diff --git a/build.lua b/build.lua
index e54dbc4a5..1d54af6ed 100644
--- a/build.lua
+++ b/build.lua
@@ -9,11 +9,8 @@ tdsdirs = {tex = "tex"}
 
 -- For the manual
 docfiledir = "./doc/generic/pgf"
-docfiles =
-  {
-    "RELEASE_NOTES.md", "description.html", -- Part of the release script
-    "color.cfg", "pgfmanual.cfg", "images", "plots", "*.tex" -- Build the manual
-  }
+-- although some are useless in `l3build doc`, all are needed by `l3build ctan`
+docfiles = { "*" }
 tdsroot = "generic"
 typesetfiles = {"pgfmanual.tex"}
 typesetexe = "lualatex"
diff --git a/doc/generic/pgf/CHANGELOG.md b/doc/generic/pgf/CHANGELOG.md
index 4ee4c2de0..42947dadd 100644
--- a/doc/generic/pgf/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/doc/generic/pgf/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 - Output bounding box adjustment in pgfsys-dvisvgm.def #1275
 - Fix shadings under LuaMetaTeX
 - Resolve missing `gnuplot` plots in manual #1238
+- Missing files in release zip, including licenses and more #1240
 
 ### Changed