diff --git a/RELEASING.md b/RELEASING.md
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+# Releasing OpenYXDB
+
+Standard procedure for cutting an OpenYXDB release and publishing to PyPI.
+
+## Steps
+
+1. **Bump the version.** Update `version` in `pyproject.toml`.
+2. **Update the changelog.** Move the `[Unreleased]` notes in
+   [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) under a new `## [X.Y.Z] - YYYY-MM-DD`
+   heading.
+3. **Commit.** `release: vX.Y.Z` (see `git log` for the established style).
+   Push the commit to `main` (directly or via PR) and let CI run on it.
+4. **Confirm CI is green before tagging.** `publish.yml` triggers directly
+   on `push: tags: ["v*"]` and has no way to depend on `ci.yml` passing -
+   GitHub Actions can't `needs:` a job defined in another workflow file.
+   So this has to be checked by hand, before the tag exists, not after:
+
+   ```sh
+   scripts/check-release-ready.sh main
+   ```
+
+   This resolves the ref to a commit and checks that the most recent
+   `ci.yml` run for that commit completed successfully. It refuses (exit 1)
+   if CI hasn't run yet or didn't pass. Run it against the exact commit
+   you're about to tag.
+
+5. **Tag.** Once the check passes, create an annotated tag on that commit
+   and push it:
+
+   ```sh
+   git tag -a vX.Y.Z -m "vX.Y.Z"
+   git push origin vX.Y.Z
+   ```
+
+   The tag push triggers `publish.yml`, which builds the sdist and wheels
+   (Linux, macOS, Windows) and publishes to PyPI via trusted publishing.
+6. **Verify.** Watch the run (`gh run watch` or the Actions tab) and check
+   the new version shows up on [PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/openyxdb/).
+
+## Notes
+
+- Not every version bump has to be tagged/published immediately; a
+  version can be bumped and committed to `main` without a corresponding
+  tag if the release itself isn't ready to ship yet. Only a pushed `vX.Y.Z`
+  tag triggers a publish.
+- This repo has no `audit.yml`, so `check-release-ready.sh` only checks
+  `ci.yml`.
diff --git a/scripts/check-release-ready.sh b/scripts/check-release-ready.sh
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+++ b/scripts/check-release-ready.sh
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+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Refuse to say a commit is release-ready unless the most recent ci.yml run
+# for that commit completed successfully.
+#
+# publish.yml triggers directly on `push: tags: ["v*"]` and GitHub Actions
+# has no way for one workflow file to `needs:` a job defined in a separate
+# workflow file, so this check has to run before the tag is created (see
+# RELEASING.md and https://github.com/Sigilweaver/OpenYXDB/issues/1).
+#
+# This repo has no audit.yml, so only ci.yml is checked.
+#
+# Usage: scripts/check-release-ready.sh [ref]
+#   ref defaults to HEAD.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+ref="${1:-HEAD}"
+# `^{commit}` peels annotated tags to the commit they point at; git rev-parse
+# on a bare tag name otherwise returns the tag object's own SHA, which never
+# has a CI run against it.
+sha="$(git rev-parse "${ref}^{commit}")"
+
+echo "Checking release readiness for $ref ($sha)..."
+
+check_workflow() {
+  local workflow="$1"
+  local runs
+  runs="$(gh run list -w "$workflow" -c "$sha" --json status,conclusion,url -L 1)"
+
+  if [[ "$(echo "$runs" | jq 'length')" -eq 0 ]]; then
+    echo "FAIL: no run of $workflow found for commit $sha" >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  local status conclusion url
+  status="$(echo "$runs" | jq -r '.[0].status')"
+  conclusion="$(echo "$runs" | jq -r '.[0].conclusion')"
+  url="$(echo "$runs" | jq -r '.[0].url')"
+
+  if [[ "$status" != "completed" ]]; then
+    echo "FAIL: latest $workflow run for $sha has not completed (status=$status) - $url" >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  if [[ "$conclusion" != "success" ]]; then
+    echo "FAIL: latest $workflow run for $sha did not succeed (conclusion=$conclusion) - $url" >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  echo "OK: $workflow succeeded for $sha - $url"
+  return 0
+}
+
+if check_workflow "ci.yml"; then
+  echo "Release ready: ci.yml is green for $sha"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+exit 1