diff --git a/internal/client/client.go b/internal/client/client.go
index 395e29805ac..9b957fe5362 100644
--- a/internal/client/client.go
+++ b/internal/client/client.go
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ func (r Repo) String() string {
 // Client interface.
 type Client interface {
 	CloseMilestone(ctx *context.Context, repo Repo, title string) (err error)
+	// Creates a release. It's marked as draft if possible (should call PublishRelease to finish publishing).
 	CreateRelease(ctx *context.Context, body string) (releaseID string, err error)
+	PublishRelease(ctx *context.Context, releaseID string) (err error)
 	Upload(ctx *context.Context, releaseID string, artifact *artifact.Artifact, file *os.File) (err error)
 	Changelog(ctx *context.Context, repo Repo, prev, current string) (string, error)
 	ReleaseURLTemplater
diff --git a/internal/client/gitea.go b/internal/client/gitea.go
index 227187cd765..2613cc7de9b 100644
--- a/internal/client/gitea.go
+++ b/internal/client/gitea.go
@@ -276,6 +276,11 @@ func (c *giteaClient) CreateRelease(ctx *context.Context, body string) (string,
 	return strconv.FormatInt(release.ID, 10), nil
 }
 
+func (c *giteaClient) PublishRelease(_ *context.Context, _ string /* releaseID */) (err error) {
+	// TODO: Create release as draft while uploading artifacts and only publish it here.
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (c *giteaClient) ReleaseURLTemplate(ctx *context.Context) (string, error) {
 	downloadURL, err := tmpl.New(ctx).Apply(ctx.Config.GiteaURLs.Download)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/client/github.go b/internal/client/github.go
index 16c60c90d16..382c3a6613e 100644
--- a/internal/client/github.go
+++ b/internal/client/github.go
@@ -354,10 +354,12 @@ func (c *githubClient) CreateRelease(ctx *context.Context, body string) (string,
 	body = truncateReleaseBody(body)
 
 	data := &github.RepositoryRelease{
-		Name:       github.String(title),
-		TagName:    github.String(ctx.Git.CurrentTag),
-		Body:       github.String(body),
-		Draft:      github.Bool(ctx.Config.Release.Draft),
+		Name:    github.String(title),
+		TagName: github.String(ctx.Git.CurrentTag),
+		Body:    github.String(body),
+		// Always start with a draft release while uploading artifacts.
+		// PublishRelease will undraft it.
+		Draft:      github.Bool(true),
 		Prerelease: github.Bool(ctx.PreRelease),
 		MakeLatest: github.String("true"),
 	}
@@ -388,6 +390,19 @@ func (c *githubClient) CreateRelease(ctx *context.Context, body string) (string,
 	return strconv.FormatInt(release.GetID(), 10), nil
 }
 
+func (c *githubClient) PublishRelease(ctx *context.Context, releaseID string) (err error) {
+	releaseIDInt, err := strconv.ParseInt(releaseID, 10, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("non-numeric release ID %q: %w", releaseID, err)
+	}
+	if _, err := c.updateRelease(ctx, releaseIDInt, &github.RepositoryRelease{
+		Draft: github.Bool(ctx.Config.Release.Draft),
+	}); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("could not update existing release: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (c *githubClient) createOrUpdateRelease(ctx *context.Context, data *github.RepositoryRelease, body string) (*github.RepositoryRelease, error) {
 	c.checkRateLimit(ctx)
 	release, _, err := c.client.Repositories.GetReleaseByTag(
diff --git a/internal/client/gitlab.go b/internal/client/gitlab.go
index 145f5dc3761..61103b9492a 100644
--- a/internal/client/gitlab.go
+++ b/internal/client/gitlab.go
@@ -348,6 +348,11 @@ func (c *gitlabClient) CreateRelease(ctx *context.Context, body string) (release
 	return tagName, err // gitlab references a tag in a repo by its name
 }
 
+func (c *gitlabClient) PublishRelease(_ *context.Context, _ string /* releaseID */) (err error) {
+	// GitLab doesn't support draft releases. So a created release is already published.
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (c *gitlabClient) ReleaseURLTemplate(ctx *context.Context) (string, error) {
 	var urlTemplate string
 	gitlabName, err := tmpl.New(ctx).Apply(ctx.Config.Release.GitLab.Name)
diff --git a/internal/client/mock.go b/internal/client/mock.go
index 60ee68e7669..b27ffb528c7 100644
--- a/internal/client/mock.go
+++ b/internal/client/mock.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ type Mock struct {
 	FailToUpload         bool
 	CreatedRelease       bool
 	UploadedFile         bool
+	ReleasePublished     bool
 	UploadedFileNames    []string
 	UploadedFilePaths    map[string]string
 	FailFirstUpload      bool
@@ -81,6 +82,11 @@ func (c *Mock) CreateRelease(_ *context.Context, _ string) (string, error) {
 	return "", nil
 }
 
+func (c *Mock) PublishRelease(_ *context.Context, _ string /* releaseID */) (err error) {
+	c.ReleasePublished = true
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (c *Mock) ReleaseURLTemplate(_ *context.Context) (string, error) {
 	return "https://dummyhost/download/{{ .Tag }}/{{ .ArtifactName }}", nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/pipe/release/release.go b/internal/pipe/release/release.go
index 27956bcc90f..9a4e0c0ac56 100644
--- a/internal/pipe/release/release.go
+++ b/internal/pipe/release/release.go
@@ -171,7 +171,11 @@ func doPublish(ctx *context.Context, client client.Client) error {
 			return upload(ctx, client, releaseID, artifact)
 		})
 	}
-	return g.Wait()
+	if err := g.Wait(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return client.PublishRelease(ctx, releaseID)
 }
 
 func upload(ctx *context.Context, cli client.Client, releaseID string, artifact *artifact.Artifact) error {
diff --git a/internal/pipe/release/release_test.go b/internal/pipe/release/release_test.go
index 6aa87babfd7..36264b64b70 100644
--- a/internal/pipe/release/release_test.go
+++ b/internal/pipe/release/release_test.go
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ func TestRunPipeWithoutIDsThenDoesNotFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, doPublish(ctx, client))
 	require.True(t, client.CreatedRelease)
 	require.True(t, client.UploadedFile)
+	require.True(t, client.ReleasePublished)
 	require.Contains(t, client.UploadedFileNames, "source.tar.gz")
 	require.Contains(t, client.UploadedFileNames, "bin.deb")
 	require.Contains(t, client.UploadedFileNames, "bin.tar.gz")
@@ -192,6 +193,7 @@ func TestRunPipeWithIDsThenFilters(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, doPublish(ctx, client))
 	require.True(t, client.CreatedRelease)
 	require.True(t, client.UploadedFile)
+	require.True(t, client.ReleasePublished)
 	require.Contains(t, client.UploadedFileNames, "bin.deb")
 	require.Contains(t, client.UploadedFileNames, "bin.tar.gz")
 	require.Contains(t, client.UploadedFileNames, "f1")
@@ -215,6 +217,7 @@ func TestRunPipeReleaseCreationFailed(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Error(t, doPublish(ctx, client))
 	require.False(t, client.CreatedRelease)
 	require.False(t, client.UploadedFile)
+	require.False(t, client.ReleasePublished)
 }
 
 func TestRunPipeWithFileThatDontExist(t *testing.T) {
@@ -262,6 +265,7 @@ func TestRunPipeUploadFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	require.EqualError(t, doPublish(ctx, client), "failed to upload bin.tar.gz after 1 tries: upload failed")
 	require.True(t, client.CreatedRelease)
 	require.False(t, client.UploadedFile)
+	require.False(t, client.ReleasePublished)
 }
 
 func TestRunPipeExtraFileNotFound(t *testing.T) {
@@ -330,6 +334,7 @@ func TestRunPipeUploadRetry(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, doPublish(ctx, client))
 	require.True(t, client.CreatedRelease)
 	require.True(t, client.UploadedFile)
+	require.True(t, client.ReleasePublished)
 }
 
 func TestDefault(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/www/docs/customization/release.md b/www/docs/customization/release.md
index 4c5dbd3152d..7e45a251c67 100644
--- a/www/docs/customization/release.md
+++ b/www/docs/customization/release.md
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ release:
     - bar
 
   # If set to true, will not auto-publish the release.
+  # Note: all GitHub releases start as drafts while artifacts are uploaded.
   # Available only for GitHub and Gitea.
   draft: true