diff --git a/release.config.js b/release.config.js
index f048a1e0b..6b281a4aa 100644
--- a/release.config.js
+++ b/release.config.js
@@ -5,7 +5,19 @@ module.exports = {
             "@semantic-release/commit-analyzer",
             {
                 "preset": "conventionalcommits",
+                // The first rule caps commits with a BREAKING CHANGE footer or `!:`
+                // marker at `minor`. Without it, semantic-release's built-in default
+                // rule `{ breaking: true, release: 'major' }` kicks in and auto-ships
+                // a major release the moment any commit body contains the words
+                // "BREAKING CHANGE". That's almost never what we want on 0.x — one
+                // stray commit would jump us straight to 1.0.0. Run semantic-release
+                // with an explicit `--release major` override for genuine major bumps.
+                //
+                // User rules are evaluated before the defaults; defaults only apply
+                // when no user rule matches. So capturing `breaking: true` here
+                // prevents the default major rule from being consulted at all.
                 "releaseRules": [
+                    { "breaking": true, "release": "minor" },
                     { "type": "feat", "release": "minor" },
                     { "type": "*", "release": "patch" },
                 ],