diff --git a/.github/actions/macos-code-sign/action.yml b/.github/actions/macos-code-sign/action.yml
index 0e19fa11d0a3..da5a48d6c178 100644
--- a/.github/actions/macos-code-sign/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/macos-code-sign/action.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ inputs:
   binaries:
     description: Space-delimited binary basenames to sign and notarize.
     default: "codex codex-responses-api-proxy"
+  codesign-identifier:
+    description: Optional explicit code signing identifier to embed in signed binaries.
+    required: false
+    default: ""
   sign-binaries:
     description: Whether to sign and notarize the macOS binaries.
     required: false
@@ -56,6 +60,7 @@ runs:
         echo "$APPLE_CERTIFICATE" | base64 -d > "$cert_path"
 
         keychain_path="${RUNNER_TEMP}/codex-signing.keychain-db"
+        echo "APPLE_CODESIGN_KEYCHAIN=$keychain_path" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
         security create-keychain -p "$KEYCHAIN_PASSWORD" "$keychain_path"
         security set-keychain-settings -lut 21600 "$keychain_path"
         security unlock-keychain -p "$KEYCHAIN_PASSWORD" "$keychain_path"
@@ -114,7 +119,6 @@ runs:
         rm -f "$cert_path"
 
         echo "APPLE_CODESIGN_IDENTITY=$APPLE_CODESIGN_IDENTITY" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
-        echo "APPLE_CODESIGN_KEYCHAIN=$keychain_path" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
         echo "::add-mask::$APPLE_CODESIGN_IDENTITY"
 
     - name: Sign macOS binaries
@@ -123,6 +127,7 @@ runs:
       env:
         TARGET: ${{ inputs.target }}
         BINARIES: ${{ inputs.binaries }}
+        CODESIGN_IDENTIFIER: ${{ inputs.codesign-identifier }}
       run: |
         set -euo pipefail
 
@@ -137,10 +142,14 @@ runs:
         fi
 
         entitlements_path="$GITHUB_ACTION_PATH/codex.entitlements.plist"
+        identifier_args=()
+        if [[ -n "${CODESIGN_IDENTIFIER:-}" ]]; then
+          identifier_args+=(--identifier "$CODESIGN_IDENTIFIER")
+        fi
 
         for binary in ${BINARIES}; do
           path="codex-rs/target/${TARGET}/release/${binary}"
-          codesign --force --options runtime --timestamp --entitlements "$entitlements_path" --sign "$APPLE_CODESIGN_IDENTITY" "${keychain_args[@]}" "$path"
+          codesign --force --options runtime --timestamp --entitlements "$entitlements_path" --sign "$APPLE_CODESIGN_IDENTITY" "${keychain_args[@]}" "${identifier_args[@]}" "$path"
         done
 
     - name: Notarize macOS binaries
@@ -238,8 +247,6 @@ runs:
     - name: Remove signing keychain
       if: ${{ always() }}
       shell: bash
-      env:
-        APPLE_CODESIGN_KEYCHAIN: ${{ env.APPLE_CODESIGN_KEYCHAIN }}
       run: |
         set -euo pipefail
         if [[ -n "${APPLE_CODESIGN_KEYCHAIN:-}" ]]; then
diff --git a/.github/workflows/fork-release.yml b/.github/workflows/fork-release.yml
index a77792f3a025..6028cac0ce9f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/fork-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/fork-release.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ concurrency:
 
 jobs:
   compute-release:
+    if: ${{ github.ref_name == 'stable' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
       base_version: ${{ steps.compute.outputs.base_version }}
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ jobs:
           python3 scripts/compute_fork_release.py --write-github-output
 
   build:
+    if: ${{ github.ref_name == 'stable' }}
     needs: compute-release
     name: Build - ${{ matrix.target }}
     runs-on: macos-15
@@ -194,6 +196,20 @@ jobs:
           log_progress "[60%] Cargo build completed in ${duration_min}m (${duration_sec}s)"
           append_summary "- [60%] Cargo build completed in ${duration_min}m (${duration_sec}s)"
 
+      - name: "[62%] Sign and notarize release binary"
+        uses: ./.github/actions/macos-code-sign
+        with:
+          target: ${{ matrix.target }}
+          binaries: codex
+          codesign-identifier: com.rickgetz.codex
+          sign-binaries: "true"
+          sign-dmg: "false"
+          apple-certificate: ${{ secrets.APPLE_CERTIFICATE_P12 }}
+          apple-certificate-password: ${{ secrets.APPLE_CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD }}
+          apple-notarization-key-p8: ${{ secrets.APPLE_NOTARIZATION_KEY_P8 }}
+          apple-notarization-key-id: ${{ secrets.APPLE_NOTARIZATION_KEY_ID }}
+          apple-notarization-issuer-id: ${{ secrets.APPLE_NOTARIZATION_ISSUER_ID }}
+
       - name: "[65%] Stage artifacts"
         shell: bash
         run: |
@@ -211,6 +227,7 @@ jobs:
           path: dist/${{ matrix.target }}/*
 
   release:
+    if: ${{ github.ref_name == 'stable' }}
     needs:
       - compute-release
       - build
@@ -303,6 +320,7 @@ jobs:
             dist/**/*.zst
 
   publish-npm:
+    if: ${{ github.ref_name == 'stable' }}
     needs: release
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
diff --git a/docs/fork-release.md b/docs/fork-release.md
index 717a844c2d6d..b3842e8a1b98 100644
--- a/docs/fork-release.md
+++ b/docs/fork-release.md
@@ -45,6 +45,28 @@ fails if they contain secret-like paths such as `.npmrc`, `.env*`, `.ssh/`,
 `.aws/`, or key/certificate files. The publish step also redacts auth-shaped
 output before writing logs.
 
+## One-time Apple signing setup
+
+The fork release workflow signs and notarizes the Apple Silicon `codex` binary
+before it is packaged for npm. The signed binary uses the code signing identifier
+`com.rickgetz.codex`, which gives macOS Keychain a stable code identity across
+npm upgrades.
+
+Configure these GitHub Actions secrets before relying on the release workflow:
+
+- `APPLE_CERTIFICATE_P12`: base64-encoded Developer ID Application certificate
+  exported as a `.p12`.
+- `APPLE_CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD`: password for the exported `.p12`.
+- `APPLE_NOTARIZATION_KEY_P8`: base64-encoded App Store Connect API key.
+- `APPLE_NOTARIZATION_KEY_ID`: key ID for the notarization API key.
+- `APPLE_NOTARIZATION_ISSUER_ID`: issuer ID for the notarization API key.
+
+The workflow imports the certificate into a temporary keychain, signs with the
+hardened runtime enabled, notarizes the binary, and deletes the temporary
+keychain before the build job exits. The certificate and notarization key are
+not added to any npm tarball; the publish job still audits tarball contents
+before publishing.
+
 ## Automatic counter behavior
 
 The workflow derives the upstream base version from `codex-rs/Cargo.toml` and
@@ -62,11 +84,17 @@ Merge or push to `stable` and the workflow will:
 1. Read the base version from `codex-rs/Cargo.toml`.
 2. Compute the next fork counter for that base release line.
 3. Build the macOS release binaries with the derived display version.
-4. Create the matching `rick-v<base>-rick.<n>` tag on the merge commit.
-5. Generate GitHub release notes that separate fork changes from mainline
+4. Sign and notarize the Apple Silicon `codex` binary with
+   `com.rickgetz.codex`.
+5. Create the matching `rick-v<base>-rick.<n>` tag on the merge commit.
+6. Generate GitHub release notes that separate fork changes from mainline
    Codex refreshes.
-6. Create a GitHub release.
-7. Publish the npm package.
+7. Create a GitHub release.
+8. Publish the npm package.
+
+Manual `workflow_dispatch` runs are guarded to `stable` as well. Dispatching the
+workflow from another branch skips the release jobs so Apple signing secrets are
+only exposed to the maintained release branch.
 
 ## Release notes