diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 8d0d0aa..8b86fd7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -76,19 +76,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
           NOTES_FILE="$(mktemp)"
-          RELEASE_VERSION="${RELEASE_VERSION}" node <<'NODE' > "${NOTES_FILE}"
-          const fs = require("fs");
-          const version = process.env.RELEASE_VERSION;
-          const lines = fs.readFileSync("CHANGELOG.md", "utf8").split(/\r?\n/);
-          const start = lines.findIndex((line) => line.startsWith(`## ${version} - `));
-          if (start === -1) {
-            console.error(`CHANGELOG.md is missing a ${version} release section`);
-            process.exit(1);
-          }
-          const end = lines.findIndex((line, index) => index > start && line.startsWith("## "));
-          const body = lines.slice(start + 1, end === -1 ? lines.length : end).join("\n").trim();
-          process.stdout.write(`## plugin-inspector v${version}\n\n${body}\n`);
-          NODE
+          node scripts/release-notes.mjs "${RELEASE_VERSION}" > "${NOTES_FILE}"
 
           release_flags=(--title "plugin-inspector ${RELEASE_TAG}" --notes-file "${NOTES_FILE}" --verify-tag)
           if [[ "${RELEASE_TAG}" =~ (alpha|beta|rc) ]]; then
diff --git a/docs/releasing.md b/docs/releasing.md
index 2b0dd01..12015d3 100644
--- a/docs/releasing.md
+++ b/docs/releasing.md
@@ -73,6 +73,12 @@ versioned section like `## 0.3.1 - 2026-04-28`, update `package.json` to the
 same version, and update Crabpot's `pluginInspectorRef` to the exact release
 commit.
 
+Draft release notes from the current `Unreleased` section with:
+
+```bash
+npm run release:notes
+```
+
 ## Crabpot follow-through
 
 Before tagging a release, update Crabpot's `pluginInspectorRef` to the
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7069d82..4dc1011 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
     "release:crabpot": "node scripts/check-crabpot-followthrough.mjs",
     "release:readiness": "npm run release:local && npm run release:crabpot",
     "release:local": "npm run check",
+    "release:notes": "node scripts/release-notes.mjs --unreleased",
     "test": "node --test test/*.test.js"
   },
   "keywords": [
diff --git a/scripts/release-notes.mjs b/scripts/release-notes.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8bfe1e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/release-notes.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
+
+if (process.argv[1] && import.meta.url === pathToFileURL(process.argv[1]).href) {
+  const options = parseArgs(process.argv.slice(2));
+  const changelogText = readFileSync(options.changelogPath, "utf8");
+  process.stdout.write(extractReleaseNotes({ changelogText, version: options.version }));
+}
+
+export function extractReleaseNotes({ changelogText, version }) {
+  const lines = changelogText.split(/\r?\n/);
+  const start = findReleaseStart(lines, version);
+  if (start === -1) {
+    throw new Error(`CHANGELOG.md is missing a ${version} release section`);
+  }
+
+  const end = lines.findIndex((line, index) => index > start && line.startsWith("## "));
+  const body = lines.slice(start + 1, end === -1 ? lines.length : end).join("\n").trim();
+  const title = version === "Unreleased" ? "plugin-inspector unreleased" : `plugin-inspector v${version}`;
+  return `## ${title}\n\n${body}\n`;
+}
+
+function findReleaseStart(lines, version) {
+  if (version === "Unreleased") {
+    return lines.findIndex((line) => line.trim() === "## Unreleased");
+  }
+  return lines.findIndex((line) => line.startsWith(`## ${version} - `));
+}
+
+function parseArgs(argv) {
+  const options = {
+    changelogPath: path.resolve("CHANGELOG.md"),
+    version: undefined,
+  };
+
+  for (let index = 0; index < argv.length; index += 1) {
+    const arg = argv[index];
+    if (arg === "--changelog") {
+      options.changelogPath = path.resolve(argv[index + 1]);
+      index += 1;
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (arg === "--unreleased") {
+      options.version = "Unreleased";
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (arg === "--version") {
+      options.version = argv[index + 1];
+      index += 1;
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (!options.version) {
+      options.version = arg;
+      continue;
+    }
+    throw new Error(`unknown argument: ${arg}`);
+  }
+
+  if (!options.version) {
+    throw new Error("usage: release-notes.mjs <version>|--unreleased [--changelog CHANGELOG.md]");
+  }
+
+  return options;
+}
diff --git a/test/release-notes.test.js b/test/release-notes.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..619e429
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/release-notes.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import { extractReleaseNotes } from "../scripts/release-notes.mjs";
+
+const changelog = [
+  "# Changelog",
+  "",
+  "## Unreleased",
+  "",
+  "### Added",
+  "",
+  "- Add grouped API helpers.",
+  "",
+  "## 0.3.0 - 2026-04-27",
+  "",
+  "### Changed",
+  "",
+  "- Improve setup.",
+  "",
+].join("\n");
+
+test("release notes can render unreleased draft notes", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    extractReleaseNotes({ changelogText: changelog, version: "Unreleased" }),
+    ["## plugin-inspector unreleased", "", "### Added", "", "- Add grouped API helpers.", ""].join("\n"),
+  );
+});
+
+test("release notes can render versioned changelog sections", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    extractReleaseNotes({ changelogText: changelog, version: "0.3.0" }),
+    ["## plugin-inspector v0.3.0", "", "### Changed", "", "- Improve setup.", ""].join("\n"),
+  );
+});
+
+test("release notes fail when a version section is missing", () => {
+  assert.throws(() => extractReleaseNotes({ changelogText: changelog, version: "9.9.9" }), /missing a 9\.9\.9/);
+});