diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-cut.yml b/.github/workflows/release-cut.yml
index c35999c7786..c2124d12990 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-cut.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-cut.yml
@@ -809,13 +809,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           TAG: ${{ needs.cut.outputs.tag }}
-        run: |
-          if gh release view "$TAG" --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            echo "Release $TAG already exists."
-            exit 0
-          fi
-
-          node config/scripts/create-draft-release.mjs "$TAG"
+        run: node config/scripts/create-draft-release.mjs "$TAG"
 
   terminal-rendering-golden:
     needs: cut
diff --git a/config/scripts/create-draft-release.mjs b/config/scripts/create-draft-release.mjs
index 3412a118491..b4e3f3e0933 100644
--- a/config/scripts/create-draft-release.mjs
+++ b/config/scripts/create-draft-release.mjs
@@ -128,10 +128,14 @@ export async function createDraftRelease({
     throw new Error('token is required')
   }
 
-  const previousTag = latestPreviousPublishedDesktopReleaseTag(
-    await fetchRepoReleases(repo, token, fetchImpl),
-    tag
-  )
+  const releases = await fetchRepoReleases(repo, token, fetchImpl)
+  const existingRelease = releases.find((release) => release?.tag_name === tag)
+  if (existingRelease && existingRelease.draft !== true) {
+    log(`Release ${tag} already exists and is published.`)
+    return
+  }
+
+  const previousTag = latestPreviousPublishedDesktopReleaseTag(releases, tag)
   const generateNotesBody = {
     tag_name: tag,
     target_commitish: tag,
@@ -156,24 +160,43 @@ export async function createDraftRelease({
     typeof releaseNotes.name === 'string' && releaseNotes.name.length > 0 ? releaseNotes.name : tag
   const prerelease = tag.includes('-rc.')
 
-  // Why: GitHub's generated release notes can exceed the release body API
-  // limit, so create with a bounded body. Omit target_commitish because the
-  // release-cut tag already exists and GitHub rejects the tag name there.
-  await githubJson(fetchImpl, `https://api.github.com/repos/${repo}/releases`, token, {
-    method: 'POST',
-    body: JSON.stringify({
-      tag_name: tag,
-      name,
-      body,
-      draft: true,
-      prerelease
+  if (existingRelease) {
+    if (!Number.isInteger(existingRelease.id)) {
+      throw new Error(`Draft release ${tag} is missing a GitHub release id`)
+    }
+    await githubJson(
+      fetchImpl,
+      `https://api.github.com/repos/${repo}/releases/${existingRelease.id}`,
+      token,
+      {
+        method: 'PATCH',
+        body: JSON.stringify({ body })
+      }
+    )
+  } else {
+    // Why: GitHub's generated release notes can exceed the release body API
+    // limit, so create with a bounded body. Omit target_commitish because the
+    // release-cut tag already exists and GitHub rejects the tag name there.
+    await githubJson(fetchImpl, `https://api.github.com/repos/${repo}/releases`, token, {
+      method: 'POST',
+      body: JSON.stringify({
+        tag_name: tag,
+        name,
+        body,
+        draft: true,
+        prerelease
+      })
     })
-  })
+  }
 
   if (generatedBody.length !== body.length) {
-    log(`Created draft release ${tag} with truncated generated notes (${body.length} chars).`)
+    log(
+      `${existingRelease ? 'Updated' : 'Created'} draft release ${tag} with truncated generated notes (${body.length} chars).`
+    )
   } else {
-    log(`Created draft release ${tag} with generated notes (${body.length} chars).`)
+    log(
+      `${existingRelease ? 'Updated' : 'Created'} draft release ${tag} with generated notes (${body.length} chars).`
+    )
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/config/scripts/create-draft-release.test.mjs b/config/scripts/create-draft-release.test.mjs
index b330ccb9423..dadc6111ac3 100644
--- a/config/scripts/create-draft-release.test.mjs
+++ b/config/scripts/create-draft-release.test.mjs
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ describe('createDraftRelease', () => {
   it('creates a draft release with bounded generated notes', async () => {
     const fetchImpl = vi
       .fn()
-      .mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse([release('v1.4.35'), release('v1.4.36')]))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse([release('v1.4.35')]))
       .mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse({ name: 'v1.4.36', body: 'a'.repeat(130_000) }))
       .mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse({ tag_name: 'v1.4.36', draft: true }))
 
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ describe('createDraftRelease', () => {
   it('marks rc tags as prereleases', async () => {
     const fetchImpl = vi
       .fn()
-      .mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse([release('v1.4.36'), release('v1.4.36-rc.1')]))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse([release('v1.4.36')]))
       .mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse({ name: 'v1.4.36-rc.1', body: 'notes' }))
       .mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse({ tag_name: 'v1.4.36-rc.1', draft: true }))
 
@@ -200,10 +200,48 @@ describe('createDraftRelease', () => {
     expect(createBody.prerelease).toBe(true)
   })
 
+  it('regenerates notes for an existing draft release', async () => {
+    const fetchImpl = vi
+      .fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(
+        jsonResponse([release('v1.4.35'), release('v1.4.36', { draft: true, id: 42 })])
+      )
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse({ name: 'v1.4.36', body: 'notes' }))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse({ id: 42, body: 'notes' }))
+
+    await createDraftRelease({
+      repo: 'stablyai/orca',
+      tag: 'v1.4.36',
+      token: 'token',
+      fetchImpl,
+      log: vi.fn()
+    })
+
+    expect(fetchImpl).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+      3,
+      'https://api.github.com/repos/stablyai/orca/releases/42',
+      expect.objectContaining({ method: 'PATCH', body: JSON.stringify({ body: 'notes' }) })
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('preserves notes on an existing published release', async () => {
+    const fetchImpl = vi.fn().mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse([release('v1.4.36', { id: 42 })]))
+
+    await createDraftRelease({
+      repo: 'stablyai/orca',
+      tag: 'v1.4.36',
+      token: 'token',
+      fetchImpl,
+      log: vi.fn()
+    })
+
+    expect(fetchImpl).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+
   it('omits previous_tag_name for the first desktop release so notes fall back to the GitHub default', async () => {
     const fetchImpl = vi
       .fn()
-      .mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse([release('v1.4.36'), release('mobile-v0.0.12')]))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse([release('mobile-v0.0.12')]))
       .mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse({ name: 'v1.4.36', body: 'notes' }))
       .mockResolvedValueOnce(jsonResponse({ tag_name: 'v1.4.36', draft: true }))