diff --git a/scripts/build-release-changelog.ts b/scripts/build-release-changelog.ts
index c7868db572..a6c53d34fe 100644
--- a/scripts/build-release-changelog.ts
+++ b/scripts/build-release-changelog.ts
@@ -431,17 +431,22 @@ async function generateGitHubNotes(
 }
 
 export function parseGitLog(raw: string): Array<Omit<ReleaseCommit, "pulls">> {
+  const fields = raw.split("\0");
+  if (fields.at(-1) === "") fields.pop();
+  if (fields.length % 3 !== 0) {
+    throw new Error("git log produced a malformed release commit record");
+  }
+
   const commits: Array<Omit<ReleaseCommit, "pulls">> = [];
-  for (const record of raw.split("\x1e")) {
-    if (!record.trim()) continue;
-    const [sha, subject, ...bodyParts] = record.replace(/^\n+/, "").split("\x1f");
-    if (!sha?.trim() || !subject?.trim()) {
+  for (let index = 0; index < fields.length; index += 3) {
+    const [sha, subject, body] = fields.slice(index, index + 3);
+    if (!sha?.trim() || !subject?.trim() || body === undefined) {
       throw new Error("git log produced a malformed release commit record");
     }
     commits.push({
       sha: sha.trim(),
       subject: subject.trim(),
-      body: bodyParts.join("\x1f").trim(),
+      body: body.trim(),
     });
   }
   return commits;
@@ -464,7 +469,8 @@ async function releaseCommits(
     "log",
     "--first-parent",
     "--reverse",
-    "--format=%H%x1f%s%x1f%B%x1e",
+    "-z",
+    "--format=%H%x00%s%x00%B",
     range,
   ]);
   return parseGitLog(raw);
diff --git a/tests/build-release-changelog.test.ts b/tests/build-release-changelog.test.ts
index 7baf966d91..e7dc38dd79 100644
--- a/tests/build-release-changelog.test.ts
+++ b/tests/build-release-changelog.test.ts
@@ -136,10 +136,10 @@ describe("commit helpers", () => {
 describe("release metadata parsers", () => {
   test("parses multiline git-log records and trailing separators", () => {
     const raw = [
-      `${sha("a")}\x1ffix(core): first change\x1ffix(core): first change\n\nline one\nline two\x1e`,
-      `${sha("b")}\x1ffeat(api): second change\x1ffeat(api): second change\x1e`,
+      sha("a"), "fix(core): first change", "fix(core): first change\n\nline one\nline two",
+      sha("b"), "feat(api): second change", "feat(api): second change",
       "",
-    ].join("\n");
+    ].join("\0");
 
     expect(parseGitLog(raw)).toEqual([
       {
@@ -156,12 +156,26 @@ describe("release metadata parsers", () => {
   });
 
   test("fails closed on malformed git-log records", () => {
-    expect(() => parseGitLog(`\x1ffix(core): missing sha\x1fbody\x1e`)).toThrow(
+    expect(() => parseGitLog(`\0fix(core): missing sha\0body\0`)).toThrow(
       "malformed release commit record",
     );
-    expect(() => parseGitLog(`${sha("a")}\x1f\x1fbody\x1e`)).toThrow(
+    expect(() => parseGitLog(`${sha("a")}\0\0body\0`)).toThrow(
       "malformed release commit record",
     );
+    expect(() => parseGitLog(`${sha("a")}\0fix(core): missing body\0`)).toThrow(
+      "malformed release commit record",
+    );
+  });
+
+  test("preserves control bytes in commit subjects and bodies", () => {
+    const subject = "release: v1.2.3\x1ffix: visible change";
+    const body = `${subject}\n\nrecord separator: \x1e`;
+
+    expect(parseGitLog(`${sha("a")}\0${subject}\0${body}\0`)).toEqual([{
+      sha: sha("a"),
+      subject,
+      body,
+    }]);
   });
 
   test("normalizes associated pull metadata safely", () => {