diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-pypi.yml b/.github/workflows/publish-pypi.yml
index 98950542..0f0837ca 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish-pypi.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish-pypi.yml
@@ -66,14 +66,15 @@ jobs:
       - name: Sync KsADK Web static assets
         run: make sync-ksadk-web-static
 
-      - name: Install Chromium for Phase 2 browser gates
-        run: |
-          uv sync --extra all
-          uv run playwright install --with-deps chromium
-
       - name: Run public release preflight
         if: env.PUBLISH_TARGET == 'full'
-        run: make public-preflight
+        # Mirror the 0.8.2 publish preflight shape: version + audit + ksadk-web
+        # sync + test + build/twine check. docs-site-build runs in the
+        # deploy-pages job; the heavy Phase 2 native/browser E2E gates are
+        # already enforced by the pull-request release-check workflow, so
+        # re-running them here only doubles work and stalls on the shared CI
+        # runner.
+        run: make public-preflight-publish
 
       - name: Run alias-only release checks
         if: env.PUBLISH_TARGET == 'alias-only'
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2ad29dd7..475d40db 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -552,6 +552,16 @@ phase2-release-candidate-gate:
 public-preflight: public-version-gate public-audit sync-ksadk-web-static public-test docs-site-build phase2-release-preflight
 	@echo "✅ public preflight passed"
 
+# Lightweight preflight for the PyPI publish workflow.  The publish job runs
+# alongside the deploy-pages job (which already builds/deploys the docs site),
+# and the heavy Phase 2 native/browser E2E gates are already enforced by the
+# pull-request release-check workflow before merge.  Re-running phase2 here
+# doubles the work and stalls on the shared CI runner.  So the publish
+# preflight mirrors the 0.8.2 shape: version + audit + ksadk-web sync + test
+# + build/twine check, without docs-site-build or phase2-release-preflight.
+public-preflight-publish: public-version-gate public-audit sync-ksadk-web-static public-test public-build-check
+	@echo "✅ public publish preflight passed"
+
 public-publish-check:
 	@echo "==> publication state check"
 	@if [ -f "scripts/check_publication_state.py" ]; then \