diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d1c5c7a2..4d04dfc9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ ifndef bump
 	$(error bump must be set, typically: major, minor, patch, or devnum)
 endif
 
-notes: check-bump
+notes: check-bump validate-newsfragments
 	# Let UPCOMING_VERSION be the version that is used for the current bump
 	$(eval UPCOMING_VERSION=$(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