diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index a16643f..b9cef95 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ on:
         description: 'Version number (e.g., 4.30.0)'
         required: true
         type: string
+      release_notes:
+        description: 'Release notes (markdown) - generated by Claude'
+        required: true
+        type: string
 
 jobs:
   extract-version:
@@ -32,8 +36,6 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          fetch-depth: 0  # Need full history to check tags
 
       - name: Ensure VERSION file matches requested version
         run: |
@@ -46,18 +48,6 @@ jobs:
           fi
           echo "✓ VERSION file matches requested version ($REQUESTED_VERSION)"
 
-      - name: Check if tag already exists
-        run: |
-          TAG="${{ needs.extract-version.outputs.tag }}"
-          if git rev-parse "$TAG" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            echo "✓ Tag $TAG already exists (will use existing tag annotation)"
-          else
-            echo "::error::Tag $TAG does not exist. Please create an annotated tag with release notes first:"
-            echo "::error::  git tag -a $TAG -F /tmp/release_notes_${{ needs.extract-version.outputs.version }}.md"
-            echo "::error::  git push origin $TAG"
-            exit 1
-          fi
-
   preflight-tests:
     needs: version-guard
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -321,29 +311,18 @@ jobs:
           echo "Building release ${{ needs.extract-version.outputs.tag }}..."
           ./scripts/build-release.sh ${{ needs.extract-version.outputs.version }}
 
-      - name: Extract release notes from tag annotation
+      - name: Prepare release notes
         id: generate_notes
+        env:
+          RELEASE_NOTES_INPUT: ${{ inputs.release_notes }}
         run: |
-          TAG="${{ needs.extract-version.outputs.tag }}"
           VERSION="${{ needs.extract-version.outputs.version }}"
 
-          echo "Reading release notes from tag annotation..."
+          echo "Using Claude-generated release notes from workflow input"
 
-          # Check if tag has an annotation (release notes from Claude)
-          TAG_MESSAGE=$(git tag -l --format='%(contents)' "${TAG}")
-
-          if [ -z "$TAG_MESSAGE" ] || [ "$TAG_MESSAGE" = "" ]; then
-            echo "::error::Tag ${TAG} has no annotation. Release notes must be provided by Claude."
-            echo "::error::Tags must be created with: git tag -a ${TAG} -F /tmp/release_notes_${VERSION}.md"
-            echo "::error::This ensures Claude writes user-focused, semantic changelog instead of raw commits."
-            exit 1
-          fi
-
-          echo "✓ Found release notes in tag annotation"
-
-          # Save tag annotation to file
+          # Save release notes to file
           NOTES_FILE=$(mktemp)
-          echo "$TAG_MESSAGE" > "$NOTES_FILE"
+          printf "%s\n" "$RELEASE_NOTES_INPUT" > "$NOTES_FILE"
 
           # Add installation instructions
           cat >> "$NOTES_FILE" << EOF