diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 650e9761..fa9d75a0 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     "build": "astro build",
     "preview": "astro preview",
     "check": "astro check",
-    "test": "node --test src/remark-rewrite-doc-links.test.mjs src/astro-config.test.mjs scripts/release-metadata.test.mjs scripts/release-homebrew-formula.test.mjs scripts/install.test.mjs scripts/forkpress-launcher.test.mjs",
+    "test": "node --test src/remark-rewrite-doc-links.test.mjs src/astro-config.test.mjs scripts/release-metadata.test.mjs scripts/release-prepare.test.mjs scripts/release-homebrew-formula.test.mjs scripts/install.test.mjs scripts/forkpress-launcher.test.mjs",
     "release:prepare": "node scripts/release-prepare.mjs",
     "release:validate": "node scripts/release-validate.mjs",
     "validate": "npm run check && npm run test && npm run build"
diff --git a/scripts/release-prepare.mjs b/scripts/release-prepare.mjs
index d9067119..ec8fcfd5 100755
--- a/scripts/release-prepare.mjs
+++ b/scripts/release-prepare.mjs
@@ -140,22 +140,30 @@ function remoteRefExists(args) {
 }
 
 function requireExpectedChanges(initialChangedFiles) {
-	const status = runOutput('git', ['status', '--porcelain']).trim();
-	if (status === '') {
+	const status = runOutput('git', ['status', '--porcelain']);
+	requireChangedReleaseFiles([...initialChangedFiles, cargoLock], status);
+}
+
+export function requireChangedReleaseFiles(expectedFiles, status) {
+	if (status.trim() === '') {
 		throw new ReleaseMetadataError('Release metadata is already at the requested version.');
 	}
 
-	const changedFiles = new Set(
+	const changedFiles = changedFilesFromStatus(status);
+	for (const file of expectedFiles) {
+		if (!changedFiles.has(file)) {
+			throw new ReleaseMetadataError(`Expected release file was not changed: ${file}`);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+export function changedFilesFromStatus(status) {
+	return new Set(
 		status
 			.split('\n')
 			.map((line) => line.slice(3))
 			.filter(Boolean),
 	);
-	for (const file of [...initialChangedFiles, cargoLock]) {
-		if (!changedFiles.has(file)) {
-			throw new ReleaseMetadataError(`Expected release file was not changed: ${file}`);
-		}
-	}
 }
 
 function run(command, args, options = {}) {
diff --git a/scripts/release-prepare.test.mjs b/scripts/release-prepare.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f1060c2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/release-prepare.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import test from 'node:test';
+
+import {
+	ReleaseMetadataError,
+	cargoLock,
+	installerManifest,
+	productionCrateManifests,
+} from './release-metadata.mjs';
+import { changedFilesFromStatus, requireChangedReleaseFiles } from './release-prepare.mjs';
+
+test('parses changed files from git status porcelain output', () => {
+	assert.deepEqual(
+		[...changedFilesFromStatus(' M Cargo.lock\nM  crates/forkpress-cli/Cargo.toml\n')],
+		['Cargo.lock', 'crates/forkpress-cli/Cargo.toml'],
+	);
+});
+
+test('requires release metadata and Cargo.lock to be dirty', () => {
+	const expectedFiles = [...productionCrateManifests, installerManifest, cargoLock];
+	const status = expectedFiles.map((path) => ` M ${path}`).join('\n');
+
+	assert.doesNotThrow(() => requireChangedReleaseFiles(expectedFiles, status));
+});
+
+test('rejects release prepare when an edited metadata file is missing from git status', () => {
+	const [missingFile, ...changedFiles] = productionCrateManifests;
+	const status = [...changedFiles, installerManifest, cargoLock].map((path) => ` M ${path}`).join('\n');
+
+	assert.throws(
+		() => requireChangedReleaseFiles([missingFile, ...changedFiles, installerManifest, cargoLock], status),
+		ReleaseMetadataError,
+	);
+});