diff --git a/.github/workflows/prepare-towncrier-release.yaml b/.github/workflows/prepare-towncrier-release.yaml
index f81ed50..471fb11 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/prepare-towncrier-release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/prepare-towncrier-release.yaml
@@ -77,6 +77,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install local release tool wheel
         if: inputs.local-tool-source
         run: uv pip install --python .venv/bin/python --no-deps "$RUNNER_TEMP/local-tool-dist/"*.whl
+      - name: Expose local release command
+        if: inputs.local-tool-source
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p "$RUNNER_TEMP/local-release-cli"
+          ln -s "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/.venv/bin/release-creator" "$RUNNER_TEMP/local-release-cli/release-creator"
+          echo "$RUNNER_TEMP/local-release-cli" >>"$GITHUB_PATH"
       - id: prepare
         name: Build changelog
         uses: $/prepare-towncrier
diff --git a/changelog.d/+local-release-command.bugfix.md b/changelog.d/+local-release-command.bugfix.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7051551
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/+local-release-command.bugfix.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Expose the locally built release-creator command before it prepares its own changelog.
diff --git a/tests/release_workflow/test_graph.py b/tests/release_workflow/test_graph.py
index eba31b8..a8b7b01 100644
--- a/tests/release_workflow/test_graph.py
+++ b/tests/release_workflow/test_graph.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import os
 import shutil
 import subprocess
+import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import yaml
@@ -66,6 +67,41 @@ def test_prepare_builds_local_tool_once_with_locked_backends() -> None:
     )
 
 
+def test_prepare_exposes_local_command_without_shadowing_python(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    workflow = yaml.safe_load(
+        (Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2] / ".github/workflows/prepare-towncrier-release.yaml").read_text()
+    )
+    steps = workflow["jobs"]["assemble"]["steps"]
+    expose = next(step for step in steps if step.get("name") == "Expose local release command")
+    assert expose["if"] == "inputs.local-tool-source"
+    assert steps.index(expose) > next(
+        index for index, step in enumerate(steps) if step.get("name") == "Install local release tool wheel"
+    )
+    assert steps.index(expose) < next(index for index, step in enumerate(steps) if step.get("id") == "prepare")
+    command = tmp_path / ".venv/bin/release-creator"
+    command.parent.mkdir(parents=True)
+    command.symlink_to(sys.executable)
+    output = tmp_path / "github-path"
+
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        ["bash", "-e", "-o", "pipefail", "-c", expose["run"]],
+        cwd=tmp_path,
+        env={**os.environ, "GITHUB_WORKSPACE": str(tmp_path), "RUNNER_TEMP": str(tmp_path), "GITHUB_PATH": str(output)},
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        check=False,
+    )
+
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    overlay = Path(output.read_text().strip())
+    assert (overlay / "release-creator").resolve() == command.resolve()
+    assert not (overlay / "python").exists()
+    assert (
+        subprocess.run([str(overlay / "release-creator"), "--version"], check=False, capture_output=True).returncode
+        == 0
+    )
+
+
 def test_prepare_installs_hooks_while_building_changelog() -> None:
     workflow = yaml.safe_load(
         (Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2] / ".github/workflows/prepare-towncrier-release.yaml").read_text()