diff --git a/changelog/validate/action.yml b/changelog/validate/action.yml
index e57ade71..7899c430 100644
--- a/changelog/validate/action.yml
+++ b/changelog/validate/action.yml
@@ -88,23 +88,31 @@ runs:
           $PREFIX_FLAG
 
     - name: Gate
+      if: always()
       shell: bash
       env:
         STATUS: ${{ steps.evaluate.outputs.status }}
+        EVALUATE_OUTCOME: ${{ steps.evaluate.outcome }}
       run: |
+        # When docs-builder already exited non-zero for this status, the error
+        # diagnostic was already emitted natively. Run with if:always() so that
+        # ::notice:: is surfaced even when evaluate-pr fails for other reasons.
         case "$STATUS" in
           proceed|skipped|manually-edited)
             echo "::notice::Changelog validation: $STATUS"
             ;;
           no-label)
+            [[ "$EVALUATE_OUTCOME" == "failure" ]] && exit 0
             echo "::error::No matching changelog type label found on this PR. Add a label from your changelog.yml pivot.types, or a skip label."
             exit 1
             ;;
           no-title)
+            [[ "$EVALUATE_OUTCOME" == "failure" ]] && exit 0
             echo "::error::PR has no title. Cannot generate a changelog entry."
             exit 1
             ;;
           *)
+            [[ "$EVALUATE_OUTCOME" == "failure" ]] && exit 0
             echo "::error::Changelog validation failed: $STATUS"
             exit 1
             ;;