diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index f25a2a7..733667d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -375,13 +375,20 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
           TITLE: Zerr* for ${{ steps.guard.outputs.title }} ${{ steps.guard.outputs.version }}
+          HOST: ${{ steps.guard.outputs.host }}
+          VERSION: ${{ steps.guard.outputs.version }}
         run: |
           ls -l assets
+          # Notes come from the tag's own file; a suffixed tag (max-v0.3.0-rc1) falls back to
+          # the final release's file (max-v0.3.0.md), so a dry run shows the real notes.
           notes="docs/releases/${GITHUB_REF_NAME}.md"
+          final="docs/releases/${HOST}-v${VERSION%%-*}.md"
           if [ -f "$notes" ]; then
             notes_args=(--notes-file "$notes")
+          elif [ -f "$final" ]; then
+            notes_args=(--notes-file "$final")
           else
-            notes_args=(--notes "Draft. Write docs/releases/${GITHUB_REF_NAME}.md and paste it here before publishing.")
+            notes_args=(--notes "Draft. Write $final and paste it here before publishing.")
           fi
           pre=()
           case "$GITHUB_REF_NAME" in *-*) pre=(--prerelease) ;; esac
diff --git a/docs/design/release-process.md b/docs/design/release-process.md
index d84b0c1..3493653 100644
--- a/docs/design/release-process.md
+++ b/docs/design/release-process.md
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ _Maintainer steps. User-facing install instructions live in `maxmsp/README.md` a
    checks the tag against the host's version file, and creates a **draft** release with the zips
    attached and the notes pre-filled (the `release` job in `.github/workflows/ci.yml`). Read the
    draft on GitHub, then publish it. A tag with a suffix (`max-v0.3.0-rc1`) becomes a prerelease
-   draft: that is the dry run. `gh release create` refuses an existing release, so a re-run after a
+   draft, filled from the final release's notes file (`max-v0.3.0.md`) when it has none of its own:
+   that is the dry run. `gh release create` refuses an existing release, so a re-run after a
    failure needs `gh release delete <tag> --yes` first.
 5. **Notes live in the repo and stay**: `docs/releases/<tag>.md`, written before tagging, kept
    afterwards as the changelog. No H1 (the release title supplies it). `## Breaking` first when