diff --git a/.claude/skills/release/SKILL.md b/.claude/skills/release/SKILL.md
index ad3c94a..96ee5de 100644
--- a/.claude/skills/release/SKILL.md
+++ b/.claude/skills/release/SKILL.md
@@ -20,11 +20,15 @@ is safe; **merging it is the publish action**.
    owner's explicit go-ahead.
 2. **Bump**: `VERSION = 'X.Y.Z'`; CHANGELOG `## [X.Y.Z] - <today>` + empty `## [Unreleased]` + link
    reference; `bin/changelog-notes X.Y.Z` prints the section.
-3. **Verify**: `bundle exec rake compile`, `CI=1 bundle exec rspec`, `bundle exec rubocop`,
+3. **Refresh the issue-template versions placeholder** in `.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml`:
+   gem version from `lib/gem/ruby2html/version.rb`, Ruby version from `.ruby-version`, Rails version
+   from `Gemfile.lock`. GitHub issue forms cannot derive the value at fill time, so it is refreshed here.
+4. **Verify**: `bundle exec rake compile`, `CI=1 bundle exec rspec`, `bundle exec rubocop`,
    `bundle exec rake smoke`.
-4. **PR**: branch `release/X.Y.Z`, one commit `release: X.Y.Z`, PR titled `release: X.Y.Z` with the
-   changelog section as the body. Ask before pushing if the user hasn't asked for the PR.
-5. **Merge** only on green and only when the user (or, for non-major releases, the developerz.ai
+5. **PR**: branch `release/X.Y.Z`, one commit `release: X.Y.Z`, PR titled `release: X.Y.Z` with the
+   changelog section as the body, containing nothing else apart from the placeholder refresh in
+   step 3. Ask before pushing if the user hasn't asked for the PR.
+6. **Merge** only on green and only when the user (or, for non-major releases, the developerz.ai
    maintainer policy) authorizes it. Then watch `gh run list --workflow release.yml --limit 1`.
 
 ## Never
diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
index 68e5559..f29a93b 100644
--- a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
+++ b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@ body:
     attributes:
       label: Versions
       description: "ruby2html, ruby -v (with/without YJIT), Rails, ViewComponent, OS/arch"
-      placeholder: "ruby2html 2.0.0, ruby 3.4.7 +YJIT, Rails 8.1.4, x86_64-linux"
+      # GitHub issue forms cannot derive values at fill time (static label/description/
+      # placeholder/value only), so this placeholder is refreshed by hand: on every
+      # release, take the gem version from lib/gem/ruby2html/version.rb, the Ruby version
+      # from .ruby-version and the Rails version from Gemfile.lock (see docs/release.md).
+      placeholder: "ruby2html 2.1.0, ruby 4.0.9 +YJIT, Rails 8.1.4.1, x86_64-linux"
     validations:
       required: true
   - type: checkboxes
diff --git a/docs/release.md b/docs/release.md
index 61b45dd..f59f77d 100644
--- a/docs/release.md
+++ b/docs/release.md
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@ agent never opens one.
 1. Pick the version (SemVer): patch for fixes; minor for new tags/helpers/options, perf work or intentional output changes; major for removed or renamed public API, or a raised Ruby/Rails floor.
 2. `lib/gem/ruby2html/version.rb` → `VERSION = 'X.Y.Z'` (the gemspec reads it).
 3. `CHANGELOG.md`: move `## [Unreleased]` into `## [X.Y.Z] - YYYY-MM-DD` (with "Upgrading to X.0" for a major), leave an empty `## [Unreleased]`, add the `[X.Y.Z]` link at the bottom. `bin/changelog-notes X.Y.Z` must print the section.
-4. Verify: `bundle exec rake compile && CI=1 bundle exec rspec && bundle exec rubocop && bundle exec rake smoke`.
-5. One PR titled `release: X.Y.Z`, containing nothing else. Merge on green.
+4. Refresh the issue-template versions placeholder in `.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml`: gem version from `lib/gem/ruby2html/version.rb`, Ruby version from `.ruby-version`, Rails version from `Gemfile.lock`. GitHub issue forms cannot derive the value at fill time, so it is updated here.
+5. Verify: `bundle exec rake compile && CI=1 bundle exec rspec && bundle exec rubocop && bundle exec rake smoke`.
+6. One PR titled `release: X.Y.Z`, containing nothing else (apart from the issue-template placeholder refresh in step 4). Merge on green.
 
 ## After