diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/release.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/release.yaml
index e0c1d024..f273aec5 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -7,7 +7,15 @@ jobs:
   release:
     runs-on: shell
     steps:
-      - name: Build & release
+      - name: Debug - check bare repo
+        run: |
+          echo "=== DEBUG ==="
+          echo "PWD: $(pwd)"
+          echo "BARE exists: $(test -d /docker/gitea/gitea/git/repositories/remco/epicnext-cms.git && echo YES || echo NO)"
+          echo "Tags: $(git -C /docker/gitea/gitea/git/repositories/remco/epicnext-cms.git tag -l 2>&1)"
+          echo "Log: $(git -C /docker/gitea/gitea/git/repositories/remco/epicnext-cms.git log --oneline v1.0 2>&1 | head -3)"
+          echo "=== END ==="
+      - name: Create release
         env:
           VERSION: ${{ gitea.ref_name }}
           GITEA_API: ${{ gitea.api_url }}
@@ -19,15 +27,20 @@ jobs:
           BARE="/docker/gitea/gitea/git/repositories/remco/epicnext-cms.git"
           echo "=== START ${VERSION} ==="
 
-          # Generate changelog from bare repo (always has full history)
+          echo "=== Tags in bare repo ==="
+          git -C "$BARE" tag -l
+          echo "=== Done ==="
+
+          echo "=== Log for ${VERSION} ==="
+          git -C "$BARE" log --oneline --no-decorate "${VERSION}" 2>&1 || echo "LOG FAILED"
+          echo "=== Done ==="
+
           PREV_TAG="$(git -C "$BARE" tag --sort=-creatordate | head -2 | tail -1 || echo '')"
-          echo "Previous tag: ${PREV_TAG}"
+          echo "Previous tag: '${PREV_TAG}'"
 
           if [ -n "$PREV_TAG" ] && [ "$PREV_TAG" != "$VERSION" ]; then
-            echo "Range: ${PREV_TAG}..${VERSION}"
             CHANGELOG="$(git -C "$BARE" log --oneline --no-decorate "${PREV_TAG}..${VERSION}" 2>&1)"
           else
-            echo "First release or same tag"
             CHANGELOG="$(git -C "$BARE" log --oneline --no-decorate "${VERSION}" 2>&1)"
           fi
 
@@ -37,10 +50,9 @@ jobs:
           echo "${CHANGELOG}"
           echo "=== End ==="
 
-          # Write to file for API step
           echo "$CHANGELOG" > /tmp/changelog.txt
 
-          # Clone for build
+          # Build
           SRC="/tmp/epicnext-release"
           rm -rf "$SRC"
           git clone --branch "${VERSION}" --depth 1 "$BARE" "$SRC"
@@ -54,9 +66,10 @@ jobs:
           export SKIP_ENV_VALIDATION=1
           pnpm build
 
-          # Create release via Gitea API
-          echo "=== Creating/updating release ==="
+          # Create release
+          echo "=== Creating release ==="
           NOTES="$(cat /tmp/changelog.txt)"
+          echo "NOTES length: ${#NOTES}"
           BODY="## EpicNext-CMS ${VERSION}
 
 ### Changes
@@ -65,17 +78,19 @@ ${NOTES}
 ---
 *Automated release from Gitea Actions*
 "
+          echo "BODY length: ${#BODY}"
 
           PAYLOAD="$(echo "$BODY" | jq -Rs '{tag_name: $v, name: $v, body: ., draft: false, prerelease: false}' --arg v "${VERSION}" 2>&1)"
           echo "Payload: ${#PAYLOAD} bytes"
+          echo "PAYLOAD: ${PAYLOAD:0:200}..."
 
-          # Try create, fallback to update
           HTTP_CODE="$(curl -s -w '%{http_code}' -o /tmp/release-resp.json \
             -X POST "${GITEA_API}/repos/${GITEA_REPO}/releases" \
             -H "Authorization: token ${{ secrets.GITEA_TOKEN }}" \
             -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
             -d "$PAYLOAD" 2>&1)"
           echo "POST response: ${HTTP_CODE}"
+          echo "Response: $(cat /tmp/release-resp.json | head -5)"
 
           if [ "${HTTP_CODE}" = "409" ]; then
             echo "Release exists, updating..."
@@ -94,6 +109,7 @@ ${NOTES}
           if [ "${HTTP_CODE:-0}" -ge 200 ] && [ "${HTTP_CODE:-0}" -lt 300 ]; then
             echo "SUCCESS"
             cat /tmp/release-resp.json | jq -r '.html_url // .id' 2>/dev/null || true
+            echo "BODY: $(cat /tmp/release-resp.json | jq -r '.body // "none"' | head -5)"
           else
             echo "FAILED with HTTP ${HTTP_CODE}"
             cat /tmp/release-resp.json 2>/dev/null || true