diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 74e1d4b..1c6b64b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,19 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+- `scripts/validate.{ps1,sh}` Check 6 now treats an empty `[Unreleased]` section as passing when the
+  section immediately below it is a dated `[x.y.z] - <date>` release heading (the freshly cut version),
+  so a clean post-release CHANGELOG no longer fails CI. A non-release-state empty `[Unreleased]` still
+  fails, preserving the "every PR adds a changelog line" invariant.
+
+---
+
+## [1.3.0] - 2026-06-18
+
+Release-tooling and CI hardening. Adds the `/sd:release` command (10th), a single-command repo invariant
+validator with a Windows + Ubuntu CI matrix, an uninstaller, and a batch of command/agent refinements.
+
 ### Added
 - `/sd:release` command (10th command) - generates release notes from completed specs: collects
   every spec in `done` status (feature / bug / refactor / perf; RCA excluded), groups them into
@@ -229,6 +242,8 @@ Each hook ships in two flavours:
 - Operating systems: Windows 11 + PowerShell 5.1 / 7.x, macOS 13+, Ubuntu 22.04+.
 - Optional MCP servers: Atlassian, Context7, sequential-thinking, GitNexus, MSSQL, Playwright, Tavily.
 
-[Unreleased]: https://github.com/developzoneio/specwright/compare/v1.1.0...HEAD
+[Unreleased]: https://github.com/developzoneio/specwright/compare/v1.3.0...HEAD
+[1.3.0]: https://github.com/developzoneio/specwright/compare/v1.2.0...v1.3.0
+[1.2.0]: https://github.com/developzoneio/specwright/compare/v1.1.0...v1.2.0
 [1.1.0]: https://github.com/developzoneio/specwright/compare/v1.0.0...v1.1.0
 [1.0.0]: https://github.com/developzoneio/specwright/releases/tag/v1.0.0
diff --git a/scripts/validate.ps1 b/scripts/validate.ps1
index b21aa7f..ee9f18b 100644
--- a/scripts/validate.ps1
+++ b/scripts/validate.ps1
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ try {
 
 # ---- Check 6: CHANGELOG [Unreleased] non-empty -----------------------------
 
-Write-Section 'Check 6/6: CHANGELOG [Unreleased] non-empty'
+Write-Section 'Check 6/6: CHANGELOG [Unreleased] gate'
 $changelog = Join-Path $repoRoot 'CHANGELOG.md'
 $lines = Get-Content -LiteralPath $changelog
 $start = -1
@@ -250,12 +250,19 @@ if ($start -lt 0) {
     Add-Failure 'changelog: no [Unreleased] header'
 } else {
     $hasEntry = $false
+    $nextHeader = $null
     for ($i = $start + 1; $i -lt $lines.Count; $i++) {
-        if ($lines[$i] -match '^##\s+\[') { break }
+        if ($lines[$i] -match '^##\s+\[') { $nextHeader = $lines[$i]; break }
         if ($lines[$i] -match '^\s*-\s+\S') { $hasEntry = $true; break }
     }
+    # An empty [Unreleased] passes only immediately after a release: the next
+    # section must be a dated [x.y.z] - <date> heading (the freshly cut
+    # version). Otherwise every PR must add an entry under [Unreleased].
+    $justReleased = ($null -ne $nextHeader) -and ($nextHeader -match '^##\s+\[\d+\.\d+\.\d+\]\s+-\s+\S')
     if ($hasEntry) {
         Write-Ok '[Unreleased] has at least one entry'
+    } elseif ($justReleased) {
+        Write-Ok '[Unreleased] empty but sits directly above a dated release (just cut)'
     } else {
         Write-FailMsg '[Unreleased] section is empty (add a changelog entry)'
         Add-Failure 'changelog: [Unreleased] empty'
diff --git a/scripts/validate.sh b/scripts/validate.sh
index 9e06df8..0a2ad4e 100755
--- a/scripts/validate.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate.sh
@@ -171,15 +171,24 @@ trap - EXIT
 
 # ---- Check 6: CHANGELOG [Unreleased] non-empty -----------------------------
 
-section "Check 6/6: CHANGELOG [Unreleased] non-empty"
+section "Check 6/6: CHANGELOG [Unreleased] gate"
 changelog="$repo_root/CHANGELOG.md"
 block="$(awk '
     /^##[[:space:]]+\[Unreleased\]/ { f=1; next }
     /^##[[:space:]]+\[/             { f=0 }
     f                               { print }
 ' "$changelog")"
+# Header of the section immediately below [Unreleased].
+next_header="$(awk '
+    /^##[[:space:]]+\[Unreleased\]/ { f=1; next }
+    f && /^##[[:space:]]+\[/        { print; exit }
+' "$changelog")"
 if printf '%s\n' "$block" | grep -qE '^[[:space:]]*-[[:space:]]+[^[:space:]]'; then
     ok "[Unreleased] has at least one entry"
+elif printf '%s\n' "$next_header" \
+    | grep -qE '^##[[:space:]]+\[[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\][[:space:]]+-[[:space:]]+[^[:space:]]'; then
+    # Empty [Unreleased] is allowed only directly above a freshly cut release.
+    ok "[Unreleased] empty but sits directly above a dated release (just cut)"
 else
     fail "[Unreleased] section is empty (add a changelog entry)"
     add_failure "changelog: [Unreleased] empty"