diff --git a/.github/release.yml b/.github/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ffb2cc6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+changelog:
+  exclude:
+    labels:
+      - ignore-for-release
+    authors:
+      - dependabot
+      - dependabot[bot]
diff --git a/check/internal/example/cmd/buf-plugin-syntax-specified/main_test.go b/check/internal/example/cmd/buf-plugin-syntax-specified/main_test.go
index 1ba5372..77f7f85 100644
--- a/check/internal/example/cmd/buf-plugin-syntax-specified/main_test.go
+++ b/check/internal/example/cmd/buf-plugin-syntax-specified/main_test.go
@@ -54,8 +54,7 @@ func TestSimpleFailure(t *testing.T) {
 			{
 				RuleID: syntaxSpecifiedRuleID,
 				FileLocation: &checktest.ExpectedFileLocation{
-					FileName:  "simple.proto",
-					EndColumn: 15,
+					FileName: "simple.proto",
 				},
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/check/module_name_test.go b/check/module_name_test.go
index 142801e..35695be 100644
--- a/check/module_name_test.go
+++ b/check/module_name_test.go
@@ -65,12 +65,12 @@ func TestModuleName(t *testing.T) {
 			{
 				RuleID:       ruleID,
 				Message:      "buf.build/acme/weather",
-				FileLocation: &checktest.ExpectedFileLocation{FileName: "a.proto", EndLine: 8, EndColumn: 1},
+				FileLocation: &checktest.ExpectedFileLocation{FileName: "a.proto"},
 			},
 			{
 				RuleID:       ruleID,
 				Message:      "<none>",
-				FileLocation: &checktest.ExpectedFileLocation{FileName: "b.proto", EndLine: 4, EndColumn: 12},
+				FileLocation: &checktest.ExpectedFileLocation{FileName: "b.proto"},
 			},
 		},
 	}.Run(t)
diff --git a/check/response_writer.go b/check/response_writer.go
index 9859162..cbcdfc9 100644
--- a/check/response_writer.go
+++ b/check/response_writer.go
@@ -348,7 +348,12 @@ func getFileLocationForAddAnnotationOptions(
 //  1. an exact source location
 //  2. the first descendant source location
 //  3. the nearest ancestor source location
+//
+// An empty path refers to the whole file and has no source location.
 func nearestLocation(locations protoreflect.SourceLocations, path protoreflect.SourcePath) protoreflect.SourceLocation {
+	if len(path) == 0 {
+		return protoreflect.SourceLocation{}
+	}
 	if loc := locations.ByPath(path); len(loc.Path) > 0 {
 		return loc // exact match
 	}
diff --git a/check/response_writer_test.go b/check/response_writer_test.go
index a91cda6..16e2a06 100644
--- a/check/response_writer_test.go
+++ b/check/response_writer_test.go
@@ -55,6 +55,11 @@ func TestSourceLocationFallback(t *testing.T) {
 						const acNum = 2   // A.c
 						const acdNum = 3  // C.d
 
+						writer.AddAnnotation(
+							check.WithMessage("File - no source path - no location"),
+							check.WithFileName(file),
+						)
+
 						fooMsg := fileDescriptor.ProtoreflectFileDescriptor().Messages().ByName("Foo")
 						foo := fileDescriptor.ProtoreflectFileDescriptor().SourceLocations().ByDescriptor(fooMsg).Path
 						writer.AddAnnotation(
@@ -103,6 +108,15 @@ func TestSourceLocationFallback(t *testing.T) {
 			}},
 		},
 		ExpectedAnnotations: []checktest.ExpectedAnnotation{
+			// File
+			{
+				RuleID:  ruleID,
+				Message: "File - no source path - no location",
+				FileLocation: &checktest.ExpectedFileLocation{
+					FileName: file,
+				},
+			},
+
 			// Foo
 			{
 				RuleID:  ruleID,