diff --git a/prepare-release.sh b/prepare-release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..8a40f65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prepare-release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# prepare-release.sh — prepare a release commit and tag (run on dev machine)
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ./prepare-release.sh 1.0.0 "Release notes here..."
+#
+# This script:
+#   1. Writes release notes to releases/v<version>.md
+#   2. Updates packageVersion in build.gradle.kts
+#   3. Commits both
+#   4. Creates and pushes the annotated tag
+#
+# After this, the Mac operator runs ./release.sh to build and upload.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [ $# -lt 2 ]; then
+    echo "Usage: $0 <version> <release-notes>"
+    echo "  Example: $0 1.0.0 'First release with Android and iPhone support'"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+VERSION="$1"
+TAG="v${VERSION}"
+NOTES="$2"
+
+# ── Pre-flight ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+if ! git diff --quiet || ! git diff --cached --quiet; then
+    echo "ERROR: Uncommitted changes. Commit or stash first."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if git tag | grep -q "^${TAG}$"; then
+    echo "ERROR: Tag $TAG already exists."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# ── Write release notes ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+mkdir -p releases
+NOTES_FILE="releases/${TAG}.md"
+cat > "$NOTES_FILE" << EOF
+$NOTES
+EOF
+echo "→ Wrote $NOTES_FILE"
+
+# ── Update version ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+sed -i "s/packageVersion = \"[^\"]*\"/packageVersion = \"${VERSION}\"/" build.gradle.kts
+echo "→ Updated packageVersion to $VERSION"
+
+# ── Commit ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+git add "$NOTES_FILE" build.gradle.kts
+git commit -m "Release $TAG"
+echo "→ Committed release files"
+
+# ── Tag ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+git tag -a "$TAG" -m "$NOTES"
+echo "→ Created tag $TAG"
+
+# ── Push ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+echo "→ Pushing to origin..."
+GIT_ASKPASS='' GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 git push origin HEAD:refs/heads/main 2>&1 || \
+    echo "  (push to main may require running from Mac — tag is local)"
+GIT_ASKPASS='' GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 git push origin "$TAG" 2>&1 || \
+    echo "  (tag push may require running from Mac)"
+
+echo ""
+echo "✓ Release $TAG prepared."
+echo "  On your Mac: git fetch --tags && git checkout $TAG && ./release.sh"
diff --git a/release.sh b/release.sh
index 07c99cc..de81b35 100755
--- a/release.sh
+++ b/release.sh
@@ -1,113 +1,60 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # release.sh — build and publish a PhotoPhetch release to Gitea
 #
-# Usage:
-#   ./release.sh 1.0.0 "First release with Android and iPhone support"
-#   ./release.sh 1.1.0                   # prompts for release notes
+# Usage (on your Mac after pulling tagged commit):
+#   ./release.sh
 #
-# Requires:
-#   - curl (built into macOS)
-#   - git
-#   - ./gradlew (Gradle wrapper in this directory)
-#   - GITEA_TOKEN environment variable, or it will prompt
-#     Get a token: https://git.bolenpad.com/user/settings/applications
+# The release version and notes are read from the current git tag and
+# releases/<tag>.md — both committed by the dev machine before tagging.
+#
+# Requires GITEA_TOKEN environment variable.
+# Get a token: https://git.bolenpad.com/user/settings/applications
+# Add to ~/.zshrc: export GITEA_TOKEN=your_token_here
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
-# ── Config ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# ── Config ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 GITEA_URL="https://git.bolenpad.com"
 GITEA_USER="kbolen"
 GITEA_REPO="photophetch"
 
-# ── Arguments ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
-    echo "Usage: $0 <version> [release-notes]"
-    echo "  Example: $0 1.0.0 'First stable release'"
+# ── Resolve version from current git tag ─────────────────────────────────────
+TAG=$(git describe --exact-match --tags HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo "")
+if [ -z "$TAG" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: HEAD is not on a tag. Pull the latest and checkout the release tag."
+    echo "  git fetch --tags && git checkout v1.0.0"
     exit 1
 fi
 
-VERSION="$1"
-TAG="v${VERSION}"
+VERSION="${TAG#v}"  # strip leading 'v'
+echo "→ Building release $TAG (version $VERSION)"
 
-# Release notes: from argument, or auto-generate from git log
-if [ $# -ge 2 ]; then
-    NOTES="$2"
-else
-    # Auto-generate from git log since last tag (or all commits if no tags yet)
-    LAST_TAG=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 2>/dev/null || echo "")
-    if [ -n "$LAST_TAG" ]; then
-        RAW_LOG=$(git log "${LAST_TAG}..HEAD" --oneline --no-merges)
-        LOG_RANGE="since $LAST_TAG"
-    else
-        RAW_LOG=$(git log --oneline --no-merges | head -30)
-        LOG_RANGE="all commits"
-    fi
-
-    echo ""
-    echo "Auto-generated release notes ($LOG_RANGE):"
-    echo "──────────────────────────────────────────"
-    echo "$RAW_LOG"
-    echo "──────────────────────────────────────────"
-    echo ""
-    echo "Accept these as release notes? [y=yes, e=edit, q=quit]"
-    read -r CHOICE
-
-    case "$CHOICE" in
-        y|Y)
-            NOTES="$RAW_LOG"
-            ;;
-        e|E)
-            TMPFILE=$(mktemp /tmp/photophetch-release-notes.XXXXXX.md)
-            echo "$RAW_LOG" > "$TMPFILE"
-            ${EDITOR:-nano} "$TMPFILE"
-            NOTES=$(cat "$TMPFILE")
-            rm -f "$TMPFILE"
-            ;;
-        *)
-            echo "Aborted."
-            exit 1
-            ;;
-    esac
+# ── Read release notes from releases/<tag>.md ────────────────────────────────
+NOTES_FILE="releases/${TAG}.md"
+if [ ! -f "$NOTES_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Release notes file not found: $NOTES_FILE"
+    echo "  The dev machine should have committed this before tagging."
+    exit 1
 fi
+NOTES=$(cat "$NOTES_FILE")
+echo "→ Release notes: $NOTES_FILE"
 
-# Gitea token
+# ── Gitea token ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 if [ -z "${GITEA_TOKEN:-}" ]; then
-    echo "GITEA_TOKEN not set."
-    read -rsp "Enter Gitea API token: " GITEA_TOKEN
+    read -rsp "GITEA_TOKEN not set. Enter token: " GITEA_TOKEN
     echo
 fi
 
-# ── Pre-flight checks ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-echo "→ Checking for uncommitted changes..."
-if ! git diff --quiet || ! git diff --cached --quiet; then
-    echo "ERROR: Uncommitted changes exist. Commit or stash them first."
-    exit 1
+# ── Check packageVersion matches tag ─────────────────────────────────────────
+GRADLE_VERSION=$(grep 'packageVersion' build.gradle.kts | sed 's/.*"\(.*\)".*/\1/')
+if [ "$GRADLE_VERSION" != "$VERSION" ]; then
+    echo "WARNING: build.gradle.kts packageVersion ($GRADLE_VERSION) != tag version ($VERSION)"
+    echo "Continue anyway? [y/N]"
+    read -r CONFIRM
+    [[ "$CONFIRM" == "y" || "$CONFIRM" == "Y" ]] || exit 1
 fi
 
-echo "→ Checking we're on main..."
-BRANCH=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
-if [ "$BRANCH" != "main" ]; then
-    echo "ERROR: Not on main branch (currently on '$BRANCH'). Switch to main first."
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-echo "→ Checking tag $TAG doesn't already exist..."
-if git tag | grep -q "^${TAG}$"; then
-    echo "ERROR: Tag $TAG already exists."
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-# ── Update version in build.gradle.kts ──────────────────────────────────────
-echo "→ Updating version to $VERSION in build.gradle.kts..."
-sed -i.bak "s/packageVersion = \"[^\"]*\"/packageVersion = \"${VERSION}\"/" build.gradle.kts
-rm -f build.gradle.kts.bak
-
-# ── Commit version bump ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-echo "→ Committing version bump..."
-git add build.gradle.kts
-git commit -m "Bump version to $VERSION"
-
-# ── Build DMG ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# ── Build DMG ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 echo "→ Building DMG (this takes a few minutes)..."
 ./gradlew packageDmg
 
@@ -119,16 +66,20 @@ fi
 DMG_NAME=$(basename "$DMG_PATH")
 echo "→ Built: $DMG_PATH"
 
-# ── Tag and push ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-echo "→ Creating tag $TAG..."
-git tag -a "$TAG" -m "Release $TAG"
+# ── Check release doesn't already exist ──────────────────────────────────────
+EXISTING=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" \
+    "${GITEA_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITEA_USER}/${GITEA_REPO}/releases/tags/${TAG}" \
+    -H "Authorization: token ${GITEA_TOKEN}")
+if [ "$EXISTING" = "200" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Release $TAG already exists on Gitea."
+    exit 1
+fi
 
-echo "→ Pushing commits and tag..."
-git push origin main
-git push origin "$TAG"
-
-# ── Create Gitea release ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# ── Create Gitea release ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 echo "→ Creating Gitea release $TAG..."
+# Escape notes for JSON
+NOTES_JSON=$(echo "$NOTES" | python3 -c "import sys,json; print(json.dumps(sys.stdin.read()))")
+
 RELEASE_RESPONSE=$(curl -s -X POST \
     "${GITEA_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITEA_USER}/${GITEA_REPO}/releases" \
     -H "Authorization: token ${GITEA_TOKEN}" \
@@ -136,7 +87,7 @@ RELEASE_RESPONSE=$(curl -s -X POST \
     -d "{
         \"tag_name\": \"${TAG}\",
         \"name\": \"PhotoPhetch ${TAG}\",
-        \"body\": \"${NOTES}\",
+        \"body\": ${NOTES_JSON},
         \"draft\": false,
         \"prerelease\": false
     }")
@@ -149,7 +100,7 @@ if [ -z "$RELEASE_ID" ]; then
 fi
 echo "→ Created release ID $RELEASE_ID"
 
-# ── Upload DMG ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# ── Upload DMG ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 echo "→ Uploading $DMG_NAME..."
 UPLOAD_RESPONSE=$(curl -s -X POST \
     "${GITEA_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITEA_USER}/${GITEA_REPO}/releases/${RELEASE_ID}/assets?name=${DMG_NAME}" \
@@ -159,12 +110,10 @@ UPLOAD_RESPONSE=$(curl -s -X POST \
 
 DOWNLOAD_URL=$(echo "$UPLOAD_RESPONSE" | python3 -c "import sys,json; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('browser_download_url',''))" 2>/dev/null)
 if [ -z "$DOWNLOAD_URL" ]; then
-    echo "WARNING: Upload may have failed. Response:"
+    echo "WARNING: Upload response unexpected:"
     echo "$UPLOAD_RESPONSE"
 else
+    echo ""
     echo "✓ Released: $DOWNLOAD_URL"
+    echo "  Release page: ${GITEA_URL}/${GITEA_USER}/${GITEA_REPO}/releases/tag/${TAG}"
 fi
-
-echo ""
-echo "✓ Done! PhotoPhetch $TAG released."
-echo "  Release page: ${GITEA_URL}/${GITEA_USER}/${GITEA_REPO}/releases/tag/${TAG}"
diff --git a/releases/.gitkeep b/releases/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29