diff --git a/packages/cli/src/promote.ts b/packages/cli/src/promote.ts
index 2e3d95e..ee7fd0d 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/promote.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/promote.ts
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ function holdBackDropsStillInUse(
   skipped: PlannedWork['skipped'],
   downs: ReadonlyMap<string, string> = new Map(),
 ): PlannedSql[] {
-  const kept = keptBack.map(k => ({ issueId: k.issueId, skeleton: sqlSkeleton(k.definition) }))
+  const kept = keptBack.map(k => ({ issueId: k.issueId, skeleton: usesOf(k.definition) }))
   let remaining = statements
 
   // Until nothing more is held back: what one held-back drop keeps can keep
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ function holdBackDropsStillInUse(
           + 're-run with --allow-destructive to apply both',
       })
       const definition = downs.get(statement.issueId)
-      if (definition) kept.push({ issueId: user.issueId, skeleton: sqlSkeleton(definition) })
+      if (definition) kept.push({ issueId: user.issueId, skeleton: usesOf(definition) })
       changed = true
       return false
     })
@@ -386,6 +386,20 @@ function holdBackDropsStillInUse(
   return remaining
 }
 
+/**
+ * What a definition can be searched for to see which objects it uses: its
+ * skeleton, plus the sequences it names in string literals. A column default
+ * names its sequence only inside one — `nextval('public.shared_seq'::regclass)`
+ * — which the skeleton blanks, so a sequence a held-back table still drew on
+ * was dropped anyway, and failed with `cannot drop sequence ... because other
+ * objects depend on it`.
+ */
+function usesOf(definition: string): string {
+  const sequences = [...definition.matchAll(SEQUENCE_LITERAL)].map(m => m[1] ?? m[2])
+  return [sqlSkeleton(definition), ...sequences].join(' ')
+}
+const SEQUENCE_LITERAL = /nextval\(\s*'((?:[^']|'')*)'|'((?:[^']|'')*)'\s*::\s*regclass/gi
+
 /** The names a fix drops, when all it does is drop types, domains, routines or sequences. */
 function droppedSupportingObjects(sql: string): string[] {
   const parts = splitSqlStatements(sql).filter(s => !isCommentOnly(s))
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/promote.test.ts b/packages/cli/test/promote.test.ts
index 927770c..d1d8dc7 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/promote.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/test/promote.test.ts
@@ -759,6 +759,24 @@ describe('planWork and drops something held back still uses', () => {
     expect(plan.skipped.map(s => s.issueId).sort()).toEqual(['schema-alter-1', 'schema-drop-type-2', 'schema-drop-type-3'])
   })
 
+  it('holds back a sequence a held-back table\'s default still draws on', () => {
+    // A default names its sequence only in a string literal, as pg_dump writes it.
+    const plan = planWork(makeScanResult({
+      checks: [{
+        check: 'schema', status: 'drifted', durationMs: 0, issues: [
+          { id: 'schema-drop-1', check: 'schema', severity: 'critical', description: 'd', title: 'Extra table: public.b',
+            sql: { up: 'DROP TABLE "b";', down: "CREATE TABLE public.b (\n    id integer DEFAULT nextval('public.shared_seq'::regclass) NOT NULL\n);" } },
+          { id: 'schema-alter-2', check: 'schema', severity: 'warning', description: 'd', title: 'Table altered: public.a',
+            sql: { up: 'ALTER TABLE "a" ALTER COLUMN "id" DROP DEFAULT;\nALTER SEQUENCE "shared_seq" OWNED BY NONE;', down: `ALTER TABLE "a" ALTER COLUMN "id" SET DEFAULT nextval('shared_seq'::regclass);` } },
+          { id: 'schema-drop-sequence-3', check: 'schema', severity: 'critical', description: 'd', title: 'Extra sequence: public.shared_seq',
+            sql: { up: 'DROP SEQUENCE IF EXISTS "shared_seq";', down: 'CREATE SEQUENCE "shared_seq" START WITH 1000;' } },
+        ],
+      }],
+    }))
+    expect(plan.sqlStatements.map(s => s.issueId)).toEqual(['schema-alter-2'])
+    expect(plan.skipped.find(s => s.issueId === 'schema-drop-sequence-3')?.reason).toMatch(/Still used by what schema-drop-1 keeps/)
+  })
+
   it('drops both once destructive fixes are allowed', () => {
     const plan = planWork(withLegacyTable(), { allowDestructive: true })
     expect(plan.sqlStatements.map(s => s.issueId).sort()).toEqual(['schema-drop-1', 'schema-drop-type-2', 'schema-drop-type-3'])