diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7ce3bf63a5..6a03294dbe 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ release: clean
 	$(eval UPCOMING_VERSION=$(shell bumpversion $(bump) --dry-run --list | grep new_version= | sed 's/new_version=//g'))
 	# Now generate the release notes to have them included in the release commit
 	towncrier --yes --version $(UPCOMING_VERSION)
+	# Before we bump the version, make sure that the towncrier-generated docs will build
+	make build-docs
 	# We need --allow-dirty because of the generated release_notes file but it is safe because the
 	# previous dry-run runs *without* --allow-dirty which ensures it's really just the release notes
 	# file that we are allowing to sit here dirty, waiting to get included in the release commit.
diff --git a/newsfragments/806.misc.rst b/newsfragments/806.misc.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..97cf7a18b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newsfragments/806.misc.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Require that docs build before tagging & publishing a release