diff --git a/scripts/release.py b/scripts/release.py
index 0b69493..7e3b73b 100755
--- a/scripts/release.py
+++ b/scripts/release.py
@@ -1,20 +1,51 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
-"""Simple semantic-versioning release utility.
+"""Release helper implementing conventional commits and semantic versioning.
 
-The script bumps the version in ``pyproject.toml``, appends entries to
-``CHANGELOG.md`` based on recent git commits and creates a tagged commit.
-Use ``--rollback`` to delete the most recent tag if a release goes wrong."""
+This utility inspects the commit history since the previous ``vX.Y.Z`` tag,
+derives the next semantic version according to the `conventional commits`_
+specification, updates ``pyproject.toml`` and ``CHANGELOG.md`` accordingly and
+creates a tagged commit.
+
+Use ``--rollback`` to delete the most recent tag if a release goes wrong.
+
+.. _conventional commits: https://www.conventionalcommits.org/en/v1.0.0/
+"""
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import argparse
+import datetime as dt
+import re
 import subprocess
+from dataclasses import dataclass
 from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Iterable
 
 VERSION_FILE = Path("pyproject.toml")
 CHANGELOG = Path("CHANGELOG.md")
 
 
+COMMIT_RE = re.compile(r"(?P<type>\w+)(?P<breaking>!)?(?:\([^)]*\))?: (?P<desc>.+)")
+
+SECTION_TITLES = {
+    "feat": "Features",
+    "fix": "Bug Fixes",
+    "docs": "Documentation",
+    "refactor": "Refactoring",
+    "perf": "Performance",
+    "test": "Tests",
+    "chore": "Chores",
+}
+
+
+@dataclass
+class Commit:
+    type: str
+    description: str
+    hash: str
+    breaking: bool = False
+
+
 def current_version() -> str:
     for line in VERSION_FILE.read_text().splitlines():
         if line.startswith("version ="):
@@ -32,20 +63,58 @@ def update_version(version: str) -> None:
     VERSION_FILE.write_text("\n".join(lines) + "\n")
 
 
-def generate_changelog(previous: str, new: str) -> None:
+def last_tag() -> str | None:
+    try:
+        return (
+            subprocess.check_output(
+                ["git", "describe", "--tags", "--abbrev=0"],
+                text=True,
+                stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+            ).strip()
+        )
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+        return None
+
+
+def parse_commits(since: str | None) -> list[Commit]:
+    rev_range = f"{since}..HEAD" if since else "HEAD"
     log = subprocess.check_output(
-        ["git", "log", "--oneline", f"v{previous}..HEAD"], text=True
+        ["git", "log", rev_range, "--pretty=format:%s:::%h"], text=True
     )
-    with CHANGELOG.open("a") as fh:
-        fh.write(f"\n## v{new}\n\n{log}\n")
+    commits: list[Commit] = []
+    for line in log.splitlines():
+        if not line.strip():
+            continue
+        subject, sha = line.split(":::")
+        match = COMMIT_RE.match(subject)
+        if match:
+            commits.append(
+                Commit(
+                    type=match.group("type"),
+                    description=match.group("desc"),
+                    hash=sha,
+                    breaking=bool(match.group("breaking")),
+                )
+            )
+        else:
+            commits.append(Commit(type="other", description=subject, hash=sha))
+    return commits
+
 
+def bump_level(commits: Iterable[Commit]) -> str:
+    if any(c.breaking for c in commits):
+        return "major"
+    if any(c.type == "feat" for c in commits):
+        return "minor"
+    return "patch"
 
-def bump(bump_type: str) -> str:
-    major, minor, patch = map(int, current_version().split("."))
-    if bump_type == "major":
+
+def increment(version: str, level: str) -> str:
+    major, minor, patch = map(int, version.split("."))
+    if level == "major":
         major += 1
         minor = patch = 0
-    elif bump_type == "minor":
+    elif level == "minor":
         minor += 1
         patch = 0
     else:
@@ -53,26 +122,71 @@ def bump(bump_type: str) -> str:
     return f"{major}.{minor}.{patch}"
 
 
+def generate_changelog(version: str, commits: list[Commit]) -> None:
+    date = dt.date.today().isoformat()
+    sections: dict[str, list[str]] = {k: [] for k in SECTION_TITLES}
+    misc: list[str] = []
+    for commit in commits:
+        line = f"- {commit.description} ({commit.hash})"
+        if commit.type in sections:
+            sections[commit.type].append(line)
+        else:
+            misc.append(line)
+
+    lines: list[str] = [f"## v{version} - {date}"]
+    for key, title in SECTION_TITLES.items():
+        entries = sections[key]
+        if entries:
+            lines.append(f"### {title}")
+            lines.extend(entries)
+            lines.append("")
+    if misc:
+        lines.append("### Miscellaneous")
+        lines.extend(misc)
+        lines.append("")
+
+    changelog_lines = CHANGELOG.read_text().splitlines()
+    try:
+        insert_at = changelog_lines.index("## Unreleased") + 1
+    except ValueError:
+        insert_at = 1
+    changelog_lines[insert_at:insert_at] = ["", *lines]
+    CHANGELOG.write_text("\n".join(changelog_lines) + "\n")
+
+
 def main() -> None:
-    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Release helper")
-    parser.add_argument("bump", choices=["major", "minor", "patch"])
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description="Create a release from conventional commit messages."
+    )
     parser.add_argument(
-        "--rollback", action="store_true", help="Rollback the most recent tag"
+        "--rollback", action="store_true", help="Delete the most recent tag"
     )
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
     if args.rollback:
-        prev = current_version()
-        subprocess.check_call(["git", "tag", "-d", f"v{prev}"])
+        tag = last_tag()
+        if tag:
+            subprocess.check_call(["git", "tag", "-d", tag])
         return
 
-    new_version = bump(args.bump)
-    prev_version = current_version()
+    prev_tag = last_tag()
+    commits = parse_commits(prev_tag)
+    if not commits:
+        print("No commits to release.")
+        return
+
+    level = bump_level(commits)
+    new_version = increment(current_version(), level)
     update_version(new_version)
-    generate_changelog(prev_version, new_version)
-    subprocess.check_call(["git", "commit", "-am", f"chore(release): v{new_version}"])
-    subprocess.check_call(["git", "tag", f"v{new_version}"])
+    generate_changelog(new_version, commits)
+    subprocess.check_call(
+        ["git", "commit", "-am", f"chore(release): v{new_version}"]
+    )
+    subprocess.check_call(
+        ["git", "tag", "-a", f"v{new_version}", "-m", f"v{new_version}"]
+    )
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()
+