diff --git a/tasks/release-plz b/tasks/release-plz
index cc1df63e..3abba50a 100755
--- a/tasks/release-plz
+++ b/tasks/release-plz
@@ -2,12 +2,33 @@
 # shellcheck shell=bash
 set -euxo pipefail
 
+# clap_usage is versioned by hand and released on its own cadence, so it needs
+# its own check: the usage-lib release cycle below would otherwise never publish
+# it. That omission is why it sat unpublished at 2.0.3 from 2025-01 to 2026-07.
+#
+# It depends on usage-lib at the workspace version, so it can only be published
+# once that version is on crates.io — hence a function called in dependency
+# order rather than a block at the top of the script.
+publish_clap_usage_if_needed() {
+  local version
+  version="$(cargo pkgid clap_usage | cut -d# -f2 | cut -d@ -f2)"
+  if curl -fsS https://index.crates.io/cl/ap/clap_usage |
+    grep -q "\"vers\":\"$version\""; then
+    return
+  fi
+  echo "Releasing clap_usage $version"
+  if [ "${usage_dry_run:-}" != 1 ]; then
+    cargo publish -p clap_usage
+  fi
+}
+
 released_versions="$(git tag --list | grep -E '^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(-rc\.[0-9]+)?$')"
 cur_version="$(cargo pkgid usage-lib | cut -d# -f2 | cut -d@ -f2)"
 if ! echo "$released_versions" | grep -q "^v$cur_version$"; then
   echo "Releasing $cur_version"
   if [ "${usage_dry_run:-}" != 1 ]; then
     cargo publish -p usage-lib
+    publish_clap_usage_if_needed
     cargo publish -p usage-cli
     git tag "v$cur_version"
     git push --tags
@@ -15,21 +36,30 @@ if ! echo "$released_versions" | grep -q "^v$cur_version$"; then
   exit 0
 fi
 
-version="$(git cliff --bumped-version)"
+# usage-lib's current version is already released, so clap_usage's dependency
+# is satisfied; catch it up if it is behind.
+publish_clap_usage_if_needed
+
+version="$(git cliff --bumped-version --include-path 'lib/**' --include-path 'cli/**')"
+
+if [ "v$cur_version" == "$version" ]; then
+  echo "No usage-lib/usage-cli changes since $version; nothing to release"
+  exit 0
+fi
 
 if [ "${usage_dry_run:-}" == 1 ]; then
   echo "version: $version"
-  changelog="$(git cliff --bump --unreleased --strip all)"
+  changelog="$(git cliff --bump --unreleased --strip all --include-path 'lib/**' --include-path 'cli/**')"
   echo "changelog: $changelog"
   exit 0
 fi
 
 # Generate changelog using git-cliff (LLM editorialization happens in release.yml after merge)
-git cliff --bump -o CHANGELOG.md
+git cliff --bump -o CHANGELOG.md --include-path 'lib/**' --include-path 'cli/**'
 
 # Get the unreleased notes for PR body
 # Strip version header since PR title already has version
-PR_BODY="$(git cliff --bump --unreleased --strip all | tail -n +3)"
+PR_BODY="$(git cliff --bump --unreleased --strip all --include-path 'lib/**' --include-path 'cli/**' | tail -n +3)"
 
 cargo set-version "${version#v}" --exclude clap_usage
 mise run render