diff --git a/internal/app/download.go b/internal/app/download.go
index a2526068..5cd7c3cf 100644
--- a/internal/app/download.go
+++ b/internal/app/download.go
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ func (a *application) download(cmd *cobra.Command, f downloadFlags, path string,
 	if path == "-" {
 		return writeTerminalSafe(cmd.OutOrStdout(), a.deps.Streams.OutTTY, body)
 	}
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(path), 0o777); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	return publish(cmd, path, false, f.clobber, func(destination io.Writer) error {
 		_, err := io.Copy(destination, body)
 		return err
diff --git a/internal/app/release_assets.go b/internal/app/release_assets.go
index 0ea4ad32..f8b73da2 100644
--- a/internal/app/release_assets.go
+++ b/internal/app/release_assets.go
@@ -217,10 +217,15 @@ $ tea release download v1.0.0 --archive zip`,
 			}
 			paths := make([]string, len(assets))
 			skipped := make([]bool, len(assets))
+			seen := map[string]services.ReleaseAsset{}
 			for i, asset := range assets {
 				if paths[i], skipped[i], err = flags.destination(asset.Name); err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
+				if first, dup := seen[paths[i]]; dup && paths[i] != "-" {
+					return clierr.Wrap(clierr.Usage, fmt.Errorf("assets %d and %d are both named %s; download one at a time with --output", first.ID, asset.ID, asset.Name))
+				}
+				seen[paths[i]] = asset
 			}
 			for i, asset := range assets {
 				if skipped[i] {
diff --git a/internal/app/release_assets_test.go b/internal/app/release_assets_test.go
index 1a54d10d..f5da70ab 100644
--- a/internal/app/release_assets_test.go
+++ b/internal/app/release_assets_test.go
@@ -121,3 +121,29 @@ func TestReleaseDownloadSelectsAssetsOfTheLatestRelease(t *testing.T) {
 	err = Execute(context.Background(), deps, []string{"release", "download", "v1", "notes.txt", "tea-linux", "-O", filepath.Join(dir, "one"), "-R", "owner/repo"})
 	require.ErrorContains(t, err, "--output names one file, but 2 assets match; pass --dir")
 }
+
+func TestReleaseDownloadCreatesDirAndRefusesDuplicateNames(t *testing.T) {
+	server := newAuthenticatedServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		switch {
+		case r.URL.Path == "/api/v1/repos/owner/repo/releases/tags/v1":
+			_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"id":1,"tag_name":"v1","assets":[{"id":1,"name":"app","size":5,"uuid":"aaa"},{"id":2,"name":"app","size":5,"uuid":"bbb"},{"id":3,"name":"other","size":5,"uuid":"ccc"}]}`))
+		case strings.HasPrefix(r.URL.Path, "/api/v1/repos/owner/repo/releases/1/assets/"):
+			id := strings.TrimPrefix(r.URL.Path, "/api/v1/repos/owner/repo/releases/1/assets/")
+			_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"id":` + id + `,"uuid":"ccc"}`))
+		case strings.HasPrefix(r.URL.Path, "/attachments/"):
+			_, _ = w.Write([]byte("bytes"))
+		default:
+			t.Errorf("unexpected request %s", r.URL.Path)
+		}
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+	deps, _, _ := repoTTYDeps(t, server.URL)
+	dir := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "new", "dist")
+	err := Execute(context.Background(), deps, []string{"release", "download", "v1", "--dir", dir, "-R", "owner/repo"})
+	require.ErrorContains(t, err, "assets 1 and 2 are both named app")
+	_, statErr := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "other"))
+	require.Error(t, statErr, "nothing is downloaded before the duplicate is reported")
+	require.NoError(t, Execute(context.Background(), deps, []string{"release", "download", "v1", "other", "--dir", dir, "-R", "owner/repo"}))
+	_, statErr = os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "other"))
+	require.NoError(t, statErr)
+}
diff --git a/internal/app/releases.go b/internal/app/releases.go
index 97a1026a..84310ad7 100644
--- a/internal/app/releases.go
+++ b/internal/app/releases.go
@@ -415,6 +415,9 @@ $ tea release edit v1.0.0-rc1 v1.0.0-rc2 --prerelease=false`,
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+			if opts.Body != nil && *opts.Body == "" {
+				return clierr.Wrap(clierr.Usage, errors.New("release notes cannot be cleared; Gitea ignores empty notes"))
+			}
 			if cmd.Flags().Changed("tag") {
 				if len(args) != 1 || strings.TrimSpace(fields.tag) == "" {
 					return clierr.Wrap(clierr.Usage, errors.New("--tag requires one release and a nonempty new tag"))
@@ -439,6 +442,9 @@ $ tea release edit v1.0.0-rc1 v1.0.0-rc2 --prerelease=false`,
 				}
 				opts.Body = &editorDraft.Body
 			}
+			if editorDraft.Body == "" && fields.editor {
+				return clierr.Wrap(clierr.Usage, errors.New("release notes cannot be cleared; Gitea ignores empty notes"))
+			}
 			return batchDone(a, cmd, args, func(tag string) string { return "release " + tag }, func(tag string) (services.Release, error) {
 				item, err := service.View(cmd.Context(), tag)
 				if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/app/validation_test.go b/internal/app/validation_test.go
index cae3ed72..0fdb4754 100644
--- a/internal/app/validation_test.go
+++ b/internal/app/validation_test.go
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ func TestUsageErrorsPrecedeRequests(t *testing.T) {
 		{[]string{"release", "create", "v1", "--tag", "v2"}, "supply a tag argument or --tag, not both"},
 		{[]string{"release", "create", "--body-file", "-"}, "--notes-file - requires a tag"},
 		{[]string{"release", "edit", "v1"}, "supply release fields to edit"},
+		{[]string{"release", "edit", "v1", "--notes", ""}, "release notes cannot be cleared"},
 		{[]string{"release", "edit", "v1", "v2", "--tag", "v3"}, "--tag requires one release and a nonempty new tag"},
 		{[]string{"release", "edit", "v1", "--draft", "false"}, "--draft takes no value; use --draft or --draft=false"},
 		{[]string{"release", "edit", "v1", "-d", "false", "-p", "False"}, "--draft takes no value; use --draft or --draft=false"},