diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 264536d..df17a68 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 name: Release
 
 # Manually-triggered release workflow.
-# Runs `npm run bump-version <version>` to update every manifest, commits
-# the bump on `main`, tags it, pushes, and creates a GitHub release with
-# auto-generated notes assembled from PRs since the previous tag.
+# Runs `npm run bump-version <version>` to update every manifest, then
+# opens a one-shot release PR (because main is protected and rejects
+# direct pushes — see GH013), squash-merges it, tags the merged commit,
+# pushes the tag, and creates a GitHub release with auto-generated notes
+# assembled from PRs since the previous tag.
 #
 # Usage: GitHub web UI → Actions → "Release" → "Run workflow" → enter the
-# new semver (e.g. `1.0.1`).
+# new semver (e.g. `1.0.1`). Or via CLI:
+#
+#     gh workflow run release.yml -f version=1.0.1
 
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
@@ -17,7 +21,8 @@ on:
         type: string
 
 permissions:
-  contents: write   # commit + tag + release
+  contents: write        # tag + release
+  pull-requests: write   # open + merge the release PR (main is protected)
 
 jobs:
   release:
@@ -77,14 +82,45 @@ jobs:
           git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
           git config user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
 
-      - name: Commit, tag, and push
+      - name: Push the bump on a release branch
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
           version="${{ inputs.version }}"
+          branch="release/v${version}"
+          git checkout -b "$branch"
           git add package.json package-lock.json plugins/opencode/.claude-plugin/plugin.json .claude-plugin/marketplace.json
           git commit -m "chore(release): v${version}"
+          git push origin "$branch"
+
+      - name: Open the release PR and merge it
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          version="${{ inputs.version }}"
+          branch="release/v${version}"
+          # Direct pushes to main are blocked by the "Changes must be made
+          # through a pull request" branch protection rule, so the release
+          # workflow opens a one-shot PR and immediately squash-merges it.
+          # This still satisfies the rule (the change goes via a PR) while
+          # keeping the workflow fully automated.
+          pr_url=$(gh pr create \
+            --base main \
+            --head "$branch" \
+            --title "chore(release): v${version}" \
+            --body "Automated release PR generated by \`.github/workflows/release.yml\`. Bumps every version-bearing manifest to v${version}.")
+          echo "Created release PR: $pr_url"
+          gh pr merge "$pr_url" --squash --delete-branch
+
+      - name: Tag the merged commit on main
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          version="${{ inputs.version }}"
+          # Pick up the squash-merge commit that gh pr merge just created.
+          git fetch origin main
+          git checkout main
+          git reset --hard origin/main
           git tag -a "v${version}" -m "Release v${version}"
-          git push origin HEAD:main
           git push origin "v${version}"
 
       - name: Create GitHub release