@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ The lookup uses `cargo metadata --no-deps`, ignores non-workspace packages, and
 Contains release-plz post-processing commands:
 
 - `x52-bump-changelogs` checks out a release-plz pull request, adds the released versions to crate changelogs, updates README version links, and pushes a commit when anything changed.
-- `x52-update-release-notes` copies the matching changelog sections into GitHub releases.
+- `x52-update-release-notes` copies the matching changelog sections into GitHub releases. Use `--then-undraft` to publish each release after its notes update succeeds.
 - `x52-comment-release-pr` adds or updates a draft-release link comment on the merged release pull request.
 - `x52-comment-release-assets-uploaded` adds or updates a comment after the release assets are uploaded.
 - `x52-update-homebrew-tap` updates macOS checksums in `x52dev/homebrew-tap` and opens a formula pull request.
@@ -115,6 +115,17 @@ For GitHub Actions, enter the development shell before invoking the release comm
 
 Pass release-plz output through `RELEASE_PLZ_PR_JSON` or `RELEASE_PLZ_RELEASES_JSON`, and provide `GH_TOKEN` for GitHub mutations.
 
+`x52-update-release-notes` leaves the release's draft status unchanged by default.
+To publish each release after its changelog notes are set, run:
+
+```sh
+x52-update-release-notes --then-undraft
+```
+
+The command skips releases whose package has no `CHANGELOG.md`. A failed notes
+update stops the command before it publishes that release. An empty changelog
+section uses the existing fallback note and can still be published.
+
 The commands use fixed `x52-` HTML markers. They make retries update the existing comment instead of creating another one:
 
 ```sh
 
@@ -94,6 +94,11 @@ printf ' <%s>' "$@" >>"$COMMAND_LOG"
 printf '\n' >>"$COMMAND_LOG"
 
 case "$*" in
+    'release edit demo-v1.1.0 --notes='*)
+        if [[ "${RELEASE_NOTES_EDIT_FAIL:-false}" == "true" ]]; then
+            exit 17
+        fi
+        ;;
     *'/commits/'*'/pulls'*)
         printf '42\n'
         ;;
@@ -202,10 +207,69 @@ grep -Fq 'gh <pr> <checkout> <42>' "$command_log"
 grep -Fq 'git <push>' "$command_log"
 
 export RELEASE_PLZ_RELEASES_JSON='[{"package_name":"demo","version":"1.1.0","tag":"demo-v1.1.0"}]'
-x52-update-release-notes
+COMMAND_LOG="$test_root/release-notes-default.log" x52-update-release-notes
+
+cat >"$test_root/expected-release-notes-default.log" <<'EOF'
+gh <release> <edit> <demo-v1.1.0> <--notes=- Added feature.>
+EOF
+
+diff -u "$test_root/expected-release-notes-default.log" "$test_root/release-notes-default.log"
+
+COMMAND_LOG="$test_root/release-notes-undraft.log" x52-update-release-notes --then-undraft
+
+cat >"$test_root/expected-release-notes-undraft.log" <<'EOF'
+gh <release> <edit> <demo-v1.1.0> <--notes=- Added feature.>
+gh <release> <edit> <demo-v1.1.0> <--draft=false>
+EOF
+
+diff -u "$test_root/expected-release-notes-undraft.log" "$test_root/release-notes-undraft.log"
+
+if COMMAND_LOG="$test_root/release-notes-failed.log" RELEASE_NOTES_EDIT_FAIL=true \
+    x52-update-release-notes --then-undraft; then
+    echo "Expected a failed release notes update to fail" >&2
+    exit 1
+else
+    [[ "$?" == 17 ]]
+fi
+
+diff -u "$test_root/expected-release-notes-default.log" "$test_root/release-notes-failed.log"
+
+mv "$fixture_root/CHANGELOG.md" "$fixture_root/CHANGELOG.md.saved"
+touch "$test_root/release-notes-missing.log"
+COMMAND_LOG="$test_root/release-notes-missing.log" x52-update-release-notes --then-undraft
+[[ ! -s "$test_root/release-notes-missing.log" ]]
+
+cat >"$fixture_root/CHANGELOG.md" <<'EOF'
+# Changelog
+
+## 1.1.0
+EOF
+
+COMMAND_LOG="$test_root/release-notes-empty.log" x52-update-release-notes --then-undraft
+
+cat >"$test_root/expected-release-notes-empty.log" <<'EOF'
+gh <release> <edit> <demo-v1.1.0> <--notes=- No significant changes since the previous release.>
+gh <release> <edit> <demo-v1.1.0> <--draft=false>
+EOF
+
+diff -u "$test_root/expected-release-notes-empty.log" "$test_root/release-notes-empty.log"
+mv "$fixture_root/CHANGELOG.md.saved" "$fixture_root/CHANGELOG.md"
+
+touch "$test_root/release-notes-invalid-option.log"
+if COMMAND_LOG="$test_root/release-notes-invalid-option.log" \
+    x52-update-release-notes --unknown >"$test_root/release-notes-invalid-option-output.log" 2>&1; then
+    echo "Expected an unknown release notes option to fail" >&2
+    exit 1
+else
+    [[ "$?" == 2 ]]
+fi
+
+[[ ! -s "$test_root/release-notes-invalid-option.log" ]]
+[[ "$(<"$test_root/release-notes-invalid-option-output.log")" == 'Unknown argument: --unknown' ]]
 
-grep -Fq 'gh <release> <edit> <demo-v1.1.0>' "$command_log"
-grep -Fq '<--notes=- Added feature.>' "$command_log"
+env -u RELEASE_PLZ_RELEASES_JSON X52_CARGO=/nonexistent \
+    x52-update-release-notes --help >"$test_root/release-notes-help.log"
+[[ "$(<"$test_root/release-notes-help.log")" == *'Usage: x52-update-release-notes [--then-undraft]'* ]]
 
 export GITHUB_REPOSITORY='example/demo'
 x52-comment-release-pr "$RELEASE_PLZ_RELEASES_JSON" deadbeef >"$comment_log"
 
@@ -1,6 +1,28 @@
 set -eEuo pipefail
 shopt -s inherit_errexit
 
+undraft=false
+
+while (( $# > 0 )); do
+    case "$1" in
+        --then-undraft)
+            undraft=true
+            ;;
+        -h | --help)
+            echo "Usage: x52-update-release-notes [--then-undraft]"
+            echo "Copy changelog notes to GitHub releases."
+            echo "Use --then-undraft to publish each release after its notes update succeeds."
+            exit 0
+            ;;
+        *)
+            echo "Unknown argument: $1" >&2
+            exit 2
+            ;;
+    esac
+
+    shift
+done
+
 release_plz_releases_json="${RELEASE_PLZ_RELEASES_JSON:?RELEASE_PLZ_RELEASES_JSON is required}"
 cargo_bin="${X52_CARGO:-cargo}"
 gh_bin="${X52_GH:-gh}"
@@ -76,6 +98,11 @@ update_release_notes() {
     fi
 
     "$gh_bin" release edit "$tag" --notes="$notes"
+
+    if [[ "$undraft" == "true" ]]; then
+        echo "Publishing ${tag}"
+        "$gh_bin" release edit "$tag" --draft=false
+    fi
 }
 
 while IFS=$'\t' read -r name version tag; do