diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/build_release.yml b/.forgejo/workflows/build_release.yml
index 26ed46418..ba477b01d 100755
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/build_release.yml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/build_release.yml
@@ -112,11 +112,11 @@ jobs:
             git fetch --no-tags --depth=1 "https://github.com/${upstream_repo}.git" "$upstream_base" || true
           fi
 
-          use_fork_merge_split=0
+          # Release notes: only commits since the *previous release tag* (short, correct scope).
+          # Do not use upstream_base..HEAD here — that lists the whole fork delta and is huge.
+          changelog_commit_limit=50
           log_range=""
-          if [ -n "$upstream_base" ] && git cat-file -e "${upstream_base}^{commit}" 2>/dev/null; then
-            use_fork_merge_split=1
-          elif [ -n "$previous_tag" ]; then
+          if [ -n "$previous_tag" ]; then
             log_range="${previous_tag}..HEAD"
           fi
 
@@ -209,37 +209,22 @@ jobs:
             [ "$any" -eq 1 ]
           }
 
-          if [ "$use_fork_merge_split" -eq 1 ]; then
-            {
-              printf '%s\n' "#### Fork changes" ""
-              clear_buckets
-              fill_buckets_from_git "${upstream_base}..HEAD" --no-merges
-              if [ ${#new_lines[@]} -eq 0 ] && [ ${#fix_lines[@]} -eq 0 ] && [ ${#improve_lines[@]} -eq 0 ] && [ ${#other_lines[@]} -eq 0 ]; then
-                printf '%s\n' "_No direct commits in this range._" ""
-              else
-                emit_buckets_from_arrays
-              fi
-
-              clear_buckets
-              fill_buckets_from_git "${upstream_base}..HEAD" --merges
-              if [ ${#new_lines[@]} -gt 0 ] || [ ${#fix_lines[@]} -gt 0 ] || [ ${#improve_lines[@]} -gt 0 ] || [ ${#other_lines[@]} -gt 0 ]; then
-                printf '%s\n' "#### Merge commits" ""
-                emit_buckets_from_arrays
-                printf '\n'
-              fi
-            } > "${commit_log_file}"
-          elif [ -n "$log_range" ]; then
+          if [ -n "$log_range" ]; then
+            total_in_range="$(git rev-list --count "${log_range}" 2>/dev/null || printf '0')"
             clear_buckets
-            fill_buckets_from_git "$log_range"
+            fill_buckets_from_git "$log_range" "-n${changelog_commit_limit}"
             {
               if emit_buckets_from_arrays; then
-                :
+                if [ "${total_in_range}" -gt "${changelog_commit_limit}" ] 2>/dev/null; then
+                  printf '%s\n' "" "_Showing the ${changelog_commit_limit} most recent commits since ${previous_tag}._" \
+                    "_Older commits in this release: use **Full Changelog** below._" ""
+                fi
               else
-                printf '%s\n' "##### Other" "" "- Initial release" ""
+                printf '%s\n' "##### Other" "" "- No commit messages in this tag range." ""
               fi
             } > "${commit_log_file}"
           else
-            printf '%s\n' "##### Other" "" "- Initial release" "" > "${commit_log_file}"
+            printf '%s\n' "##### Other" "" "- First release tag, or no prior \`v*\` tag found — see repository history." "" > "${commit_log_file}"
           fi
 
           # Do not pass multiline commit text via step outputs / env (breaks some Forgejo/act_runner
@@ -421,9 +406,6 @@ jobs:
           VERSION_TAG: ${{ steps.prepare.outputs.VERSION_TAG }}
           VERSION_DISPLAY: ${{ steps.prepare.outputs.VERSION_DISPLAY }}
           PREV_TAG_NAME: ${{ steps.prepare.outputs.PREV_TAG_NAME }}
-          UPSTREAM_REPO: ${{ steps.prepare.outputs.UPSTREAM_REPO }}
-          UPSTREAM_REF: ${{ steps.prepare.outputs.UPSTREAM_REF }}
-          UPSTREAM_BASE: ${{ steps.prepare.outputs.UPSTREAM_BASE }}
           REPO_URL: ${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}
           REPOSITORY_NAME: ${{ github.repository }}
           FORGEJO_CURL_INSECURE: "true"
@@ -522,10 +504,6 @@ jobs:
           if [ -n "${PREV_TAG_NAME:-}" ]; then
             full_changelog="**Full Changelog**: [${REPOSITORY_NAME}@${PREV_TAG_NAME}...${VERSION_TAG}](${REPO_URL}/compare/${PREV_TAG_NAME}...${VERSION_TAG})"
           fi
-          fork_delta_label=""
-          if [ -n "${UPSTREAM_BASE:-}" ] && [ -n "${UPSTREAM_REF:-}" ]; then
-            fork_delta_label="Fork delta vs ${UPSTREAM_REPO}@${UPSTREAM_REF} (${UPSTREAM_BASE})"
-          fi
 
           release_body_file="$(mktemp)"
           {
@@ -533,13 +511,11 @@ jobs:
               "#### What's Changed" \
               "" \
               "${commit_logs}" \
-              "" \
-              "##### Based on" \
-              "" \
-              "${fork_delta_label}" \
-              "" \
-              "${full_changelog}" \
-              "" \
+              ""
+            if [ -n "${full_changelog}" ]; then
+              printf '%s\n' "${full_changelog}" ""
+            fi
+            printf '%s\n' \
               "<!-->" \
               "> [!TIP]" \
               ">" \