diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index 7e5517f..971cbfb 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ generate-readme:
     just debug-build
     ./target/debug/registry-backup --help > doc/cli-menu.txt
     just --list > doc/just-commands.txt
-    just cargo run --bin generate-readme --features docs > README.md
+    just cargo run --bin generate-readme --features docs
 
 # check, run tests, check non-error output for clippy, run rustfmt
 pre-release:
@@ -44,19 +44,27 @@ verify-clean-git:
     test "$(echo `git status --porcelain` | wc -c)" -eq "1"
 
 get-crate-version:
-    cat Cargo.toml | rg '^version =' | tr -d "version = " | tr -d '"'
+    @cat Cargo.toml | rg '^version =' | tr -d "version = " | tr -d '"'
 
-release-prep: verify-clean-git pre-release
-    VERSION=$(just get-crate-version) \
-        && test -z "$(git tag | rg \"v${VERSION}\")" # Error: tag appears to exist already
-    just update-readme
-
-# re-generate README.md and commit changes
+# re-generate README.md and overwrite existing file with output
 update-readme: verify-clean-git
-    just generate-readme
+    just generate-readme > README.md
+
+# re-generate, overwrite, and stage changes
+update-readme-and-stage: update-readme
     git add README.md doc/*.txt
+
+# re-generate, overwrite, stage, and commit
+update-readme-and-commit: update-readme-and-stage
     git commit -m 're-generate docs'
 
+# get everything all ready for release
+release-prep: verify-clean-git pre-release
+    VERSION=$(just get-crate-version) \
+        && test -z "$(git tag | rg \"v${VERSION}\")" # Error: tag appears to exist already
+    just update-readme-and-commit
+
+# release version (regenerate docs, git tag v0.0.0) 
 release: release-prep
     git tag "v$(just get-crate-version)"
     git push && git push --tags