diff --git a/scripts/audit-release.sh b/scripts/audit-release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..41f0267
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/audit-release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Checks a built disk image the way a first-time download is checked, and
+# fails on anything a downloader would hit.
+#
+# release.sh runs this at the end, but it takes a path, so it also works on a
+# downloaded image:
+#
+#     ./scripts/audit-release.sh ~/Downloads/TypeSwitch-1.0.0.dmg 1.0.0
+set -eu
+
+if [ "$#" -lt 1 ] || [ "$#" -gt 2 ]; then
+    echo "Usage: $0 <dmg-path> [expected-version]" >&2
+    exit 2
+fi
+
+dmg=$1
+expected_version=${2-}
+work_dir=$(mktemp -d -t typeswitch-audit)
+work_dir=$(CDPATH='' cd -- "$work_dir" && pwd -P)
+mount_dir="$work_dir/mount"
+mkdir "$mount_dir"
+mounted=0
+
+cleanup() {
+    status=$?
+    trap - EXIT HUP INT TERM
+
+    if [ "$mounted" -eq 1 ] && ! hdiutil detach "$mount_dir" >/dev/null; then
+        echo "Audit cleanup failed: could not detach $mount_dir." >&2
+        status=1
+    fi
+
+    if mount | grep -Fq " on $mount_dir "; then
+        echo "Audit cleanup warning: $mount_dir is still mounted." >&2
+        status=1
+    else
+        case "$(basename "$work_dir")" in
+            typeswitch-audit.*) rm -rf "$work_dir" || status=1 ;;
+            *) echo "Refusing to remove unexpected audit directory: $work_dir" >&2; status=1 ;;
+        esac
+    fi
+
+    exit "$status"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+trap 'exit 1' HUP INT TERM
+
+fail() {
+    echo "Release audit failed: $1" >&2
+    exit 1
+}
+
+if [ ! -f "$dmg" ]; then
+    fail "no disk image at $dmg"
+fi
+
+hdiutil verify "$dmg" >/dev/null
+
+xcrun stapler validate "$dmg" >/dev/null 2>&1 \
+    || fail "the disk image carries no stapled notarization ticket."
+
+spctl --assess --type open --context context:primary-signature "$dmg" >/dev/null 2>&1 \
+    || fail "Gatekeeper rejects the disk image."
+
+hdiutil attach -nobrowse -readonly -mountpoint "$mount_dir" "$dmg" >/dev/null
+mounted=1
+
+app="$mount_dir/TypeSwitch.app"
+executable="$app/Contents/MacOS/TypeSwitch"
+
+[ -d "$app" ] || fail "the disk image holds no TypeSwitch.app."
+
+codesign --verify --deep --strict "$app"
+signature=$(codesign -d --verbose=4 "$app" 2>&1)
+
+printf '%s\n' "$signature" | grep -q '^Authority=Developer ID Application: ' \
+    || fail "the app is not signed with a Developer ID Application certificate."
+printf '%s\n' "$signature" | grep -q '^TeamIdentifier=[A-Z0-9]' \
+    || fail "no team identifier is embedded."
+printf '%s\n' "$signature" | grep -q '^Timestamp=' \
+    || fail "the signature carries no secure timestamp."
+printf '%s\n' "$signature" | grep -q 'flags=.*runtime' \
+    || fail "the hardened runtime is not enabled."
+
+# The reason this script exists. Stapling only the image leaves the copy
+# someone drags out of it depending on a network round trip to Apple on first
+# launch, and nothing else here would notice that coming back.
+xcrun stapler validate "$app" >/dev/null 2>&1 \
+    || fail "the app inside the image carries no stapled ticket of its own."
+
+assessment=$(spctl --assess --type exec --verbose=4 "$app" 2>&1 || true)
+printf '%s\n' "$assessment" | grep -Fq "source=Notarized Developer ID" \
+    || fail "Gatekeeper does not report the app as notarized:
+$assessment"
+
+if [ -n "$expected_version" ]; then
+    actual=$(plutil -extract CFBundleShortVersionString raw "$app/Contents/Info.plist")
+    [ "$actual" = "$expected_version" ] \
+        || fail "expected version $expected_version, found $actual."
+fi
+
+architectures=$(lipo -archs "$executable")
+case " $architectures " in
+    *" arm64 "*) ;;
+    *) fail "Apple silicon architecture is missing (found: $architectures)." ;;
+esac
+
+echo "Release audit passed: Developer ID signature, hardened runtime, secure timestamp,"
+echo "tickets stapled to both the image and the app, Gatekeeper accepts, arm64 present."
diff --git a/scripts/release.sh b/scripts/release.sh
index eabea14..95d4924 100755
--- a/scripts/release.sh
+++ b/scripts/release.sh
@@ -135,10 +135,10 @@ xcrun stapler staple "$dmg"
 
 # --- Verify ----------------------------------------------------------------
 # What a first-time download goes through, checked here rather than discovered
-# by whoever downloads it.
+# by whoever downloads it. The image and the app inside it are both checked,
+# which is what stops the stapling above from quietly going away again.
 
-xcrun stapler validate "$dmg"
-spctl --assess --type open --context context:primary-signature -v "$dmg"
+"$project_dir/scripts/audit-release.sh" "$dmg" "$version"
 
 # Written from inside the directory, so the file names the image rather than
 # this machine's directory layout: `shasum -c` looks for the path it is given,