diff --git a/scripts/generate-release-notes.js b/scripts/generate-release-notes.js
index 9efb09d4431..0d6227a6246 100644
--- a/scripts/generate-release-notes.js
+++ b/scripts/generate-release-notes.js
@@ -34,11 +34,7 @@ export function buildPullRequestQuery(numbers) {
         pr${index}: pullRequest(number: ${number}) {
           number
           body
-          additions
-          deletions
-          changedFiles
           labels(first: 20) { nodes { name } }
-          files(first: 40) { nodes { path } }
         }`,
     )
     .join('\n');
@@ -262,14 +258,7 @@ function compactEntry(entry) {
   return {
     number: entry.number,
     title: entry.title,
-    body: (entry.body || '').slice(0, 3000),
-    labels: (entry.labels || []).map((label) =>
-      typeof label === 'string' ? label : label.name,
-    ),
-    files: (entry.files || []).slice(0, 40),
-    additions: entry.additions,
-    deletions: entry.deletions,
-    changedFiles: entry.changedFiles,
+    body: (entry.body || '').slice(0, 700),
     category: classifyChange(entry),
   };
 }
@@ -375,15 +364,10 @@ export function enrichEntries(entries, metadata) {
   const byNumber = new Map(metadata.map((item) => [item.number, item]));
   return entries.map((entry) => {
     const details = byNumber.get(entry.number) || {};
-    const files = details.files?.nodes || details.files || [];
     return {
       ...entry,
       body: details.body || '',
       labels: details.labels?.nodes || details.labels || [],
-      files: files.map((file) => (typeof file === 'string' ? file : file.path)),
-      additions: details.additions || 0,
-      deletions: details.deletions || 0,
-      changedFiles: details.changedFiles || files.length,
     };
   });
 }
@@ -468,6 +452,7 @@ export function createOpenAiCompleter({
       if (remainingMs <= 0) {
         throw deadlineError();
       }
+      const attemptStartedAt = Date.now();
       try {
         const response = await fetchImpl(endpoint, {
           method: 'POST',
@@ -495,10 +480,16 @@ export function createOpenAiCompleter({
         if (typeof content !== 'string' || !content.trim()) {
           throw new Error(CONTENT_VALIDATION_ERROR_MESSAGE);
         }
+        console.error(
+          `Model ${request.kind} request succeeded in ${Date.now() - attemptStartedAt}ms (prompt ${prompt.user.length} chars).`,
+        );
         return content;
       } catch (error) {
         lastError = error;
         attempt += 1;
+        console.error(
+          `Model ${request.kind} request failed after ${Date.now() - attemptStartedAt}ms (prompt ${prompt.user.length} chars): ${escapeWorkflowCommand(error.message)}`,
+        );
         if (Date.now() >= deadline) {
           throw deadlineError();
         }
diff --git a/scripts/tests/generate-release-notes.test.js b/scripts/tests/generate-release-notes.test.js
index 9d3edb09737..eb19fb88d04 100644
--- a/scripts/tests/generate-release-notes.test.js
+++ b/scripts/tests/generate-release-notes.test.js
@@ -39,10 +39,6 @@ const entry = (number, title, labels = []) => ({
   author: 'alice',
   labels,
   body: '',
-  files: [],
-  additions: 1,
-  deletions: 0,
-  changedFiles: 1,
 });
 
 describe('parseGeneratedEntries', () => {
@@ -240,6 +236,34 @@ describe('generateAiContent', () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it('sends only title, a bounded body excerpt, and category to the model', async () => {
+    const long = { ...entry(1, 'feat: long body'), body: 'x'.repeat(5000) };
+    const calls = [];
+    const complete = async (request) => {
+      calls.push(request);
+      if (request.kind === 'summaries') {
+        return JSON.stringify({
+          summaries: request.entries.map((item) => ({
+            pr: item.number,
+            summary: 'Summary.',
+          })),
+        });
+      }
+      return JSON.stringify({ highlights: [] });
+    };
+
+    await generateAiContent([long], complete);
+
+    const [payload] = calls[0].entries;
+    expect(Object.keys(payload).sort()).toEqual([
+      'body',
+      'category',
+      'number',
+      'title',
+    ]);
+    expect(payload.body).toHaveLength(700);
+  });
+
   it('falls back to original titles for an invalid summary batch', async () => {
     const entries = [entry(1, 'feat: original'), entry(2, 'fix: original')];
     const complete = async (request) => {
@@ -359,17 +383,13 @@ describe('enrichEntries', () => {
         number: 1,
         body: 'Why it matters.',
         labels: [{ name: 'type/bug' }],
-        files: [{ path: 'packages/core/a.ts' }],
-        additions: 3,
-        deletions: 2,
-        changedFiles: 1,
       },
     ]);
 
     expect(enriched.map((item) => item.number)).toEqual([2, 1]);
     expect(enriched[0].body).toBe('');
     expect(enriched[1].body).toBe('Why it matters.');
-    expect(enriched[1].files).toEqual(['packages/core/a.ts']);
+    expect(enriched[1].labels).toEqual([{ name: 'type/bug' }]);
   });
 });
 
@@ -379,7 +399,8 @@ describe('buildPullRequestQuery', () => {
 
     expect(query).toContain('pr0: pullRequest(number: 12)');
     expect(query).toContain('pr1: pullRequest(number: 8)');
-    expect(query).toContain('files(first: 40)');
+    expect(query).toContain('labels(first: 20)');
+    expect(query).not.toContain('files(first: 40)');
     expect(query).not.toContain('pullRequest(number: undefined)');
   });
 });
@@ -480,7 +501,7 @@ describe('generateReleaseNotes', () => {
           '  process.exit(0);',
           '}',
           "if (args[0] === 'api' && args[1] === 'graphql') {",
-          "  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({ data: { repository: { pr0: { number: 1, body: 'Body.', additions: 1, deletions: 0, changedFiles: 1, labels: { nodes: [] }, files: { nodes: [] } } } } }));",
+          "  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({ data: { repository: { pr0: { number: 1, body: 'Body.', labels: { nodes: [] } } } } }));",
           '  process.exit(0);',
           '}',
           'process.exit(1);',