diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/release-pr.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4478710
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-pr.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+name: release-pr
+
+# Phase 1 of the release flow. Bumps the version, pushes the release
+# commit to a release/vX.Y.Z branch, and opens a PR to main with
+# auto-merge + squash. Once the maintainer approves (required by
+# branch protection) and all status checks pass, the PR merges and
+# release-publish.yml takes over to push the tag, publish to npm via
+# OIDC, and create the GitHub Release.
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      increment:
+        description: "Version increment (used by release-it)"
+        required: false
+        type: choice
+        # The workflow defaults to patch. Choose "minor" (or higher)
+        # the first time you release after v0.0.5 has been removed
+        # from the orphan-tag cleanup: v0.0.5 was prematurely
+        # published to npm by the broken workflow, so the next
+        # publish must skip past it.
+        default: "patch"
+        options:
+          - patch
+          - minor
+          - major
+
+concurrency:
+  group: release
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  pull-requests: write
+
+jobs:
+  release-pr:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    environment: production
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+      issues: write
+      pull-requests: write
+      id-token: write
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+        with:
+          # release-it needs the full history + tags to compute the bump
+          # and write the CHANGELOG.
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v7
+        with:
+          node-version: lts/*
+          package-manager-cache: false
+      - run: npm ci || npm install
+      # GitHub Actions runners ship without a configured git
+      # identity, so configure one from the actor that dispatched the
+      # workflow (per release-it CI docs). Needed for the local commit
+      # release-it creates before we push anything.
+      - name: Configure git identity
+        run: |
+          git config --global user.name "${GITHUB_ACTOR}"
+          git config --global user.email "${GITHUB_ACTOR}@users.noreply.github.com"
+      - name: Bump version
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          # Run release-it with everything that touches the remote
+          # disabled. It still bumps the version in package.json,
+          # writes CHANGELOG.md, creates a local commit, and tags the
+          # commit locally. Defer git push, npm publish, and the
+          # GitHub release to release-publish.yml so the commit can
+          # reach main via a PR (branch protection requires it).
+          npx release-it --ci \
+            --increment "${{ inputs.increment }}" \
+            --no-git.push \
+            --no-npm.publish \
+            --no-github.release
+      - name: Open release PR
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          VERSION=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
+          BRANCH="release/v${VERSION}"
+          # Push the release commit + local tag onto a release branch.
+          # The tag follows the same commit that the PR will contain,
+          # and release-publish.yml will retag onto the squash commit
+          # after merge.
+          git checkout -b "${BRANCH}"
+          git push origin "refs/tags/v${VERSION}" "${BRANCH}"
+          # Open the PR with a conventional title so commitlint + the
+          # pr-title check pass on the release PR.
+          gh pr create \
+            --base main \
+            --head "${BRANCH}" \
+            --title "chore(release): v${VERSION}" \
+            --body "Automated release PR for v${VERSION}.
+
+          Merging this PR will trigger the release-publish workflow, which will push the git tag, publish to npm via OIDC trusted publishing, and create the GitHub Release." \
+            --label release
+          # Auto-merge with squash waits for the 1 approving review (the
+          # dispatching actor can self-approve) and the required status
+          # checks (CI, commitlint, CodeQL) before merging.
+          gh pr merge --auto --squash "${BRANCH}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/release-publish.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f564910
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-publish.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+name: release-publish
+
+# Phase 2 of the release flow. Triggered after a release PR is
+# squash-merged into main. Retags the merged commit, publishes the
+# package to npm via OIDC trusted publishing, and creates the GitHub
+# Release.
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types: [closed]
+    branches: [main]
+
+concurrency:
+  group: release-publish
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  issues: write
+  pull-requests: write
+
+jobs:
+  release-publish:
+    # Only run when the merged PR is one of our release PRs.
+    if: |
+      github.event.pull_request.merged == true &&
+      startsWith(github.event.pull_request.head.ref, 'release/v')
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    environment: production
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+      issues: write
+      pull-requests: write
+      id-token: write
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+        with:
+          # Need tags to retarget onto the merge commit and to be able
+          # to push the tag onto HEAD (the squash-merged commit).
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v7
+        with:
+          node-version: lts/*
+          package-manager-cache: false
+      - run: npm ci || npm install
+      # GitHub Actions runners ship without a configured git identity.
+      - name: Configure git identity
+        run: |
+          git config --global user.name "${GITHUB_ACTOR}"
+          git config --global user.email "${GITHUB_ACTOR}@users.noreply.github.com"
+      - name: Recreate tag on the squash-merged commit and push
+        run: |
+          VERSION=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
+          TAG="v${VERSION}"
+          # Drop the stale local tag (release-it put it on the
+          # pre-merge commit) and put the tag on HEAD (the
+          # squash-merged commit). Force-update the remote tag if a
+          # prior broken run already pushed something to it.
+          git tag -d "${TAG}" 2>/dev/null || true
+          git tag "${TAG}" HEAD
+          git push origin ":refs/tags/${TAG}" 2>/dev/null || true
+          git push origin "${TAG}"
+      - name: Publish to npm
+        env:
+          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: npm publish --provenance --access public
+      - name: Create GitHub Release
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          VERSION=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
+          gh release create "v${VERSION}" \
+            --title "v${VERSION}" \
+            --generate-notes
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 81cd04f..0000000
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,45 +0,0 @@
-name: release
-
-# Releases are automated by release-it. The version bump, CHANGELOG.md,
-# commit, tag, GitHub release, and npm publish (via OIDC trusted publishing)
-# are all driven by `npm run release:ci`. Trigger manually from the
-# Actions tab once the next batch of feature/fix PRs is on main.
-on:
-  workflow_dispatch:
-
-concurrency:
-  group: release
-  cancel-in-progress: false
-
-jobs:
-  release:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    environment: production
-    permissions:
-      contents: write
-      issues: write
-      pull-requests: write
-      id-token: write
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
-        with:
-          # release-it needs the full history + tags to compute the bump
-          # and write the CHANGELOG.
-          fetch-depth: 0
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@v6
-        with:
-          node-version: lts/*
-          package-manager-cache: false
-      - run: npm ci || npm install
-      # release-it commits the version bump + CHANGELOG update and pushes
-      # the tag. GitHub Actions runners ship without a configured git
-      # identity, so configure one from the actor that dispatched the
-      # workflow (per release-it CI docs).
-      - name: Configure git identity
-        run: |
-          git config --global user.name "${GITHUB_ACTOR}"
-          git config --global user.email "${GITHUB_ACTOR}@users.noreply.github.com"
-      - name: Release
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-        run: npm run release:ci