diff --git a/.cursor/skills/astvcs-add-tree-sitter-language/SKILL.md b/.cursor/skills/astvcs-add-tree-sitter-language/SKILL.md
index 0f8cf47..64a1745 100644
--- a/.cursor/skills/astvcs-add-tree-sitter-language/SKILL.md
+++ b/.cursor/skills/astvcs-add-tree-sitter-language/SKILL.md
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ metadata:
 ## Gather
 
 1. Confirm the extension is not already listed in [docs/architecture.md](../../../docs/architecture.md).
-2. Find a maintained `tree-sitter-*` crate on crates.io compatible with `tree-sitter = "0.26.12"`.
+2. Find a maintained `tree-sitter-*` crate on crates.io compatible with `tree-sitter = "0.27.0"`.
 3. Read `src/frontend/languages.rs`, `src/frontend/treesitter.rs`, and `supported_extensions()` in `src/lib.rs`.
 
 ## Act
diff --git a/.cursor/skills/astvcs-develop/SKILL.md b/.cursor/skills/astvcs-develop/SKILL.md
index ee58c27..0c5b530 100644
--- a/.cursor/skills/astvcs-develop/SKILL.md
+++ b/.cursor/skills/astvcs-develop/SKILL.md
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ cargo build --release
 - Push a tag matching `v*` (for example `v0.1.4`) to trigger `.github/workflows/release.yml`.
 - The workflow matrix builds on `ubuntu-latest` and `windows-latest` with `cargo build --release --locked`, runs smoke tests (`astvcs --version`, `astvcs init` creating `.astvcs`, all three release binaries present via `Test-Path`), packages `astvcs-linux-x86_64.tar.gz` and `astvcs-windows-x86_64.zip` containing `astvcs`, `astvcs-merge-driver`, and `astvcs-diff-driver`, and attaches them to a GitHub Release via `softprops/action-gh-release`.
 - Windows jobs enable symlink creation (same registry step as `ci.yml`) so smoke tests can create symlinks if needed.
-- Draft release notes from [`docs/RELEASE.md`](../../../docs/RELEASE.md). Do not publish to crates.io.
+- Keep the current release section in [`docs/RELEASE.md`](../../../docs/RELEASE.md). The release workflow publishes Requirements, Install, and that version's changelog as the GitHub Release body, plus a compare link. Do not publish to crates.io.
 - Git driver setup lives in [`docs/git-integration.md`](../../../docs/git-integration.md). `v0.1.0` archives shipped only the main CLI binary. From `v0.1.2`, structural merge-driver conflicts write `<<<<<<<` markers into `%A` for text/AST paths.
 
 ### Code change rules
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 2b520ac..a16abe6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -90,11 +90,38 @@ jobs:
     permissions:
       contents: write
     steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
       - uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
         with:
           path: dist
           merge-multiple: true
+      - name: Write release notes
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          $md = Get-Content -Raw -Path docs/RELEASE.md
+          $start = $md.IndexOf("## Requirements")
+          $changelogAt = $md.IndexOf("## Changelog")
+          if ($start -lt 0 -or $changelogAt -lt 0) { throw "docs/RELEASE.md is missing Requirements or Changelog" }
+          $front = $md.Substring($start, $changelogAt - $start).TrimEnd()
+          $versions = [regex]::Matches($md, '(?m)^### (v\d+\.\d+\.\d+)') | ForEach-Object { $_.Groups[1].Value }
+          if ($versions.Count -lt 2) { throw "docs/RELEASE.md needs the current and previous changelog sections" }
+          $current = $versions[0]
+          $previous = $versions[1]
+          $pattern = "(?s)### " + [regex]::Escape($current) + "\r?\n(.*?)(?=\r?\n### v|\z)"
+          $section = [regex]::Match($md, $pattern)
+          if (-not $section.Success) { throw "missing changelog section for $current" }
+          $bullets = $section.Groups[1].Value.Trim()
+          $compare = "https://github.com/$env:GITHUB_REPOSITORY/compare/${previous}...${current}"
+          @(
+            $front
+            ""
+            "## Changelog"
+            ""
+            $bullets
+            ""
+            "**Full Changelog**: $compare"
+          ) -join "`n" | Set-Content -Path release-notes.md -Encoding utf8NoBOM
       - uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v3
         with:
           files: dist/*
-          generate_release_notes: true
+          body_path: release-notes.md
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index cda408c..4241a76 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ version = "1.1.5"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "40c48f72fd53cd289104fc64099abca73db4166ad86ea0b4341abe65af83dadc"
 dependencies = [
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.60.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ checksum = "291e6a250ff86cd4a820112fb8898808a366d8f9f58ce16d1f538353ad55747d"
 dependencies = [
  "anstyle",
  "once_cell_polyfill",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.60.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -108,14 +108,14 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "astvcs"
-version = "0.1.7"
+version = "0.1.8"
 dependencies = [
  "base64 0.23.1",
  "clap",
  "hex",
  "ignore",
  "proptest",
- "rand 0.10.2",
+ "rand 0.10.3",
  "rcgen",
  "regex",
  "reqwest",
@@ -306,9 +306,9 @@ checksum = "6e4de3bc4ea267985becf712dc6d9eed8b04c953b3fcfb339ebc87acd9804901"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "clap"
-version = "4.6.6"
+version = "4.6.7"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "473c7e07f409a8d772161724aa8db6a765a2532a70f9667eeb7b49d3d02fbdca"
+checksum = "aa8876b300ab35ba921adea3dfd70157a46249b33f95c9084ae5709785478946"
 dependencies = [
  "clap_builder",
  "clap_derive",
@@ -316,9 +316,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "clap_builder"
-version = "4.6.6"
+version = "4.6.7"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "7b48fea5a88e9ae728a2dcbedbfc0e730f7d60da42e1cb049a83c9fb8b789889"
+checksum = "ec0797fb7aeb1406c84efac526901f7ec3ead2124f946b494e72879d4b54704d"
 dependencies = [
  "anstream",
  "anstyle",
@@ -328,9 +328,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "clap_derive"
-version = "4.6.4"
+version = "4.6.7"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "d012d2b9d65aca7f18f4d9878a045bc17899bba951561ba5ec3c2ba1eed9a061"
+checksum = "f9c751b79415d4e559e3d1fcf128e09e720eb673a06d26cf6f392d37d75b66e0"
 dependencies = [
  "heck",
  "proc-macro2",
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "39cab71617ae0d63f51a36d69f866391735b51691dbda63cf6f96d042b63efeb"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1337,9 +1337,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "rand"
-version = "0.10.2"
+version = "0.10.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "c7f5fa3a058cd35567ef9bfa5e75732bee0f9e4c55fa90477bef2dfcdbc4be80"
+checksum = "65c9fb96cbc91e3478eaae79a69fcd3f1ae4ad052e471fe6732fff548984b4af"
 dependencies = [
  "chacha20",
  "getrandom 0.4.3",
@@ -1528,7 +1528,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "errno",
  "libc",
  "linux-raw-sys",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1606,7 +1606,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "security-framework",
  "security-framework-sys",
  "webpki-root-certs",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1807,7 +1807,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "52d1cfed4120b4d927bf7c0f86d2087a4a7d6027c906d9f9d525a80573b9be51"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.60.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1910,10 +1910,10 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "32497e9a4c7b38532efcdebeef879707aa9f794296a4f0244f6f69e9bc8574bd"
 dependencies = [
  "fastrand",
- "getrandom 0.4.3",
+ "getrandom 0.3.4",
  "once_cell",
  "rustix",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -2109,13 +2109,12 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "tree-sitter"
-version = "0.26.12"
+version = "0.27.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "83c567a8e18ae93f20982c90370b16fd24023aeaf52f6052b96957ab253a0fec"
+checksum = "2038684e0058edba0d17302619f62eabce4a8e11c6ac59506996a8d79848851d"
 dependencies = [
  "cc",
  "regex",
- "regex-syntax",
  "serde_json",
  "streaming-iterator",
  "tree-sitter-language",
@@ -2243,9 +2242,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "tree-sitter-language"
-version = "0.1.7"
+version = "0.1.8"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "009994f150cc0cd50ff54917d5bc8bffe8cad10ca10d81c34da2ec421ae61782"
+checksum = "ca0d1bf6fdd806e43ae5198f82f527056d359def39e54e67a0f478ac09dac081"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "tree-sitter-python"
@@ -2546,7 +2545,7 @@ version = "0.1.11"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "c2a7b1c03c876122aa43f3020e6c3c3ee5c05081c9a00739faf7503aeba10d22"
 dependencies = [
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 7b851be..b03d858 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "astvcs"
-version = "0.1.7"
+version = "0.1.8"
 edition = "2024"
 license = "MIT"
 
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ sha2 = "0.11.0"
 similar = "3.2.0"
 subtle = "2.6.1"
 tiny_http = { version = "0.12.0", features = ["ssl-rustls"] }
-tree-sitter = "0.26.12"
+tree-sitter = "0.27.0"
 tree-sitter-bash = "0.25.1"
 tree-sitter-c = "0.24.2"
 tree-sitter-c-sharp = "0.23.5"
diff --git a/docs/RELEASE.md b/docs/RELEASE.md
index 2f8dd13..a952fba 100644
--- a/docs/RELEASE.md
+++ b/docs/RELEASE.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Copy this outline when drafting a GitHub Release for a new tag. Project overview
 
 ## Version
 
-`v0.1.7` (matches `Cargo.toml` `version` and `astvcs --version`)
+`v0.1.8` (matches `Cargo.toml` `version` and `astvcs --version`)
 
 ## Requirements
 
@@ -22,10 +22,17 @@ Download the platform archive from [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/Cod-e-Co
 
 Each archive contains three binaries: `astvcs`, `astvcs-merge-driver`, and `astvcs-diff-driver` (`.exe` on Windows). The `v0.1.0` archives shipped only the main `astvcs` binary.
 
-Verify: `astvcs --version` should print `0.1.7`.
+Verify: `astvcs --version` should print `0.1.8`.
 
 ## Changelog
 
+### v0.1.8
+
+- Bump direct crate tree-sitter to 0.27.0
+- Bump lockfile crates clap to 4.6.7 and rand to 0.10.3
+- Skip parent diffs in the history driver when HEAD is the root commit so the long history test can finish
+- Publish GitHub Release notes from the current section of this file
+
 ### v0.1.7
 
 - Bump direct crates: reqwest, similar, tree-sitter, zstd
diff --git a/tests/history_smoke.rs b/tests/history_smoke.rs
index 20ff74e..85839aa 100644
--- a/tests/history_smoke.rs
+++ b/tests/history_smoke.rs
@@ -185,30 +185,31 @@ impl HistoryModel {
 
     fn diff_head(&mut self) -> Result<(), String> {
         let head = self.repo.head_state().map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
-        let parent = self
+        if let Some(parent) = self
             .repo
             .load_timeline_entry(&head)
             .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?
             .parent
-            .ok_or_else(|| "head has no parent".to_string())?;
-        let head_files = self
-            .repo
-            .load_state_files(&head)
-            .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
-        let parent_files = self
-            .repo
-            .load_state_files(&parent)
-            .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
-        for path in head_files
-            .keys()
-            .chain(parent_files.keys())
-            .collect::<HashSet<_>>()
         {
-            if let (Some(old), Some(new)) = (parent_files.get(path), head_files.get(path))
-                && let (astvcs::FileContent::Ast(old_g), astvcs::FileContent::Ast(new_g)) =
-                    (&old.content, &new.content)
+            let head_files = self
+                .repo
+                .load_state_files(&head)
+                .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+            let parent_files = self
+                .repo
+                .load_state_files(&parent)
+                .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+            for path in head_files
+                .keys()
+                .chain(parent_files.keys())
+                .collect::<HashSet<_>>()
             {
-                let _diff = diff_graphs(old_g, new_g);
+                if let (Some(old), Some(new)) = (parent_files.get(path), head_files.get(path))
+                    && let (astvcs::FileContent::Ast(old_g), astvcs::FileContent::Ast(new_g)) =
+                        (&old.content, &new.content)
+                {
+                    let _diff = diff_graphs(old_g, new_g);
+                }
             }
         }
         std::fs::read_to_string(self.root.join(RUST_CALC_PATH))