diff --git a/ReleaseNotes/release_notes_template.md b/ReleaseNotes/release_notes_template.md
index 9a5966c90a5441d7d6f44719cb3f89e0c0d6e49c..5a3440dbbcddb726ad8e3a2b3d6322268e033a91 100644
--- a/ReleaseNotes/release_notes_template.md
+++ b/ReleaseNotes/release_notes_template.md
@@ -1,37 +1,66 @@
-{% set used = [] -%}
-{% macro section(labels) -%}
-{% for mr in select_mrs(merge_requests, labels, used) %}
-- {{mr.title}}, !{{mr.iid}} (@{{mr.author.username}}) {{find_tasks(mr)}}  
-  {{mr.description|mdindent(2)}}
-{% endfor %}
-{%- endmacro %}
-
+{% set categories = [
+    'selection', 'hlt1', 'hlt2', 'Configuration',
+    'Decoding', 'Tracking', 'PV finding', 'Muon', 'Calo', 'RICH', 'Jets',
+    'PID', 'Composites', 'Filters', 'Functors',
+    'Event model', 'Persistency',
+    'MC checking', 'Monitoring', 'Luminosity',
+    'Core', 'Conditions', 'Utilities',
+    'Simulation',  'Tuples', 'Accelerators',
+    'Flavour tagging',
+    'Build',
+    ] -%}
+{% set used_mrs = [] -%}
+{% set used_dep_mrs = [] -%}
+{% set highlight_mrs = select_mrs(get_dep_mrs(), ['highlight']) -%}
+{% macro section(labels, mrs=merge_requests, used=used_mrs, indent='', highlight='highlight') -%}
+{% for mr in order_by_label(select_mrs(mrs, labels, used), categories) -%}
+  {% set mr_labels = categories|select("in", mr.labels)|list -%}
+{{indent}}- {% if mr_labels %}{{mr_labels|map('label_ref')|join(' ')}} | {% endif -%}
+    {{mr.title|sentence}}, {{mr|mr_ref(project_fullname)}} (@{{mr.author.username}}){% if mr.issue_refs %} [{{mr.issue_refs|join(',')}}]{% endif %}{% if highlight in mr.labels %} :star:{% endif %}
+{# {{mr.description|mdindent(2)}} -#}
+{% endfor -%}
+{% endmacro -%}
 {{date}} {{project}} {{version}}
 ===
 
-This version uses Lbcom v23rX, LHCb v45rX, Gaudi v32r2 and LCG_96b with ROOT 6.18.04, and SQLDDDB v7r*, ParamFiles v8r*, FieldMap v5r*, AppConfig v3r*  
+This version uses
+{{project_deps[:-1]|join(',\n')}} and
+{{project_deps|last}}.
 
 This version is released on `run2-patches` branch and is intended for simulations of Run1 or Run2 data. For Run3, use a version released on `master` branch
+Built relative to {{project}} [{{project_prev_tag}}](../-/tags/{{project_prev_tag}}), with the following changes:
+
+### New features ~"new feature"
+
+{{ section(['new feature']) -}}
+- Upstream project highlights :star:
+{{ section(['new feature'], mrs=highlight_mrs, used=used_dep_mrs, indent='  ', highlight=None) }}
 
-The previous release on `run2-patches` branch  was Boole `v33rX`.  
+### Fixes ~"bug fix" ~workaround
 
-### New features
-{{ section(['new feature']) }}
+{{ section(['bug fix', 'workaround']) -}}
+- Upstream project highlights :star:
+{{ section(['bug fix', 'workaround'], mrs=highlight_mrs, used=used_dep_mrs, indent='  ', highlight=None) }}
 
-### Enhancements
-{{ section(['enhancement']) }}
+### Enhancements ~enhancement
 
-### Bug fixes
-{{ section(['bug fix']) }}
+{{ section(['enhancement']) -}}
+- Upstream project highlights :star:
+{{ section(['enhancement'], mrs=highlight_mrs, used=used_dep_mrs, indent='  ', highlight=None) }}
 
-### Code modernisations and cleanups
-{{ section(['cleanup', 'modernisation']) }}
+### Code cleanups and changes to tests ~modernisation ~cleanup ~testing
 
-### Monitoring changes
-{{ section(['monitoring']) }}
+{{ section(['cleanup', 'modernisation', 'testing']) -}}
+- Upstream project highlights :star:
+{{ section(['cleanup'], mrs=highlight_mrs, used=used_dep_mrs, indent='  ', highlight=None) }}
 
-### Changes to tests
-{{ section(['testing']) }}
+### Documentation ~Documentation
+
+{# Collect documentation independently, may lead to repeated entries -#}
+{{ section(['Documentation'], used=None) -}}
+{# Mark as used such documentation does not appear under Other -#}
+{% set dummy = section(['Documentation']) -%}
 
 ### Other
+
 {{ section([[]]) }}