diff --git a/git-cliff-release/action.yaml b/git-cliff-release/action.yaml
index 214dc0f..b90d8c6 100644
--- a/git-cliff-release/action.yaml
+++ b/git-cliff-release/action.yaml
@@ -161,7 +161,14 @@ runs:
         if [[ -n "${{ inputs.existing_changelog_path }}" ]]; then
           out_file=$GIT_CLIFF_WORKDIR/existing_changelog.md
           cp "$GIT_CLIFF_REPOSITORY/${{ inputs.existing_changelog_path }}" $out_file
-          sed '/<!-- git-cliff-unreleased-start -->/,/<!-- git-cliff-unreleased-end -->/d' -i $out_file
+          # Drop the unreleased section including the blank lines right after it, so the freshly
+          # rendered section fully controls the spacing around the markers.
+          awk '
+            /<!-- git-cliff-unreleased-start -->/ { in_unreleased = 1 }
+            in_unreleased { if (/<!-- git-cliff-unreleased-end -->/) { in_unreleased = 0; after_unreleased = 1 }; next }
+            after_unreleased && /^$/ { next }
+            { after_unreleased = 0; print }
+          ' $out_file > $out_file.tmp && mv $out_file.tmp $out_file
 
           dump_context_args+=(--unreleased)
           print_changelog_args+=(--prepend "$out_file" --unreleased)
@@ -183,6 +190,13 @@ runs:
           python enhance_context.py --repo $GITHUB_REPO "${enhance_context_args[@]}" |
           git-cliff --from-context - "${print_changelog_args[@]}"
 
+        # A stable release consumes the whole unreleased section and renders without the markers.
+        # Reinsert an empty marker block ahead of the first release section, so the markers are
+        # always present and the next prerelease has a stable structure to splice into.
+        if ! grep -q '<!-- git-cliff-unreleased-start -->' $out_file; then
+          sed -i '0,/^## /s//<!-- git-cliff-unreleased-start -->\n\n<!-- git-cliff-unreleased-end -->\n\n&/' $out_file
+        fi
+
         sed -i '$a\' $out_file # Make sure there is a newline at the end of the output file
 
         # Stage the changelog for the artifact upload. Consumers that receive the changelog through an
diff --git a/git-cliff-release/cliff.toml b/git-cliff-release/cliff.toml
index 2f34c6a..36a7b13 100644
--- a/git-cliff-release/cliff.toml
+++ b/git-cliff-release/cliff.toml
@@ -16,13 +16,12 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.\n
 # template for the changelog body
 # https://keats.github.io/tera/docs/#introduction
 body = """
-{% if not version %}<!-- git-cliff-unreleased-start -->
-{% endif %}\
+{% if not version %}<!-- git-cliff-unreleased-start -->\n\n{% endif %}\
 {% if version and extra.release_link %}\
     ## [{{ version | trim_start_matches(pat="v") }}]({{ extra.release_link }}) ({{ timestamp | date(format="%Y-%m-%d") }})
 {% elif extra.unreleased_version %}\
     ## {{ extra.unreleased_version | trim_start_matches(pat="v") }} - **not yet released**
-{% elif version %}
+{% elif version %}\
     ## {{ version | trim_start_matches(pat="v") }} ({{ timestamp | date(format="%Y-%m-%d") }})
 {% else %}\
     ## Unreleased
@@ -47,9 +46,8 @@ body = """
             {% endif %}\
             {%- endif %}\
     {% endfor %}
-{% endfor %}\n
-{% if not version %}<!-- git-cliff-unreleased-end -->
-{% endif %}\
+{% endfor %}
+{% if not version %}<!-- git-cliff-unreleased-end -->\n\n{% endif %}\
 """
 # template for the changelog footer
 footer = """