diff --git a/.agents/skills/dependencies/SKILL.md b/.agents/skills/dependencies/SKILL.md
index 13737db8fcbb..ebc1a789f7c2 100644
--- a/.agents/skills/dependencies/SKILL.md
+++ b/.agents/skills/dependencies/SKILL.md
@@ -33,14 +33,14 @@ Exceptions, keeping explicit versions:
 Two checks enforce it:
 
 - `pnpm lint:syncpack`: dependencies must use a catalog.
-- `pnpm lint:catalogs` (`admin/scripts/lintCatalogs.js`): catalog entries are used and in the right catalog, templates and overrides match the catalogs, and dependency group members use the same version.
+- `pnpm lint:catalogs` (`admin/scripts/lintCatalogs.js`): catalog entries are used and in the right catalog, templates and overrides match the catalogs, and dependency group members use matching versions.
 
 ## Dependency groups
 
-Some packages must always use the same version. They are declared as `groups` in `.github/dependabot.yml`:
+Some packages must always be upgraded together. They are declared as `groups` in `.github/dependabot.yml`:
 
 - Dependabot upgrades them atomically in a single PR, instead of opening broken intermediate PRs.
-- `pnpm lint:catalogs` fails if their catalog versions differ.
+- `pnpm lint:catalogs` fails if their catalog versions differ (only their major versions for the `babel` group, see `admin/scripts/lintCatalogs.js`).
 
 Packages belong to a group when, for example:
 
diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index 7e307f9bfc61..dca962e7a064 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -68,3 +68,9 @@ updates:
       svgr:
         patterns:
           - '@svgr/*'
+      # Babel packages depend on each other
+      # Upgrading them independently duplicates Babel packages in the lockfile
+      # See https://github.com/facebook/docusaurus/pull/12704
+      babel:
+        patterns:
+          - '@babel/*'
diff --git a/admin/scripts/lintCatalogs.js b/admin/scripts/lintCatalogs.js
index 6124f22b27a7..bcc5b78e9f87 100644
--- a/admin/scripts/lintCatalogs.js
+++ b/admin/scripts/lintCatalogs.js
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ const RuntimeDependencyTypes = [
 ];
 const AllDependencyTypes = [...RuntimeDependencyTypes, 'devDependencies'];
 
+// Babel only publishes the packages that changed: their versions differ
+const SameMajorVersionDependencyGroups = ['babel'];
+
 async function main() {
   const monorepo = await loadMonorepo();
 
@@ -216,7 +219,7 @@ function checkOverridesMatchCatalogs({catalogs, overrides}) {
 
 /**
  * The packages of a Dependabot group must be upgraded together, and must
- * use the same version.
+ * use the same version, or the same major version for some groups.
  * @param {Monorepo} monorepo
  * @returns {string[]}
  */
@@ -227,15 +230,25 @@ function checkDependencyGroups({catalogs, dependencyGroups}) {
     const members = catalogEntries.filter(([name]) =>
       matchesSomePattern(name, group.patterns),
     );
-    const versions = new Set(members.map(([, version]) => version));
+    const sameMajorVersion = SameMajorVersionDependencyGroups.includes(
+      group.name,
+    );
+    const versions = new Set(
+      members.map(([, version]) =>
+        sameMajorVersion ? getMajorVersion(version) : version,
+      ),
+    );
     if (versions.size <= 1) {
       return [];
     }
     const membersDescription = members
       .map(([name, version]) => `${name}@${version}`)
       .join(', ');
+    const expectedVersion = sameMajorVersion
+      ? 'the same major version'
+      : 'the same version';
     return [
-      `pnpm-workspace.yaml: the packages of the "${group.name}" Dependabot group must use the same version: ${membersDescription}`,
+      `pnpm-workspace.yaml: the packages of the "${group.name}" Dependabot group must use ${expectedVersion}: ${membersDescription}`,
     ];
   });
 }
@@ -270,6 +283,11 @@ function differsFromCatalogs(catalogs, name, version) {
   return catalogVersion !== undefined && catalogVersion !== version;
 }
 
+// "^7.29.7" => "7"
+function getMajorVersion(version) {
+  return version.match(/\d+/)?.[0];
+}
+
 // Dependabot patterns only support the "*" wildcard
 function matchesSomePattern(name, patterns) {
   return patterns.some((pattern) => {