diff --git a/doc/manual/change-authors.yml b/doc/manual/change-authors.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..732c459a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/change-authors.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+# This file is a mapping of metadata for change authors, sort of like
+# maintainer-list.nix in nixpkgs.
+#
+# It's used for crediting people accurately in release notes. The release notes
+# script will link to forgejo, then to GitHub if forgejo is not present.
+horrors:
+  display_name: eldritch horrors
+  forgejo: pennae
+  github: pennae
+
+Qyriad:
+  forgejo: Qyriad
+  github: Qyriad
+
+jade:
+  forgejo: jade
+  github: lf-
+
+iFreilicht:
+  github: iFreilicht
+
+ma27:
+  forgejo: ma27
+  github: ma27
+
+Lunaphied:
+  forgejo: Lunaphied
+  github: Lunaphied
+
+9999years:
+  display_name: wiggles
+  github: 9999years
+  forgejo: rbt
+
+matthewbauer:
+  github: matthewbauer
+
+raito:
+  display_name: Raito Bezarius
+  github: RaitoBezarius
+  forgejo: raito
+
+winter:
+  github: winterqt
+  forgejo: winter
+
+Kha:
+  github: Kha
+
+Artturin:
+  github: Artturin
+
+thufschmitt:
+  display_name: Théophane Hufschmitt
+  github: thufschmitt
+
+edolstra:
+  display_name: Eelco Dolstra
+  github: edolstra
+
+roberth:
+  display_name: Robert Hensing
+  github: roberth
diff --git a/doc/manual/src/release-notes/meson.build b/doc/manual/src/release-notes/meson.build
index cbcc58e1f..d9ce7bdda 100644
--- a/doc/manual/src/release-notes/meson.build
+++ b/doc/manual/src/release-notes/meson.build
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ rl_next_generated = custom_target(
     '-c',
     '''
       if type -p build-release-notes > /dev/null; then
-        build-release-notes @CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@/../../rl-next
+        build-release-notes --change-authors @CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@/../../change-authors.yml @CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@/../../rl-next
       fi
       @0@ @INPUT0@ @CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@/../../rl-next > @DEPFILE@
     '''.format(
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index f99f4bfe5..737e89b7c 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@
                 pkgs = nixpkgsFor.${system}.native;
               in
               pkgs.buildPackages.runCommand "test-${name}-release-notes" { } ''
-                LANG=C.UTF-8 ${lib.getExe pkgs.build-release-notes} ${dir} >$out
+                LANG=C.UTF-8 ${lib.getExe pkgs.build-release-notes} --change-authors ${./doc/manual/change-authors.yml} ${dir} >$out
               '';
           in
           {
diff --git a/maintainers/release-notes b/maintainers/release-notes
index 477df31f1..51864cbc2 100755
--- a/maintainers/release-notes
+++ b/maintainers/release-notes
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ section_title="Release $version_full ($DATE)"
   # TODO add minor number, and append?
   echo "# $section_title"
   echo
-  build-release-notes doc/manual/rl-next
+  build-release-notes --change-authors doc/manual/change-authors.yml doc/manual/rl-next
 ) | tee -a $file
 
 log "Wrote $file"
diff --git a/misc/pre-commit.nix b/misc/pre-commit.nix
index b287f3cec..ea39bc21d 100644
--- a/misc/pre-commit.nix
+++ b/misc/pre-commit.nix
@@ -60,10 +60,10 @@ pre-commit-run {
     release-notes = {
       enable = true;
       package = pkgs.build-release-notes;
-      files = "^doc/manual/rl-next(-dev)?";
+      files = ''^doc/manual/(change-authors\.yml|rl-next(-dev)?)'';
       pass_filenames = false;
       entry = ''
-        ${lib.getExe pkgs.build-release-notes} doc/manual/rl-next doc/manual/rl-next-dev
+        ${lib.getExe pkgs.build-release-notes} --change-authors doc/manual/change-authors.yml doc/manual/rl-next doc/manual/rl-next-dev
       '';
     };
     check-headers = {