diff --git a/shell/utils/__tests__/release-notes.test.ts b/shell/utils/__tests__/release-notes.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..18d4d50489b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/utils/__tests__/release-notes.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+import { addReleaseNotesNotification } from '@shell/utils/release-notes';
+import * as versionModule from '@shell/config/version';
+import { NotificationLevel } from '@shell/types/notifications';
+
+jest.mock('@shell/config/version', () => ({ getVersionData: jest.fn() }));
+jest.mock('@shell/store/prefs', () => ({ READ_WHATS_NEW: 'read-whatsnew' }));
+
+const VERSION = '2.11.0';
+const NOTES_URL = 'https://release-notes.example.com';
+const mockT = (key: string, vars?: Record<string, any>) => (vars ? `${ key }:${ JSON.stringify(vars) }` : key);
+
+describe('addReleaseNotesNotification', () => {
+  let dispatch: jest.Mock;
+  let getters: Record<string, any>;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    (versionModule.getVersionData as jest.Mock).mockReturnValue({ Version: VERSION });
+    dispatch = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+    getters = {
+      'notifications/all': [],
+      'prefs/get':         (_key: string) => '',
+      'i18n/t':            mockT,
+      releaseNotesUrl:     NOTES_URL,
+    };
+  });
+
+  it('dispatches notifications/add when not found and version not previously read', async() => {
+    await addReleaseNotesNotification(dispatch, getters);
+
+    expect(dispatch).toHaveBeenCalledWith('notifications/add', expect.objectContaining({
+      id:    `release-notes-${ VERSION }`,
+      level: NotificationLevel.Info,
+    }));
+  });
+
+  it('does not dispatch notifications/add when current version notification already exists', async() => {
+    getters['notifications/all'] = [{ id: `release-notes-${ VERSION }` }];
+
+    await addReleaseNotesNotification(dispatch, getters);
+
+    expect(dispatch).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith('notifications/add', expect.anything());
+  });
+
+  it('does not dispatch notifications/add when this version was already read via preference', async() => {
+    getters['prefs/get'] = (_key: string) => VERSION;
+
+    await addReleaseNotesNotification(dispatch, getters);
+
+    expect(dispatch).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith('notifications/add', expect.anything());
+  });
+
+  it('dispatches notifications/remove for an older release-notes notification', async() => {
+    const oldId = 'release-notes-2.10.0';
+
+    getters['notifications/all'] = [{ id: oldId }];
+
+    await addReleaseNotesNotification(dispatch, getters);
+
+    expect(dispatch).toHaveBeenCalledWith('notifications/remove', oldId);
+  });
+
+  it('dispatches notifications/add after removing an older release-notes notification', async() => {
+    getters['notifications/all'] = [{ id: 'release-notes-2.10.0' }];
+
+    await addReleaseNotesNotification(dispatch, getters);
+
+    expect(dispatch).toHaveBeenCalledWith('notifications/add', expect.objectContaining({ id: `release-notes-${ VERSION }` }));
+  });
+
+  it('removes old notification but skips notifications/add when version was already read', async() => {
+    const oldId = 'release-notes-2.10.0';
+
+    getters['notifications/all'] = [{ id: oldId }];
+    getters['prefs/get'] = (_key: string) => VERSION;
+
+    await addReleaseNotesNotification(dispatch, getters);
+
+    expect(dispatch).toHaveBeenCalledWith('notifications/remove', oldId);
+    expect(dispatch).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith('notifications/add', expect.anything());
+  });
+
+  it('ignores notifications without the release-notes prefix', async() => {
+    getters['notifications/all'] = [{ id: 'some-other-notification' }];
+
+    await addReleaseNotesNotification(dispatch, getters);
+
+    expect(dispatch).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith('notifications/remove', 'some-other-notification');
+    expect(dispatch).toHaveBeenCalledWith('notifications/add', expect.objectContaining({ id: `release-notes-${ VERSION }` }));
+  });
+
+  it('dispatches notifications/add with correct notification structure', async() => {
+    await addReleaseNotesNotification(dispatch, getters);
+
+    const notification = dispatch.mock.calls.find((c) => c[0] === 'notifications/add')?.[1];
+
+    expect(notification.level).toStrictEqual(NotificationLevel.Info);
+    expect(notification.preference).toStrictEqual({ key: 'read-whatsnew', value: VERSION });
+    expect(notification.primaryAction).toStrictEqual({
+      label:  'landing.whatsNew.link',
+      target: NOTES_URL,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('strips the pre-release suffix from the version string', async() => {
+    (versionModule.getVersionData as jest.Mock).mockReturnValue({ Version: `${ VERSION }-rc1` });
+
+    await addReleaseNotesNotification(dispatch, getters);
+
+    expect(dispatch).toHaveBeenCalledWith('notifications/add', expect.objectContaining({ id: `release-notes-${ VERSION }` }));
+  });
+
+  it('removes old notification and does not add when both old and current exist', async() => {
+    const oldId = 'release-notes-2.10.0';
+
+    getters['notifications/all'] = [
+      { id: oldId },
+      { id: `release-notes-${ VERSION }` },
+    ];
+
+    await addReleaseNotesNotification(dispatch, getters);
+
+    expect(dispatch).toHaveBeenCalledWith('notifications/remove', oldId);
+    expect(dispatch).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith('notifications/add', expect.anything());
+  });
+
+  it('makes no dispatch calls when notifications list is empty and version already read', async() => {
+    getters['prefs/get'] = (_key: string) => VERSION;
+
+    await addReleaseNotesNotification(dispatch, getters);
+
+    expect(dispatch).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});