If the surety or the debtor settles with the creditor for a portion of the debt, both shall be discharged from liability for the remainder. If the discharge of the surety alone is stipulated, the creditor shall have the option to either take the settled amount from the surety and the remainder from the principal, or to release the surety and claim the entire debt from the principal.
Interpretation and application must be checked against the official text and current version.