diff --git a/scripts/publish_release_notes_to_discourse.py b/scripts/publish_release_notes_to_discourse.py
index 9891fba4f1..092af67b50 100644
--- a/scripts/publish_release_notes_to_discourse.py
+++ b/scripts/publish_release_notes_to_discourse.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
 import os
+import re
 
 import requests
 
@@ -58,6 +59,17 @@ def find_category_id(config: dict[str, str]) -> int:
 def format_release_content(config: dict[str, str]) -> tuple[str, str]:
     title = f"🚀 Release {config['RELEASE_TAG']}"
     repo_name = config["REPO_NAME"].split("/")[1]
+
+    # Format PR links in the release body
+    # Replace https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/123 with [#123](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/123)
+    # This avoids redundant link rendering in Discourse
+    # Use negative lookbehind to avoid formatting already-formatted links
+    release_body = re.sub(
+        r"(?<!\()\bhttps://github\.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/(\d+)\b",
+        r"[#\1](\g<0>)",
+        config["RELEASE_BODY"],
+    )
+
     content = f"""A new release of **{repo_name}** is now available!
 
 ## 📦 Release Information
@@ -69,7 +81,7 @@ def format_release_content(config: dict[str, str]) -> tuple[str, str]:
 
 ## 📋 Release Notes
 
-{config["RELEASE_BODY"]}
+{release_body}
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/scripts/test_publish_release_notes.py b/scripts/test_publish_release_notes.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e70f01a5b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test_publish_release_notes.py
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+#   Copyright 2024 - present The PyMC Developers
+#
+#   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+#   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+#   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+#   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+#   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+#   limitations under the License.
+import re
+
+from publish_release_notes_to_discourse import format_release_content
+
+
+class TestFormatReleaseContent:
+    def test_pr_links_are_formatted(self):
+        """Test that PR links are formatted correctly in the release body."""
+        # Realistic release body from v5.26.0
+        release_body = """<!-- Release notes generated using configuration in .github/release.yml at main -->
+
+## What's Changed
+### Major Changes 🛠
+* Bump PyTensor dependency and drop support for NumPy <2.0, and Python 3.10 by @ricardoV94 in https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7910
+  * Functions that try to infer inputs of the graph fail with more than one input. This includes `Model.compile_fn`, `gradient`, `jacobian` and `hessian_diag`.
+  * `Model.compile_logp` now expects all model variables as input, even when only a subset of the logp terms is requested.
+  * Many pytensor functions from moved from `pytensor.graph.basic` to `pytensor.graph.traversal`, including `ancestors`, `graph_inputs`, and toposort related functions.
+* Remove deprecated `noise` parameter for GPs by @williambdean in https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7886
+
+### New Features 🎉
+* Implement `logcdf` for `CensoredRV` by @asifzubair in https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7884
+* Derive logprob for Split operation by @ricardoV94 in https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7875
+### Bugfixes 🪲
+* Fix bug in mixture logprob inference with `None` indices by @asifzubair in https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7877
+### Documentation 📖
+* Add model_to_mermaid to docs by @williambdean in https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7868
+* Use rst code-block over code:: by @williambdean in https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7882
+### Maintenance 🔧
+* Show more digits of step size in progress_bar by @ricardoV94 in https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7870
+* Allow for specification of 'var_names' in 'mock_sample' by @tomicapretto in https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7906
+
+## New Contributors
+* @asifzubair made their first contribution in https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7871
+
+**Full Changelog**: https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/compare/v5.25.1...v5.26.0"""
+
+        config = {
+            "RELEASE_TAG": "v5.26.0",
+            "REPO_NAME": "pymc-devs/pymc",
+            "RELEASE_BODY": release_body,
+            "RELEASE_URL": "https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/releases/tag/v5.26.0",
+        }
+
+        title, content = format_release_content(config)
+
+        # Check that the title is correct
+        assert title == "🚀 Release v5.26.0"
+
+        # Check that PR links in pymc-devs/pymc are formatted correctly
+        assert "[#7910](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7910)" in content
+        assert "[#7886](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7886)" in content
+        assert "[#7884](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7884)" in content
+        assert "[#7875](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7875)" in content
+        assert "[#7877](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7877)" in content
+        assert "[#7868](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7868)" in content
+        assert "[#7882](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7882)" in content
+        assert "[#7870](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7870)" in content
+        assert "[#7906](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7906)" in content
+        assert "[#7871](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7871)" in content
+
+        # Check that the raw PR link format is not present
+        assert (
+            "https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/7910" in content
+        )  # it's still in the formatted link
+        # But NOT as a standalone link (which would appear without the [#xxx](...) wrapper)
+        # We can verify this by checking the pattern doesn't match the raw format
+        # Find raw PR links (not inside markdown link syntax)
+        raw_pr_links = re.findall(
+            r"(?<!\()\bhttps://github\.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/\d+(?!\))", content
+        )
+        assert len(raw_pr_links) == 0, f"Found raw PR links: {raw_pr_links}"
+
+        # Check that other links remain unchanged (e.g., the Full Changelog link)
+        assert (
+            "**Full Changelog**: https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/compare/v5.25.1...v5.26.0"
+            in content
+        )
+
+    def test_non_pymc_links_unchanged(self):
+        """Test that PR links from other repositories are not affected."""
+        release_body = """Some changes:
+* Feature from external repo in https://github.com/other-org/other-repo/pull/123
+* Our feature in https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/456
+"""
+
+        config = {
+            "RELEASE_TAG": "v1.0.0",
+            "REPO_NAME": "pymc-devs/pymc",
+            "RELEASE_BODY": release_body,
+            "RELEASE_URL": "https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/releases/tag/v1.0.0",
+        }
+
+        title, content = format_release_content(config)
+
+        # Check that pymc-devs/pymc PR link is formatted
+        assert "[#456](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/456)" in content
+
+        # Check that other repo PR link is unchanged
+        assert "https://github.com/other-org/other-repo/pull/123" in content
+        assert "[#123](https://github.com/other-org/other-repo/pull/123)" not in content
+
+    def test_release_structure(self):
+        """Test that the overall release structure is correct."""
+        config = {
+            "RELEASE_TAG": "v1.2.3",
+            "REPO_NAME": "pymc-devs/pymc",
+            "RELEASE_BODY": "Test body with PR https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/999",
+            "RELEASE_URL": "https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/releases/tag/v1.2.3",
+        }
+
+        title, content = format_release_content(config)
+
+        assert title == "🚀 Release v1.2.3"
+        assert "A new release of **pymc** is now available!" in content
+        assert "**Version:** `v1.2.3`" in content
+        assert "**Repository:** [pymc-devs/pymc](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc)" in content
+        assert "**Release Page:** https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/releases/tag/v1.2.3" in content
+        assert "[#999](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/999)" in content
+
+    def test_already_formatted_links_not_double_formatted(self):
+        """Test that already-formatted PR links are not double-formatted."""
+        release_body = """Some changes:
+* Already formatted: [#123](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/123)
+* Raw link: https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/456
+"""
+
+        config = {
+            "RELEASE_TAG": "v1.0.0",
+            "REPO_NAME": "pymc-devs/pymc",
+            "RELEASE_BODY": release_body,
+            "RELEASE_URL": "https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/releases/tag/v1.0.0",
+        }
+
+        title, content = format_release_content(config)
+
+        # Already formatted link should remain unchanged
+        assert "[#123](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/123)" in content
+        # Should NOT be double-formatted
+        assert "[#123]([#123](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/123))" not in content
+
+        # Raw link should be formatted
+        assert "[#456](https://github.com/pymc-devs/pymc/pull/456)" in content