diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 9391d246b..ef7502211 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -99,6 +99,19 @@ jobs:
         with:
           packages-dir: dist/
 
+  draft-release:
+    name: Draft a release
+    needs: [ determine-package, publish ]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-slim
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+    steps:
+      - name: Draft a release.
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          TAG: ${{ needs.determine-package.outputs.package }}/${{ needs.determine-package.outputs.version }}
+        run: gh release create ${TAG} --draft --title ${TAG}  # Default title is not always the tag name.
+
   docs:
     name: Build and publish docs
     needs: [ determine-package, publish ]
@@ -112,7 +125,7 @@ jobs:
 
   assets:
     name: Upload docs
-    needs: [ docs, determine-package ]
+    needs: [ docs, determine-package, draft-release ]
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     permissions:
       contents: write
@@ -128,14 +141,15 @@ jobs:
           mv docs_html documentation-${PACKAGE}-${VERSION}
           zip -r documentation-${PACKAGE}-${VERSION}.zip documentation-${PACKAGE}-${VERSION}
       - name: Upload release assets
-        uses: svenstaro/upload-release-action@v2
-        with:
-          file: ./documentation-${{ needs.determine-package.outputs.package }}-${{ needs.determine-package.outputs.version }}.zip
-          overwrite: false
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          ASSET-FILE-PATH: ./documentation-${{ needs.determine-package.outputs.package }}-${{ needs.determine-package.outputs.version }}.zip
+          TAG: ${{ needs.determine-package.outputs.package }}/${{ needs.determine-package.outputs.version }}
+        run: gh release upload ${TAG} ${ASSET-FILE-PATH} --clobber  # Overwrite existing assets of the same name.
 
   notes:
     name: Update notes
-    needs: [ determine-package, publish ]
+    needs: [ determine-package, draft-release ]
     runs-on: ubuntu-slim
     if: ${{ always() && needs.determine-package.outputs.lastversion }}
     permissions:
@@ -180,8 +194,8 @@ jobs:
         run: cat .ess_release_cache/${PACKAGE}-${VERSION}-${PACKAGE}-${LASTVERSION}-releasenote.md >> new-release-note.md
       - name: Check the generated note
         run: cat new-release-note.md
-      - name: Upload release note
+      - name: Upload release note and publish the release
         if: ${{ github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch' }}
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
-        run: gh release edit ${PACKAGE}/${VERSION} --notes-file "new-release-note.md"
+        run: gh release edit ${PACKAGE}/${VERSION} --notes-file "new-release-note.md" --draft=false  # Publish the release with the new note.
diff --git a/tools/collect-release-notes.py b/tools/collect-release-notes.py
index 9949bcd87..08f633e2b 100644
--- a/tools/collect-release-notes.py
+++ b/tools/collect-release-notes.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class MergeLog(BaseModel):
 
     def __str__(self) -> str:
         authors = ", ".join([f"@{author.login}" for author in self.authors])
-        return f"{self.pr.title} by {authors} in {self.pr.url}"
+        return f"{self.pr.title} by {authors} in https://github.com/scipp/ess/pull/{self.pr.number}"
 
 
 def get_commits_file(cur_tag: str, compare_tag: str) -> pathlib.Path:
@@ -107,12 +107,7 @@ def has_label(label: str, pr: PRDescription) -> bool:
         else:
             maybe_relevant_logs.append(merge_log)
 
-    release_note = [
-        "## What's Changed",
-        '',
-        f"### {package_name.replace('ess', 'ESS')}",
-        '',
-    ]
+    release_note = ["## What's Changed"]
     release_note.extend([f"* {relevant_log}" for relevant_log in relevant_logs])
 
     if args.maybe_relevant: