diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 3977e91..a5e0b7c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-      - run: gh release create "$GITHUB_REF_NAME" --generate-notes
+      # A hand-written release published before the tag run finishes is kept as-is.
+      - run: |
+          if gh release view "$GITHUB_REF_NAME" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "Release $GITHUB_REF_NAME already exists; leaving it as published."
+          else
+            gh release create "$GITHUB_REF_NAME" --generate-notes
+          fi
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 07b3b7f..c54d3ca 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -495,7 +495,8 @@ Unit tests only, via Vitest — see [docs/TESTING.md](docs/TESTING.md) for the f
   commit and cover every truncation / error / empty-result path — that's where agents get misled.
 - `pnpm test` stays unit-only and free regardless of what the eval layer grows into.
 - **CI** (`.github/workflows/`): `ci.yml` gates PRs on `pnpm test` + `tsc --noEmit`; `release.yml`
-  gates `v*` tags on the same before publishing the release.
+  gates `v*` tags on the same before publishing the release. If a release for the tag already
+  exists (written by hand), it skips creation and leaves that release untouched.
 
 ## Evals (`eval/`)