diff --git a/release.sh b/release.sh
index 8ae3bae32..375859590 100755
--- a/release.sh
+++ b/release.sh
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ abort 1 "Please git-add your changes to $PKGDIR_REL before running"
 
 RELBRANCH="pending-$PKGNAME"
 git fetch origin --prune
+
+if head -n1 "$PKGDIR/debian/changelog" | grep -qv UNRELEASED-FIXME-AUTOGENERATED-DEBCARGO; then
+	abort 0 "Package already released."
+fi
+
 PREVBRANCH="$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)"
 case "$PREVBRANCH" in
 pending-$PKGNAME)	true;;
@@ -24,7 +29,7 @@ esac
 
 if head -n1 "$PKGDIR/debian/changelog" | grep -qv UNRELEASED-FIXME-AUTOGENERATED-DEBCARGO; then
 	git checkout "$PREVBRANCH"
-	abort 0 "Package already released. If that was a mistake then run \`git branch -D $RELBRANCH\`, and re-run this script ($0 $*)"
+	abort 0 "Package already released on branch $RELBRANCH. If that was a mistake then run \`git branch -D $RELBRANCH\`, and re-run this script ($0 $*)"
 fi
 
 ( cd "$PKGDIR"