diff --git a/.github/workflows/changesets.yml b/.github/workflows/changesets.yml
index 97229a08..1294cfe2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/changesets.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/changesets.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ concurrency:
 permissions:
   contents: write
   pull-requests: write
+  # actions: write dispatches release.yml once the Version Packages PR is merged.
+  actions: write
 
 jobs:
   version:
@@ -26,10 +28,34 @@ jobs:
           node-version: 24.13.0
           cache: pnpm
       - run: pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
-      # PRs opened with github.token do not trigger pull_request CI; release.yml packaging smoke remains the publish gate.
       - uses: changesets/action@a45c4d594aa4e2c509dc14a9f2b3b67ba3780d0d # v1.9.0
+        id: changesets
         with:
           version: pnpm changeset version
           createGithubReleases: false
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      # The Version Packages PR only restates what the source changesets already
+      # said, so it is merged unattended. It cannot gate itself: a PR opened with
+      # GITHUB_TOKEN never triggers pull_request CI, so release.yml runs the full
+      # ci.yml gate before anything reaches npm.
+      - name: Merge the Version Packages PR and start the release
+        if: ${{ steps.changesets.outputs.pullRequestNumber != '' }}
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          PULL_REQUEST: ${{ steps.changesets.outputs.pullRequestNumber }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          gh pr merge "$PULL_REQUEST" \
+            --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" \
+            --squash \
+            --delete-branch
+
+          # Merging with GITHUB_TOKEN raises no push event, so release.yml would
+          # never see this commit. workflow_dispatch is the documented exception
+          # to that rule and is what keeps the chain alive. This is also why the
+          # merge cannot loop back into this workflow.
+          gh workflow run release.yml \
+            --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" \
+            --ref main
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index b224fd8b..1595a972 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ on:
   push:
     branches:
       - main
+  # release.yml calls this as the pre-publish gate so the release runs the exact
+  # same checks as a pull request, with no second copy of the step list to drift.
+  workflow_call:
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 29bad59a..08f009b7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ on:
   push:
     branches:
       - main
+  # changesets.yml merges the Version Packages PR with GITHUB_TOKEN, which raises
+  # no push event. workflow_dispatch is the documented exception to that rule, so
+  # it is how the auto-merged release reaches this workflow.
+  workflow_dispatch:
 
 # Serialize releases: a newer push replaces any pending (not-yet-started) run in
 # this group. An intermediate version whose run is superseded before it starts is
@@ -67,9 +71,19 @@ jobs:
           cat view-error.log >&2
           exit 1
 
-  publish:
+  # Nothing reaches npm without the full pull-request gate. The Version Packages
+  # PR cannot run it itself: PRs opened with GITHUB_TOKEN never trigger workflows,
+  # so this is where a broken release is actually caught.
+  verify:
     needs: guard
     if: ${{ needs.guard.outputs.publish == 'true' }}
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/ci.yml
+
+  publish:
+    needs: [guard, verify]
+    if: ${{ needs.guard.outputs.publish == 'true' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     # id-token: write is required for npm OIDC trusted publishing; no npm secret
     # or NODE_AUTH_TOKEN is used. contents stays read-only here.
@@ -96,7 +110,7 @@ jobs:
         working-directory: apps/cli/dist
 
   tag:
-    needs: [guard, publish]
+    needs: [guard, verify, publish]
     if: ${{ needs.guard.outputs.publish == 'true' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     # contents: write is scoped to this job only, purely to push the release tag.
@@ -127,7 +141,7 @@ jobs:
           git push origin "$tag"
 
   release:
-    needs: [guard, publish, tag]
+    needs: [guard, verify, publish, tag]
     if: ${{ needs.guard.outputs.publish == 'true' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     # contents: write is scoped to this job only, purely to create the GitHub Release.