diff --git a/.github/workflows/Semgrep.yml b/.github/workflows/Semgrep.yml
index b08eda5ac..f31369bec 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/Semgrep.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/Semgrep.yml
@@ -33,8 +33,16 @@ jobs:
       # suppressions were ignored. See https://semgrep.dev/docs CHANGELOG v1.164.0.
       image: semgrep/semgrep:1.164.0
 
-    # Skip any PR created by dependabot to avoid permission issues:
-    if: (github.actor != 'dependabot[bot]')
+    # Skip any PR created by dependabot to avoid permission issues, and skip the
+    # automated release PR (opened by github-actions[bot], same repo, release/*
+    # branch — the Create Release PR workflow posts the required checks for it).
+    # The release gate is keyed on the PR author, not the branch name (which any
+    # contributor controls), so a "release/…" branch can't bypass required checks.
+    if: >-
+      ${{ github.actor != 'dependabot[bot]'
+      && !(github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'github-actions[bot]'
+      && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
+      && startsWith(github.head_ref, 'release/')) }}
 
     steps:
       # Fetch project source with GitHub Actions Checkout.
diff --git a/.github/workflows/executable-check.yml b/.github/workflows/executable-check.yml
index c3f320eb5..335905545 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/executable-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/executable-check.yml
@@ -23,6 +23,15 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   verify:
     name: Build & verify executable
+    # Skip CI only for the automated release PR: opened by github-actions[bot],
+    # from this same repo, on a release/* branch (the Create Release PR workflow
+    # posts the required checks as passing for it). Keyed on the PR author, not the
+    # branch name, so a "release/…" branch can't be used to bypass required checks.
+    if: >-
+      ${{ !(github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+      && github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'github-actions[bot]'
+      && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
+      && startsWith(github.head_ref, 'release/')) }}
     runs-on: macos-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v5
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yml b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
index e39ebe855..c86ab011a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,15 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   lint:
     name: Lint
+    # Skip CI only for the automated release PR: opened by github-actions[bot],
+    # from this same repo, on a release/* branch (the Create Release PR workflow
+    # posts the required checks as passing for it). Keyed on the PR author, not the
+    # branch name, so a "release/…" branch can't be used to bypass required checks.
+    if: >-
+      ${{ !(github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+      && github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'github-actions[bot]'
+      && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
+      && startsWith(github.head_ref, 'release/')) }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v5.0.0
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index ada4b288c..d83506518 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,16 @@ on:
 jobs:
   build:
     name: Build
+    # Skip CI only for the automated release PR: opened by github-actions[bot],
+    # from this same repo, on a release/* branch (the Create Release PR workflow
+    # posts the required checks as passing for it). The gate is keyed on the PR
+    # author — NOT the branch name, which any contributor controls — so a PR from
+    # a "release/…" branch can't be used to bypass required checks.
+    if: >-
+      ${{ !(github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+      && github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'github-actions[bot]'
+      && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
+      && startsWith(github.head_ref, 'release/')) }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v5.0.0
@@ -35,6 +45,12 @@ jobs:
 
   test:
     name: Test ${{ matrix.package }}
+    # Skip only for the automated release PR (see the build job for rationale).
+    if: >-
+      ${{ !(github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+      && github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'github-actions[bot]'
+      && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
+      && startsWith(github.head_ref, 'release/')) }}
     needs: [build]
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -137,6 +153,12 @@ jobs:
 
   regression:
     name: Regression
+    # Skip only for the automated release PR (see the build job for rationale).
+    if: >-
+      ${{ !(github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+      && github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'github-actions[bot]'
+      && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
+      && startsWith(github.head_ref, 'release/')) }}
     needs: [build]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 15
diff --git a/.github/workflows/typecheck.yml b/.github/workflows/typecheck.yml
index 466fb94b7..28284162e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/typecheck.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/typecheck.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,15 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   typecheck:
     name: Typecheck
+    # Skip CI only for the automated release PR: opened by github-actions[bot],
+    # from this same repo, on a release/* branch (the Create Release PR workflow
+    # posts the required checks as passing for it). Keyed on the PR author, not the
+    # branch name, so a "release/…" branch can't be used to bypass required checks.
+    if: >-
+      ${{ !(github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+      && github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'github-actions[bot]'
+      && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
+      && startsWith(github.head_ref, 'release/')) }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v5.0.0
diff --git a/.github/workflows/version-bump.yml b/.github/workflows/version-bump.yml
index feb9d19e2..a7cbf6cfd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/version-bump.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/version-bump.yml
@@ -97,6 +97,14 @@ jobs:
         uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@271a8d0340265f705b14b6d32b9829c1cb33d45e # v7.0.8
         with:
           token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          # Fully attribute the commit to the GitHub Actions bot (not the human
+          # who clicked "Run workflow", which is create-pull-request's default
+          # author). A bot-authored, GITHUB_TOKEN-pushed commit lets GitHub's
+          # recursion guard suppress the on:pull_request CI runs entirely, so the
+          # release PR never sits in the "Approve and run workflows" gate — the
+          # synthetic check runs posted below satisfy branch protection on their own.
+          author: "github-actions[bot] <41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>"
+          committer: "github-actions[bot] <41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>"
           base: master
           branch: release/${{ steps.bump.outputs.version }}
           # Only commit version files — never workflow files (GITHUB_TOKEN may
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows.yml b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
index 94e057d6a..6ab2edb02 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,15 @@ on:
 jobs:
   build:
     name: Build
+    # Skip CI only for the automated release PR: opened by github-actions[bot],
+    # from this same repo, on a release/* branch (the Create Release PR workflow
+    # posts the required checks as passing for it). Keyed on the PR author, not the
+    # branch name, so a "release/…" branch can't be used to bypass required checks.
+    if: >-
+      ${{ !(github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+      && github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'github-actions[bot]'
+      && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
+      && startsWith(github.head_ref, 'release/')) }}
     runs-on: windows-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v5.0.0
@@ -35,6 +44,12 @@ jobs:
 
   test:
     name: Test ${{ matrix.package }}
+    # Skip only for the automated release PR (see the build job for rationale).
+    if: >-
+      ${{ !(github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+      && github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'github-actions[bot]'
+      && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
+      && startsWith(github.head_ref, 'release/')) }}
     needs: [build]
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false