diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 66db8da..f6cee2b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ per-file diff commands.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [1.7.1] - 2026-09-06
+
 ### Added
 
 - **CHANGELOG structure guard** (`tests/test_changelog_structure.py`) - every PR edits this one
@@ -1212,7 +1214,8 @@ At this baseline the framework provides:
 - **Cross-runtime support** - a root `AGENTS.md` pointer so Codex and Antigravity can
   discover the portable portal skills, with Claude Code as the reference runtime.
 
-[Unreleased]: https://github.com/MadsLorentzen/ai-job-search/compare/v1.7.0...HEAD
+[Unreleased]: https://github.com/MadsLorentzen/ai-job-search/compare/v1.7.1...HEAD
+[1.7.1]: https://github.com/MadsLorentzen/ai-job-search/compare/v1.7.0...v1.7.1
 [1.7.0]: https://github.com/MadsLorentzen/ai-job-search/compare/v1.6.0...v1.7.0
 [1.6.0]: https://github.com/MadsLorentzen/ai-job-search/compare/v1.5.0...v1.6.0
 [1.5.0]: https://github.com/MadsLorentzen/ai-job-search/compare/v1.4.0...v1.5.0
diff --git a/tests/test_changelog_structure.py b/tests/test_changelog_structure.py
index 27d15c2..7590f86 100644
--- a/tests/test_changelog_structure.py
+++ b/tests/test_changelog_structure.py
@@ -24,8 +24,13 @@ CONFLICT_MARKERS = ("<<<<<<< ", "=======", ">>>>>>> ")
 
 
 def unreleased_block(text: str) -> str:
-    """The lines between `## [Unreleased]` and the next `## [` heading."""
-    start = text.index("## [Unreleased]")
+    """The lines between `## [Unreleased]` and the next `## [` heading.
+
+    An absent heading (right after a release cut) yields an empty block:
+    nothing to check is not a defect."""
+    start = text.find("## [Unreleased]")
+    if start == -1:
+        return ""
     end = text.find("\n## [", start + 1)
     return text[start:] if end == -1 else text[start:end]
 
@@ -108,6 +113,12 @@ class UnreleasedProblemsTests(unittest.TestCase):
         problems = unreleased_problems(text)
         self.assertTrue(any("conflict marker" in p for p in problems), problems)
 
+    def test_missing_unreleased_section_is_not_a_defect(self):
+        # Right after a release cut there may be no [Unreleased] heading at all
+        # (the 1.7.0 cut removed it). Nothing to check is not a failure.
+        text = "# Changelog\n\n## [1.7.1] - 2026-09-06\n\n### Fixed\n\n- **A fixed thing** - described.\n"
+        self.assertEqual(unreleased_problems(text), [])
+
     def test_released_sections_are_not_inspected(self):
         # A duplicate heading in an old release is history, not a defect here.
         text = CLEAN + "\n### Fixed\n\n- another old entry\n"