diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 3de58254..4571269c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ jobs:
         id: release
         # see https://python-semantic-release.readthedocs.io/en/latest/automatic-releases/github-actions.html
         # see https://github.com/python-semantic-release/python-semantic-release
-        uses: python-semantic-release/python-semantic-release@v9.1.1
+        uses: python-semantic-release/python-semantic-release@v9.21.0
         with:
           github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           force: ${{ github.event.inputs.release_force }}
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 1c1260f6..9afca7f6 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ flake8 = "7.2.0"
 flake8-annotations = "3.1.1"
 flake8-bugbear = "24.12.12"
 flake8-copyright-validator = "0.0.1"
-flake8-isort = "6.1.2" 
+flake8-isort = "6.1.2"
 flake8-quotes = "3.4.0"
 flake8-use-fstring = "1.4"
 pep8-naming = "0.14.1"
@@ -101,10 +101,16 @@ bandit = "1.8.3"
 
 [tool.semantic_release]
 # see https://python-semantic-release.readthedocs.io/en/latest/configuration.html
+logging_use_named_masks = true
+commit_parser = "conventional"
+commit_parser_options = { parse_squash_commits = true, ignore_merge_commits = true }
 commit_author = "semantic-release <semantic-release@bot.local>"
 commit_message = "chore(release): {version}\n\nAutomatically generated by python-semantic-release\n\nSigned-off-by: semantic-release <semantic-release@bot.local>"
 upload_to_vcs_release = true
-build_command = "pip install poetry && poetry build"
+build_command = """
+  pip install poetry
+  poetry build
+"""
 version_toml = ["pyproject.toml:tool.poetry.version"]
 version_variables = [
   "cyclonedx/__init__.py:__version__",
@@ -116,7 +122,7 @@ dist_glob_patterns = ["dist/*"]
 upload_to_vcs_release = true
 
 [tool.semantic_release.changelog]
-changelog_file = "CHANGELOG.md"
+default_templates = { changelog_file = "CHANGELOG.md" }
 exclude_commit_patterns = [
   '''chore(?:\([^)]*?\))?: .+''',
   '''ci(?:\([^)]*?\))?: .+''',