diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 708a0c85c..80a3dccb1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -127,6 +127,10 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         ls -lRFh artifacts
 
+    - name: Generate github release notes
+      run: |
+        doc/ghrelnotes ${{ github.ref }}   # ref should be the release's main tag name
+
     - name: Create release
       uses: softprops/action-gh-release@69320dbe05506a9a39fc8ae11030b214ec2d1f87  # https://github.com/softprops/action-gh-release 2.0.5
       # permissions:
@@ -149,7 +153,7 @@ jobs:
         # append_body              Boolean  Append to existing body instead of overwriting it
         # make_latest              String   Specifies whether this release should be set as the latest release for the repository. Drafts and prereleases cannot be set as latest. Can be true, false, or legacy. Uses GitHub api defaults if not provided
         #
-        body_path: ${{ github.workspace }}/doc/relnotes.github.md
+        body_path: doc/ghrelnotes.md
         files: |
           artifacts/*.zip
           artifacts/*.tar.gz
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 806f43686..74cf6eb46 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -109,3 +109,4 @@ hledger-web/yesod-devel/
 /finance
 /examples/demo/
 /hledger-web/demo/
+/doc/ghrelnotes.md
diff --git a/doc/relnotes.github.md b/doc/ghrelnotes
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
similarity index 74%
rename from doc/relnotes.github.md
rename to doc/ghrelnotes
index 3b6ce08fe..7517e08bd
--- a/doc/relnotes.github.md
+++ b/doc/ghrelnotes
@@ -1,56 +1,16 @@
-<!--
-       _              _             _            
-  __ _| |__  _ __ ___| |_ __   ___ | |_ ___  ___ 
- / _` | '_ \| '__/ _ \ | '_ \ / _ \| __/ _ \/ __|
-| (_| | | | | | |  __/ | | | | (_) | ||  __/\__ \
- \__, |_| |_|_|  \___|_|_| |_|\___/ \__\___||___/
- |___/                                           
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# ghrelnotes REL - generate github release notes for REL, as ghrelnotes.md.   -*- markdown -*-
 
--->
+cd "$(dirname $0)"
+OUT=ghrelnotes.md
+cat >$OUT <<'END'
 
 ## Release notes
 
-
-### hledger 1.33.1
-
-- process >=1.6.19.0 seems not strictly needed and is no longer required,
-  improving installability.
-  [#2149]
-
-- `print` and `close` now show a trailing decimal mark on cost amounts also,
-  when needed to disambiguate a digit group mark.
-
-- The balance commands' HTML output now includes digit group marks when
-  appropriate (fixes a regression in 1.25).
-  [#2196]
-
-- The add command no longer shows ANSI escape codes in terminals that
-  don't support them.
-
-- Doc updates:
-  - import: Skipping -> Date skipping, discuss commodity styles more
-  - csv: Amount decimal places: expand, note import behaviour
-
-### hledger-ui 1.33.1
-
-- Require vty-windows-0.2.0.2+ to avoid display problems in recent
-  MS Terminal on Windows.
-
-- process >=1.6.19.0 seems not strictly needed and is no longer required,
-  improving installability.
-  [#2149]
-
-### hledger-web 1.33.1
-
-- Support base64 >=1.0
-
-### credits 1.33.1
-
-- Simon Michael (@simonmichael)
-
-[#2149]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2149
-[#2196]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2196
-
+END
+export REL=$1
+../tools/getrelnotes $REL >>$OUT
+envsubst '$REL' >>$OUT <<'END'
 
 <details>
 <summary>
@@ -78,7 +38,7 @@ At the command line,
 
 ```
 cd /usr/local/bin
-curl -LOC- https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/releases/download/1.33.1/hledger-linux-x64.zip    # just rerun if interrupted
+curl -LOC- https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/releases/download/$REL/hledger-linux-x64.zip    # just rerun if interrupted
 unzip hledger-linux-x64.zip && tar xvf hledger-linux-x64.tar && rm -f hledger-linux-x64.{zip,tar}  # github workaround, preserves permissions
 cd
 hledger --version    # should show the new version
@@ -106,11 +66,11 @@ and/or [Homebrew](https://brew.sh), and let me know.)
 cd /usr/local/bin
 
 # for ARM macs:
-curl -LOC- https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/releases/download/1.33.1/hledger-mac-arm64.zip    # just rerun if interrupted
+curl -LOC- https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/releases/download/$REL/hledger-mac-arm64.zip    # just rerun if interrupted
 unzip hledger-mac-arm64.zip && tar xvf hledger-mac-arm64.tar && rm -f hledger-mac-arm64.{zip,tar}  # github workaround, preserves permissions
 
 # or for Intel macs:
-curl -LOC- https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/releases/download/1.33.1/hledger-mac-x64.zip
+curl -LOC- https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/releases/download/$REL/hledger-mac-x64.zip
 unzip hledger-mac-x64.zip && tar xvf hledger-mac-x64.tar && rm -f hledger-mac-x64.{zip,tar}
 
 cd
@@ -142,7 +102,7 @@ cd $HOME\bin
 cp hledger.exe hledger.old.exe            # keep a backup of the old executables, if you care
 cp hledger-ui.exe hledger-ui.old.exe
 cp hledger-web.exe hledger-web.old.exe
-curl https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/releases/download/1.33.1/hledger-windows-x64.zip -OutFile hledger-windows-x64.zip
+curl https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/releases/download/$REL/hledger-windows-x64.zip -OutFile hledger-windows-x64.zip
 Expand-Archive hledger-windows-x64.zip -DestinationPath . -Force
 cd $HOME
 hledger --version      # should show the new version
@@ -193,3 +153,4 @@ Problems:
 Once installed, run `hledger`, and perhaps read [hledger.org: Quick start](https://hledger.org/#quick-start).
 
 </details>
+END
diff --git a/tools/getrelnotes b/tools/getrelnotes
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..f6f446213
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/getrelnotes
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# getrelnotes REL - extract the release notes for REL from relnotes.md.
+# The main release heading is omitted.
+
+cd "$(dirname $0)"
+awk "/^## .*-${1//./'\.'}$/{p=1;next} /^## /{p=0} p" ../doc/relnotes.md