diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/publish.yml b/.gitea/workflows/publish.yml
index 14382ca..39fd447 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ jobs:
           auth="Authorization: token ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}"
           # The release notes are this version's section of CHANGELOG.md.
           notes=$(awk -v v="${tag#v}" '/^## /{p = ($2 == v)} p' CHANGELOG.md | tail -n +2)
+          [ -n "$(printf "%s" "$notes" | tr -d "[:space:]")" ] || { echo "CHANGELOG.md has no section for $tag - write it and re-tag"; exit 1; }
           body=$(jq -n --arg tag "$tag" --arg notes "$notes" '{tag_name: $tag, name: $tag, body: $notes}')
           id=$(curl -sf -X POST -H "$auth" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
             -d "$body" "$api/releases" | jq .id) \
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 32f4363..e272035 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,20 @@ One line per change, grouped by the release that shipped it. Newest
 first. A release is a Cargo.toml bump plus a `v<version>` tag; the
 content repos pin the tag they run (see the end of this file).
 
+## 0.3.41 (2026-09-23)
+
+- publish: the iris release step retries on a fresh clone when its push loses a race against a push to iris main (the v0.3.40 tag never published)
+- iris: `check --access` prints the access matrix, and every check validates the compiled policy against the schema
+
+## 0.3.40 (2026-09-23)
+
+- One access policy, compiled from content into Cedar on every load (`src/access.rs`): pages, resource reads, desk transitions, self transitions and the automation endpoint all decide through it; decisions carry rule ids, refusals and mutations publish on `portal.access.decided`, and `portal.access.<site>.may` answers the same question for other apps over NATS
+- `invite: {group}` on an alternative onboards a person into Kanidm from a desk (`src/people.rs`, `KANIDM_API_TOKEN`), recording the one-time credential link in `portal_invites` and on `portal.people.invited`
+
+## 0.3.39 (2026-09-23)
+
+- publish: releases the matching uhhm/iris by proxy - re-pins, builds, tests and tags it as this version (needs the `IRIS_PUSH_USER` variable and `IRIS_PUSH_TOKEN` secret); iris carries portal's version number from here on
+
 ## 0.3.38 (2026-09-22)
 
 - publish: the iris build step gets a writable cargo home; the v0.3.37 tag never published