diff --git a/src/components/ChangelogModal.tsx b/src/components/ChangelogModal.tsx
index 892bb404..b53a3d76 100644
--- a/src/components/ChangelogModal.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ChangelogModal.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { Sparkles } from 'lucide-react';
 import { version } from '../../package.json';
 import changelogRaw from '../../CHANGELOG.md?raw';
 import { useAuthStore } from '../store/authStore';
+import { findChangelogReleaseEntry } from '../utils/changelogReleaseMatch';
 
 function renderInline(text: string): React.ReactNode[] {
   const parts = text.split(/(\*\*[^*]+\*\*|\*[^*]+\*|`[^`]+`)/g);
@@ -29,15 +30,7 @@ export default function ChangelogModal({ onClose }: Props) {
   const setShowChangelogOnUpdate = useAuthStore(s => s.setShowChangelogOnUpdate);
   const setLastSeenChangelogVersion = useAuthStore(s => s.setLastSeenChangelogVersion);
 
-  const currentVersionData = useMemo(() => {
-    const blocks = changelogRaw.split(/\n(?=## \[)/).filter((b: string) => b.startsWith('## ['));
-    const block = blocks.find((b: string) => b.startsWith(`## [${version}]`));
-    if (!block) return null;
-    const lines = block.split('\n');
-    const match = lines[0].match(/## \[([^\]]+)\](?:\s*-\s*(.+))?/);
-    const body = lines.slice(1).join('\n').trim();
-    return { version: match?.[1] ?? version, date: match?.[2] ?? '', body };
-  }, []);
+  const currentVersionData = useMemo(() => findChangelogReleaseEntry(changelogRaw, version), []);
 
   const handleClose = () => {
     if (dontShow) setShowChangelogOnUpdate(false);
diff --git a/src/pages/WhatsNew.tsx b/src/pages/WhatsNew.tsx
index 33204e2d..9bdda429 100644
--- a/src/pages/WhatsNew.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/WhatsNew.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
 import { version } from '../../package.json';
 import changelogRaw from '../../CHANGELOG.md?raw';
+import { findChangelogReleaseEntry } from '../utils/changelogReleaseMatch';
 import { renderChangelogBody } from '../utils/changelogMarkdown';
 
 export default function WhatsNew() {
@@ -15,15 +16,7 @@ export default function WhatsNew() {
     else navigate('/');
   };
 
-  const entry = useMemo(() => {
-    const blocks = changelogRaw.split(/\n(?=## \[)/).filter((b: string) => b.startsWith('## ['));
-    const block = blocks.find((b: string) => b.startsWith(`## [${version}]`));
-    if (!block) return null;
-    const lines = block.split('\n');
-    const match = lines[0].match(/## \[([^\]]+)\](?:\s*-\s*(.+))?/);
-    const body = lines.slice(1).join('\n').trim();
-    return { version: match?.[1] ?? version, date: match?.[2] ?? '', body };
-  }, []);
+  const entry = useMemo(() => findChangelogReleaseEntry(changelogRaw, version), []);
 
   return (
     <div className="whats-new">
@@ -33,7 +26,7 @@ export default function WhatsNew() {
           <div>
             <h1 className="whats-new__title">{t('whatsNew.title')}</h1>
             <div className="whats-new__subtitle">
-              v{entry?.version ?? version}
+              v{version}
               {entry?.date && <span className="whats-new__date"> · {entry.date}</span>}
             </div>
           </div>
diff --git a/src/utils/changelogReleaseMatch.ts b/src/utils/changelogReleaseMatch.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..91863498
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/changelogReleaseMatch.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+/**
+ * Match CHANGELOG ## [version] sections to the app version from package.json.
+ * Exact match first; otherwise same semver major.minor.patch (ignores -rc, -dev, etc.).
+ */
+
+const SEMVER_CORE = /^v?(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)/i;
+
+export function changelogVersionCore(version: string): string | null {
+  const m = version.trim().match(SEMVER_CORE);
+  return m ? m[1] : null;
+}
+
+function isPlainSemverTriple(header: string): boolean {
+  return /^\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/.test(header.trim());
+}
+
+export function splitChangelogBlocks(changelogRaw: string): string[] {
+  return changelogRaw.split(/\n(?=## \[)/).filter((b: string) => b.startsWith('## ['));
+}
+
+export interface ChangelogReleaseEntry {
+  headerVersion: string;
+  date: string;
+  body: string;
+}
+
+function parseBlock(block: string): ChangelogReleaseEntry | null {
+  const lines = block.split('\n');
+  const m = lines[0].match(/## \[([^\]]+)\](?:\s*-\s*(.+))?/);
+  if (!m) return null;
+  return {
+    headerVersion: m[1],
+    date: (m[2] ?? '').trim(),
+    body: lines.slice(1).join('\n').trim(),
+  };
+}
+
+function headerVersionFromBlock(block: string): string | null {
+  const m = block.match(/^## \[([^\]]+)\]/);
+  return m ? m[1] : null;
+}
+
+export function findChangelogReleaseEntry(
+  changelogRaw: string,
+  appVersion: string,
+): ChangelogReleaseEntry | null {
+  const blocks = splitChangelogBlocks(changelogRaw);
+
+  const exact = blocks.find((b: string) => b.startsWith(`## [${appVersion}]`));
+  if (exact) return parseBlock(exact);
+
+  const appCore = changelogVersionCore(appVersion);
+  if (!appCore) return null;
+
+  const candidates = blocks.filter((b: string) => {
+    const hv = headerVersionFromBlock(b);
+    if (!hv) return false;
+    return changelogVersionCore(hv) === appCore;
+  });
+  if (candidates.length === 0) return null;
+
+  const plain = candidates.find((b: string) => {
+    const hv = headerVersionFromBlock(b);
+    return hv !== null && isPlainSemverTriple(hv);
+  });
+  const chosen = plain ?? candidates[0];
+  return parseBlock(chosen);
+}