diff --git a/scripts/lib/whats-new.mjs b/scripts/lib/whats-new.mjs
index c5eaabd9..81d01182 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/whats-new.mjs
+++ b/scripts/lib/whats-new.mjs
@@ -17,14 +17,21 @@ export function versionSection(changelog, version) {
   return lines.slice(start + 1, end).join('\n');
 }
 
+// Bold phrases the release notes use as group labels rather than as the headline of a change:
+// "**Fixes.**" heads the list of fixes, "**Fixes applied while landing.**" the review fixes.
+const SECTION_LABELS =
+  /^(?:thanks\b.*|fixes|fixes applied while landing|docs|docs and tests|new features|also in this release)$/i;
+
 /** Bold lead-ins at the start of a paragraph or bullet, cleaned for display. */
 export function extractHighlights(section) {
   const out = [];
   for (const line of section.split('\n')) {
-    const m = /^\s*(?:[-*]\s+)?\*\*([^*]{3,120})\*\*/.exec(line);
+    // `changeset version` prefixes the first line of a committed changeset with its commit
+    // ("- d18deed: **Lead.** text"), which is the shape every changesets-bot release has.
+    const m = /^\s*(?:[-*]\s+)?(?:[0-9a-f]{7,40}:\s+)?\*\*([^*]{3,120})\*\*/.exec(line);
     if (!m) continue;
     const text = m[1].replace(/[\s.:]+$/, '').trim();
-    if (!text || /^thanks\b/i.test(text)) continue;
+    if (!text || SECTION_LABELS.test(text)) continue;
     if (!out.includes(text)) out.push(text);
   }
   return out.slice(0, MAX_HIGHLIGHTS);
diff --git a/test/whats-new.test.ts b/test/whats-new.test.ts
index 435de7cb..84264a5c 100644
--- a/test/whats-new.test.ts
+++ b/test/whats-new.test.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,27 @@ describe('whats-new extraction', () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it('reads a lead-in behind the commit prefix changesets writes for a committed changeset', () => {
+    const section = '- d18deed: **Each release announces itself (#618).** Text.\n- 13e652e: A fix with no lead-in.';
+    expect(extractHighlights(section)).toEqual(['Each release announces itself (#618)']);
+  });
+
+  it('skips group labels the release notes put in bold (Fixes, Fixes applied while landing)', () => {
+    const section = [
+      '  **Tab layouts (#538).** Text.',
+      '  **Fixes.**',
+      '  - **Shells reload cleanly (#601).** Text.',
+      '  **Fixes applied while landing.** Remote tabs keep their scrollback.',
+    ].join('\n');
+    expect(extractHighlights(section)).toEqual(['Tab layouts (#538)', 'Shells reload cleanly (#601)']);
+  });
+
+  it('yields no highlights for a release written without bold lead-ins', () => {
+    const changelog =
+      '## 1.32.1\n\n### Patch Changes\n\n- 13e652e: Terminal copy: no gutter on the clipboard (#469).\n';
+    expect(buildWhatsNew(changelog, '1.32.1')).toEqual({ version: '1.32.1', highlights: [] });
+  });
+
   it('caps the list', () => {
     const many = Array.from({ length: 20 }, (_, i) => `**Feature number ${i}.** text`).join('\n\n');
     expect(extractHighlights(many)).toHaveLength(8);