diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 41d4f8c7f1f..9b843ef3117 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -123,14 +123,14 @@ jobs:
           AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.TOOLBOX_AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
           AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.TOOLBOX_AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}
 
-      - uses: 8398a7/action-slack@v3
-        with:
-          status: ${{ job.status }}
-          fields: repo,workflow,action,eventName
-          text: "A new Syft release is ready to be (manually) published from https://github.com/anchore/syft/releases"
-        env:
-          SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL: ${{ secrets.SLACK_TOOLBOX_WEBHOOK_URL }}
-        if: ${{ success() }}
+#      - uses: 8398a7/action-slack@v3
+#        with:
+#          status: ${{ job.status }}
+#          fields: repo,workflow,action,eventName
+#          text: "A new Syft release is ready to be (manually) published from https://github.com/anchore/syft/releases"
+#        env:
+#          SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL: ${{ secrets.SLACK_TOOLBOX_WEBHOOK_URL }}
+#        if: ${{ success() }}
 
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
         with:
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c935c3cbc8f..97b83db0bf5 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ ifeq "$(strip $(VERSION))" ""
 endif
 
 # used to generate the changelog from the second to last tag to the current tag (used in the release pipeline when the release tag is in place)
+LAST_TAG := $(shell git describe --abbrev=0 --tags $(shell git rev-list --tags --max-count=1))
 SECOND_TO_LAST_TAG := $(shell git describe --abbrev=0 --tags $(shell git rev-list --tags --skip=1 --max-count=1))
 
 ## Variable assertions
@@ -238,10 +239,10 @@ changelog-release:
 		--user anchore \
 		--project $(BIN) \
 		-t ${GITHUB_TOKEN} \
+		--exclude-labels 'duplicate,question,invalid,wontfix,size:small,size:medium,size:large,size:x-large' \
 		--no-pr-wo-labels \
 		--no-issues-wo-labels \
-		--since-tag $(SECOND_TO_LAST_TAG) \
-		--due-tag $(VERSION)
+		--since-tag $(SECOND_TO_LAST_TAG)
 
 .PHONY: changelog-unreleased
 changelog-unreleased: ## show the current changelog that will be produced on the next release (note: requires GITHUB_TOKEN set)
@@ -250,12 +251,15 @@ changelog-unreleased: ## show the current changelog that will be produced on the
 		--user anchore \
 		--project $(BIN) \
 		-t ${GITHUB_TOKEN} \
-		--unreleased-only
+		--exclude-labels 'duplicate,question,invalid,wontfix,size:small,size:medium,size:large,size:x-large' \
+		--since-tag $(LAST_TAG)
+
 	@printf '\n$(BOLD)$(CYAN)Unreleased Changes (closed PRs and issues will not be in the final changelog)$(RESET)\n'
+
 	@docker run -it --rm \
 		-v $(shell pwd)/CHANGELOG.md:/CHANGELOG.md \
 		rawkode/mdv \
-			-t 785.3229 \
+			-t 696.6153 \
 			/CHANGELOG.md
 
 .PHONY: release