diff --git a/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yml b/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yml
index 9e86520..815aec4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ name: Prepare release
 # a `release/vX.Y.Z` branch, stamps the version into the shipped package.json
 # files (lockstep: extension + gateway share one version), commits, and opens a
 # PR to main. Review + merge, then cut the release by tagging:
-#     git tag vX.Y.Z && git push origin vX.Y.Z      # → release.yml publishes
+#     git tag -s vX.Y.Z -m "vX.Y.Z" && git push origin vX.Y.Z
+# Sign with a key registered on GitHub so the release tag shows Verified.
 #
 # The release branch is a durable record of each cut (not just the tag).
 on:
@@ -54,5 +55,5 @@ jobs:
             echo ""
             echo "1. **Open the PR:** [$URL]($URL)"
             echo "2. Review + merge it into \`main\`."
-            echo "3. Cut the release: \`git tag v$VERSION && git push origin v$VERSION\` → the Release workflow verifies the tag matches the committed version, then builds and publishes to the gated targets."
+            echo "3. On a machine with a GitHub-registered signing key, cut the release: \`git tag -s v$VERSION -m 'v$VERSION' && git push origin v$VERSION\` → the Release workflow verifies the tag matches the committed version, then builds and publishes to the gated targets."
           } >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 3194aa3..8dd2889 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 name: Release
 
-# Fires on a version tag (e.g. `git tag v0.1.0 && git push origin v0.1.0`).
+# Fires on a version tag (prefer `git tag -s v0.1.0 -m "v0.1.0"` for a Verified tag).
 # Builds + tests, then packages and PUBLISHES to the MVP targets:
 #   • extension .vsix  → GitHub Release  (+ VS Code Marketplace when VSCE_PAT is set)
 #   • gateway          → GitHub Release tarball (+ npm when NPM_TOKEN is set)
diff --git a/docs/05-roadmap-and-open-questions.md b/docs/05-roadmap-and-open-questions.md
index ed1228c..93e6eeb 100644
--- a/docs/05-roadmap-and-open-questions.md
+++ b/docs/05-roadmap-and-open-questions.md
@@ -244,10 +244,13 @@ strings. A pre-release _extension_ lane (Microsoft's odd-minor convention / `vsc
    your own PR, so a solo maintainer merges the (mechanical, CI-green) release PR with
    **`gh pr merge <n> --admin --merge`** — `enforce_admins` is deliberately off for exactly this.
    That is also why the release merges are merge commits despite `required_linear_history`.
-3. Tag and push: `git tag vX.Y.Z && git push origin vX.Y.Z`. `release.yml` **verifies the tag matches
-   the committed version** (fails on drift), then builds → tests → packages the `.vsix` + gateway
-   tarball → GitHub Release (always) → gated Marketplace / npm / Docker publishes. Docker/tarball are
-   named from the tag; the `.vsix`/npm version come from `package.json`.
+3. On a machine with a signing key registered with GitHub, update `main` after the merge, then
+   **sign and push** the tag: `git tag -s vX.Y.Z -m "vX.Y.Z" && git push origin vX.Y.Z`.
+   Confirm GitHub reports the tag as Verified; a Verified merge commit does **not** verify an
+   unsigned tag. `release.yml` **verifies the tag matches the committed version** (fails on drift),
+   then builds → tests → packages the `.vsix` + gateway tarball → GitHub Release (always) → gated
+   Marketplace / npm / Docker publishes. Docker/tarball are named from the tag; the `.vsix`/npm
+   version come from `package.json`.
    **If a publish step fails, re-run it — don't re-tag.** All the publishes are sequential steps of
    one job, so a flaky Marketplace (it fronts Azure DevOps and does go down; the failure surfaces as
    a raw `Azure DevOps Services Unavailable` HTML page in the log) takes npm and Docker with it.
diff --git a/docs/06-field-notes.md b/docs/06-field-notes.md
index 7ef792b..d767f84 100644
--- a/docs/06-field-notes.md
+++ b/docs/06-field-notes.md
@@ -108,6 +108,12 @@ Base: `~/.vscode-server/data/User/`
 
 ## Build, tooling & agent gotchas (durable — the committed home; `/memories/` is ephemeral)
 
+- **Release tag verification (2026-09-30).** `v1.0.0` points to a Verified merge commit, but its
+  annotated tag itself reports `verification.reason=unsigned`, so the release tag has no Verified
+  badge. `git tag -a` alone does not sign. For future cuts, use `git tag -s vX.Y.Z -m "vX.Y.Z"` on
+  a machine with a GPG/SSH signing key registered on GitHub, then verify the tag's signature
+  status after pushing. Never replace a published release tag just to change its badge.
+
 > Non-obvious traps that cost real time. This is the **committed** replacement for the assistant's
 > ephemeral `/memories/` store (a container rebuild wipes that). Add a bullet here whenever a
 > rediscovery would waste someone's time.
diff --git a/scripts/release.mjs b/scripts/release.mjs
index d9335ae..039b8f8 100644
--- a/scripts/release.mjs
+++ b/scripts/release.mjs
@@ -94,7 +94,9 @@ try {
 console.log(
   `\nNext:\n` +
     `  1. Review + merge the release/v${version} PR it opens.\n` +
-    `  2. git tag v${version} && git push origin v${version}   → the Release workflow publishes.`,
+    `  2. On a machine with a GitHub-registered signing key:\n` +
+    `     git tag -s v${version} -m "v${version}" && git push origin v${version}\n` +
+    `     → the Release workflow publishes.`,
 );
 
 /** @returns {string} the committed root package.json version (fallback 0.0.0). */