REPO}/releases/tags/v${VERSION}" > /tmp/release.json || echo '{}' > /tmp/release.json
+            "${API}/repos/${REPO}/releases/tags/${TAG}" > /tmp/existing.json || echo '{}' > /tmp/existing.json
           EXISTING=$(node -e '
             const fs = require("fs");
             try {
-              const r = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync("/tmp/release.json", "utf8"));
+              const r = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync("/tmp/existing.json", "utf8"));
               process.stdout.write(r && r.id ? String(r.id) : "");
             } catch { process.stdout.write(""); }
           ')
 
           if [ -n "$EXISTING" ]; then
             curl -sf -X PATCH -H "Authorization: token ${GITEA_TOKEN}" \
-              -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d "$BODY" \
+              -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data-binary @/tmp/release.json \
               "${API}/repos/${REPO}/releases/${EXISTING}" > /dev/null
-            echo "updated release v${VERSION}"
+            echo "updated release ${TAG}"
           else
             curl -sf -X POST -H "Authorization: token ${GITEA_TOKEN}" \
-              -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d "$BODY" \
+              -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data-binary @/tmp/release.json \
               "${API}/repos/${REPO}/releases" > /dev/null
-            echo "created release v${VERSION}"
+            echo "created release ${TAG}"
           fi