diff --git a/scripts/release.sh b/scripts/release.sh
index ec0ed8f..347ebdf 100755
--- a/scripts/release.sh
+++ b/scripts/release.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,17 @@ SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 ROOT_DIR="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/.." && pwd)"
 cd "$ROOT_DIR"
 
+# Print a recovery hint if the script dies between the version bump and the commit.
+BUMPED=0
+COMMITTED=0
+on_exit() {
+  if [[ $? -ne 0 && "$BUMPED" == "1" && "$COMMITTED" == "0" ]]; then
+    echo -e "\n${YELLOW}⚠ Release interrupted after the version bump.${NC}" >&2
+    echo "  To undo it: git checkout -- package.json package-lock.json" >&2
+  fi
+}
+trap on_exit EXIT
+
 # ── Prerequisites ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 echo ""
 echo -e "${BOLD}Checking prerequisites...${NC}"
@@ -35,6 +46,28 @@ if [[ "$CURRENT_BRANCH" != "main" ]]; then
 fi
 info "On branch: $CURRENT_BRANCH"
 
+# ── Quality gate ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+echo ""
+echo -e "${BOLD}Quality gate${NC}"
+
+echo "  Running: npm run lint"
+npm run lint --silent || error "Lint failed. Fix the issues before releasing."
+info "Lint passed."
+
+echo "  Running: npm run format:check"
+npm run format:check --silent || error "Formatting check failed. Run 'npm run format' and commit."
+info "Formatting is clean."
+
+echo -n "  Run the Playwright test suite now? (slow) [Y/n] "
+read -r RUN_TESTS
+if [[ "$RUN_TESTS" =~ ^[Nn] ]]; then
+  warn "Tests skipped — make sure the suite passed recently."
+else
+  echo "  Running: npm run test:parallel"
+  npm run test:parallel || error "Tests failed. Fix them before releasing."
+  info "Tests passed on Firefox and Chromium."
+fi
+
 # ── Commits since last release ────────────────────────────────────────────────
 echo ""
 echo -e "${BOLD}Changes since last release${NC}"
@@ -46,18 +79,16 @@ if [[ -n "$LAST_TAG" ]]; then
   echo "  Commits since $LAST_TAG:"
   echo ""
   COMMIT_LOG=$(git log "${LAST_TAG}..HEAD" --oneline --no-merges)
+  if [[ -z "$COMMIT_LOG" ]]; then
+    warn "No commits since $LAST_TAG. Are you sure you want to release?"
+  else
+    while IFS= read -r line; do
+      echo -e "  ${DIM}${line}${NC}"
+    done <<< "$COMMIT_LOG"
+  fi
 else
-  warn "No previous tag found — listing all commits."
-  echo ""
-  COMMIT_LOG=$(git log --oneline --no-merges)
-fi
-
-if [[ -z "$COMMIT_LOG" ]]; then
-  warn "No commits since $LAST_TAG. Are you sure you want to release?"
-else
-  while IFS= read -r line; do
-    echo -e "  ${DIM}${line}${NC}"
-  done <<< "$COMMIT_LOG"
+  COMMIT_LOG=""
+  info "No previous tag — this is the first release."
 fi
 
 echo ""
@@ -73,8 +104,9 @@ read -r VERSION
   || error "Invalid format. Use MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH without a 'v' prefix."
 
 TAG="v$VERSION"
-ARCHIVE="trainus-${TAG}-src.zip"
-NOTES_FILE="trainus-${TAG}-notes.md"
+mkdir -p tmp
+ARCHIVE="tmp/trainus-${TAG}-src.zip"
+NOTES_FILE="tmp/trainus-${TAG}-notes.md"
 
 git tag --list | grep -q "^${TAG}$" \
   && error "Tag $TAG already exists locally."
@@ -99,7 +131,7 @@ echo "  5. Create a source archive of the current commit"
 echo "       $ARCHIVE  (tracked files only, no node_modules, no dist)"
 echo ""
 echo "  6. Generate a draft release notes file for you to edit"
-echo "       $NOTES_FILE  (pre-filled with the commit list above)"
+echo "       $NOTES_FILE  (pre-filled draft to edit)"
 echo ""
 echo -e "${YELLOW}Nothing will be pushed or sent anywhere. All steps are local.${NC}"
 echo ""
@@ -111,6 +143,7 @@ read -r CONFIRM
 doing "Step 1/6 — Bumping version in package.json and package-lock.json"
 echo "  Running: npm version $VERSION --no-git-tag-version"
 npm version "$VERSION" --no-git-tag-version --silent
+BUMPED=1
 info "package.json and package-lock.json updated to $VERSION."
 
 # ── Step 2 — Build ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -125,6 +158,7 @@ echo "  Running: git add package.json package-lock.json"
 echo "           git commit -m \"chore: release $TAG\""
 git add package.json package-lock.json
 git commit -m "chore: release $TAG"
+COMMITTED=1
 info "Commit created: chore: release $TAG"
 
 # ── Step 4 — Tag ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -145,45 +179,43 @@ echo "  Excludes: node_modules/, dist/, .git/, and any untracked files."
 doing "Step 6/6 — Generating draft release notes"
 echo "  Writing: $NOTES_FILE"
 
-if [[ -n "$LAST_TAG" ]]; then
-  RANGE_LABEL="since $LAST_TAG"
-else
-  RANGE_LABEL="(no previous tag — all commits)"
-fi
-
 {
   echo "# TrainUs $TAG — Release notes"
   echo ""
-  echo "<!-- Edit this file before pasting into Forgejo. Delete comments. -->"
-  echo ""
-  echo "## What's new"
-  echo ""
-  echo "<!-- Describe new features. -->"
-  echo ""
-  echo "-"
-  echo ""
-  echo "## Bug fixes"
-  echo ""
-  echo "<!-- List bug fixes, or remove this section if none. -->"
-  echo ""
-  echo "-"
-  echo ""
-  echo "## Breaking changes"
-  echo ""
-  echo "None."
-  echo ""
-  echo "---"
-  echo ""
-  echo "## Commits $RANGE_LABEL"
-  echo ""
-  echo "<!-- For reference — trim or reword before publishing. -->"
-  echo ""
-  if [[ -n "$COMMIT_LOG" ]]; then
-    while IFS= read -r line; do
-      echo "- $line"
-    done <<< "$COMMIT_LOG"
+  if [[ -z "$LAST_TAG" ]]; then
+    echo "First release $VERSION."
   else
-    echo "- (none)"
+    echo "<!-- Edit this file before pasting into Forgejo. Delete comments. -->"
+    echo ""
+    echo "## What's new"
+    echo ""
+    echo "<!-- Describe new features. -->"
+    echo ""
+    echo "-"
+    echo ""
+    echo "## Bug fixes"
+    echo ""
+    echo "<!-- List bug fixes, or remove this section if none. -->"
+    echo ""
+    echo "-"
+    echo ""
+    echo "## Breaking changes"
+    echo ""
+    echo "None."
+    echo ""
+    echo "---"
+    echo ""
+    echo "## Commits since $LAST_TAG"
+    echo ""
+    echo "<!-- For reference — trim or reword before publishing. -->"
+    echo ""
+    if [[ -n "$COMMIT_LOG" ]]; then
+      while IFS= read -r line; do
+        echo "- $line"
+      done <<< "$COMMIT_LOG"
+    else
+      echo "- (none)"
+    fi
   fi
 } > "$NOTES_FILE"
 
@@ -229,6 +261,6 @@ echo "       Fill in the placeholders — set draft: false when ready."
 echo "       Write the French version yourself."
 echo "       Rebuild and redeploy the website (step 5)."
 echo ""
-echo -e "  ${BOLD}7. Clean up local artifacts${NC}"
+echo -e "  ${BOLD}7. Clean up local artifacts (optional — tmp/ is gitignored)${NC}"
 echo "       Once uploaded and published: rm $ARCHIVE $NOTES_FILE"
 echo ""