diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 3bedfe2..941859f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -168,9 +168,19 @@ jobs:
           draft: false
           prerelease: false
 
+  label-release:
+    name: Label release with version
+    needs: release
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/run-linear-release.yml
+    with:
+      action: sync
+      name: Release ${{ needs.release.outputs.version_number }}
+      version: ${{ needs.release.outputs.tag_name }}
+    secrets: inherit
+
   complete-release:
     name: Complete release
-    needs: release
+    needs: label-release
     uses: ./.github/workflows/run-linear-release.yml
     with:
       action: complete
diff --git a/.github/workflows/run-linear-release.yml b/.github/workflows/run-linear-release.yml
index 1365a89..5a18cb3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/run-linear-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/run-linear-release.yml
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@ on:
         required: true
         type: string
       name:
-        description: "Release name (used by complete)"
+        description: "Release name"
         required: false
         type: string
       version:
-        description: "Release version (used by complete)"
+        description: "Release version"
         required: false
         type: string
 
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@ on:
           - sync
           - complete
       name:
-        description: "Release name (used by complete)"
+        description: "Release name"
         required: false
         type: string
       version:
-        description: "Release version (used by complete)"
+        description: "Release version"
         required: false
         type: string
 
@@ -55,9 +55,18 @@ jobs:
       - name: Sync issues
         env:
           LINEAR_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.LINEAR_RELEASE_MANAGEMENT_ACCESS_KEY }}
+          RELEASE_NAME: ${{ inputs.name }}
+          RELEASE_VERSION: ${{ inputs.version }}
         run: |
           chmod +x linear-release
-          ./linear-release sync
+          args=()
+          if [ -n "$RELEASE_NAME" ]; then
+            args+=("--name=$RELEASE_NAME")
+          fi
+          if [ -n "$RELEASE_VERSION" ]; then
+            args+=("--release-version=$RELEASE_VERSION")
+          fi
+          ./linear-release sync "${args[@]}"
 
   complete:
     name: Complete release
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0844410..2fe3c62 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -162,13 +162,13 @@ linear-release update --stage="in review" --name="Release 1.2.0"
 
 ### Command Targeting
 
-| Command    | With `--release-version`                                       | Without `--release-version`                                                                                                                                                                                               |
-| ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-| `sync`     | Targets matching version or creates a release for that version | Continuous pipelines create a release with short SHA name/version. Scheduled pipelines use the currently started release, or move the latest planned release to started automatically if no started release can be found. |
-| `update`   | Updates that exact release version                             | Updates latest started release, or latest planned release if no started release exists                                                                                                                                    |
-| `complete` | Completes that exact release version                           | Completes latest started release                                                                                                                                                                                          |
+| Command    | With `--release-version`                                                                                   | Without `--release-version`                                                                                                                                                                                               |
+| ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `sync`     | Targets matching version, labels an unversioned started release, or creates a new release for that version | Continuous pipelines create a release with short SHA name/version. Scheduled pipelines use the currently started release, or move the latest planned release to started automatically if no started release can be found. |
+| `update`   | Updates that exact release version                                                                         | Updates latest started release, or latest planned release if no started release exists                                                                                                                                    |
+| `complete` | Completes that exact release version                                                                       | Completes latest started release                                                                                                                                                                                          |
 
-For scheduled pipelines, prefer always passing `--release-version` in CI, especially when releases overlap.
+For scheduled pipelines, prefer always passing `--release-version` in CI, especially when releases overlap. Only `sync` sets the version on a release — `complete` and `update` strictly look up by version. If your CI has no natural labeling moment (e.g. tag-driven releases), run `sync --release-version=X` immediately before `complete --release-version=X` at release time.
 
 ### JSON Output