diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index fc45ce6..5dd2911 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -55,9 +55,12 @@ jobs:
         run: uv tool install "commitizen==4.9.1"
 
       - name: Bump
-        # --yes: accept prompts non-interactively. Exits 0 with no commit when
-        # there is no version increment (pure chore:/docs: history).
-        run: cz bump --yes --changelog
+        # --yes: accept prompts non-interactively.
+        # -nr 21: do NOT fail (NO_COMMITS_TO_BUMP, exit 21) when the only commits
+        # since the last tag are non-bumpable (pure chore:/docs:). cz treats
+        # "no eligible commits" as an error; -nr 21 turns it into a clean exit 0
+        # so the tag-check step can detect "no release" and skip publish.
+        run: cz -nr 21 bump --yes --changelog
 
       - name: Check whether a tag was created
         id: tag_check