diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 916fc36..0000000
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-name: Publish Package
-
-on:
-  release:
-    types:
-      - published
-
-jobs:
-  publish:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
-      - uses: extractions/setup-just@v4
-      - uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v8.2.0
-      - run: just publish
-        env:
-          PYPI_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PYPI_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f53248f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+name: Release
+
+# Tag-driven: pushing a semver tag publishes to PyPI and creates the matching
+# GitHub Release. The old `on: release: published` trigger is gone on purpose —
+# this workflow creates a published Release itself, which would re-fire that
+# trigger and double-publish. The tag is the sole entry point. By convention a
+# tag is only ever cut off a green main, so there is no in-workflow CI gate.
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - '[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+'               # stable:      2.19.2
+      - '[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+[a-z]+[0-9]+'   # pre-release: 2.0.0a5, 2.0.0b1, 2.0.0rc2
+
+# Needed for softprops/action-gh-release to create the GitHub Release.
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+
+jobs:
+  release:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+      - uses: extractions/setup-just@v4
+      - uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v8.2.0
+
+      # PyPI is irreversible, so it runs FIRST: if it fails the job stops and no
+      # GitHub Release is created advertising a version that never reached PyPI.
+      # `just publish` derives the version from $GITHUB_REF_NAME (the tag name).
+      - run: just publish
+        env:
+          PYPI_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PYPI_TOKEN }}
+
+      # Description source: planning/releases/<tag>.md if present (used verbatim,
+      # no auto-changelog appended); otherwise fall back to GitHub's generated
+      # notes. A tag containing a letter (2.0.0rc1) is a PEP 440 pre-release, so
+      # it's flagged and GitHub won't mark it "Latest".
+      - name: Resolve release metadata
+        id: meta
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          notes="planning/releases/${GITHUB_REF_NAME}.md"
+          if [ -f "$notes" ]; then
+            echo "body_path=$notes" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "generate_notes=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "generate_notes=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+          if [[ "$GITHUB_REF_NAME" =~ [a-z] ]]; then
+            echo "prerelease=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "prerelease=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+
+      - name: Publish GitHub Release
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v3
+        with:
+          body_path: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.body_path }}
+          generate_release_notes: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.generate_notes }}
+          prerelease: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.prerelease }}
+          draft: false
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index e58e239..3f6af98 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -118,6 +118,15 @@ Planning follows a portable two-axis convention (shared with
   `architecture/<capability>.md` and sets `status: shipped` + `pr:` +
   `outcome:` **in the implementing PR** — there is no folder move. The
   change listing is generated: run `just index`.
+- **Cutting a release (maintainers)** is tag-driven via
+  [`.github/workflows/release.yml`](.github/workflows/release.yml): write the
+  notes at `planning/releases/<version>.md` (used verbatim as the GitHub Release
+  body), then push a bare semver tag off green `main` —
+  `git tag 2.19.2 && git push origin 2.19.2`. The workflow runs `just publish`
+  (the tag sets the version via `uv version`; no `pyproject.toml` bump) to PyPI,
+  then creates the GitHub Release — PyPI first, so a failed publish creates no
+  Release. Pre-releases use the PEP 440 form (`2.0.0rc1`, not `2.0.0-alpha.5`).
+  PyPI is irreversible; there is no CI gate (a tag is the commitment point).
 
 ## Code Style