diff --git a/packages/root-cms/ui/utils/doc.ts b/packages/root-cms/ui/utils/doc.ts
index b83dd1c0..48cb585a 100644
--- a/packages/root-cms/ui/utils/doc.ts
+++ b/packages/root-cms/ui/utils/doc.ts
@@ -166,7 +166,11 @@ export async function cmsPublishDocs(
   }
 
   for (const docId of docIds) {
-    logAction('doc.publish', {metadata: {docId}});
+    const metadata: Record<string, unknown> = {docId};
+    if (options?.publishMessage) {
+      metadata.publishMessage = options.publishMessage;
+    }
+    logAction('doc.publish', {metadata});
   }
 
   // Reset doc cache for published docs.
diff --git a/packages/root-cms/ui/utils/release.ts b/packages/root-cms/ui/utils/release.ts
index 1abdd25c..441f5352 100644
--- a/packages/root-cms/ui/utils/release.ts
+++ b/packages/root-cms/ui/utils/release.ts
@@ -123,10 +123,18 @@ export async function publishRelease(id: string) {
   if (dataSourceIds.length > 0) {
     await cmsPublishDataSources(dataSourceIds, {batch, commitBatch: false});
   }
-  await cmsPublishDocs(docIds, {batch, releaseId: id});
+  await cmsPublishDocs(docIds, {
+    batch,
+    releaseId: id,
+    publishMessage: release.description,
+  });
   console.log(`published release: ${id}`);
+  const metadata: Record<string, unknown> = {releaseId: id, docIds, dataSourceIds};
+  if (release.description) {
+    metadata.publishMessage = release.description;
+  }
   logAction('release.publish', {
-    metadata: {releaseId: id, docIds, dataSourceIds},
+    metadata,
   });
 }