diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 9958206..10ee701 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -27,43 +27,32 @@
           else
             echo "prerelease=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           fi
-      - name: "Build Changelog"
-        id: build_changelog
-        uses: mikepenz/release-changelog-builder-action@v6
-        with:
-          configurationJson: |
-            {
-              "template": "#{{CHANGELOG}}",
-              "categories": [
-                {
-                    "title": "## 🚀 Features",
-                    "labels": ["feature", "enhancement"]
-                },
-                {
-                    "title": "## 🐛 Fixes",
-                    "labels": ["fix", "bug"]
-                },
-                {
-                    "title": "## 📦 Other",
-                    "labels": []
-                }
-              ],
-              "ignore_labels": [
-                "skip-changelog"
-              ],
-              "fetch_via_commits": true,
-              "fetch_reviewers": false,
-              "fetch_release_information": true,
-              "fetch_reviews": false,
-              "commit_mode": true
-            }
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+      - name: Extract release notes from CHANGELOG.md
+        id: changelog
+        run: |
+          TAG_NAME="${{ steps.get_version.outputs.tag_name }}"
+          # Pull the section for this version: everything between the
+          # "## [<tag>]" heading and the next "## [" heading. We author the
+          # changelog by hand (Gerrit workflow, no PRs to mine for notes).
+          NOTES=$(awk -v tag="$TAG_NAME" '
+            $0 ~ "^## \\[" tag "\\]" { flag=1; next }
+            /^## \[/ { flag=0 }
+            flag { print }
+          ' CHANGELOG.md)
+          if [ -z "$(echo "$NOTES" | tr -d '[:space:]')" ]; then
+            echo "No CHANGELOG.md section found for $TAG_NAME; falling back to a generic body." >&2
+            NOTES="Release $TAG_NAME"
+          fi
+          {
+            echo "notes<<__CHANGELOG_EOF__"
+            echo "$NOTES"
+            echo "__CHANGELOG_EOF__"
+          } >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
       - name: Create Release
         uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
         with:
-          body: ${{ steps.build_changelog.outputs.changelog }}
+          body: ${{ steps.changelog.outputs.notes }}
           tag_name: ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.tag_name }}
           name: Release ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.tag_name }}
           prerelease: ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.prerelease }}