diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/release-publish.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb98709
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-publish.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+name: Publish Release
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types: [closed]
+    branches: [main]
+  # Escape hatch: re-run a publish that failed mid-flow (e.g. after a fix to
+  # this workflow). Reads the version from the package.json currently on main.
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      package:
+        description: "Package to (re)publish"
+        required: true
+        type: choice
+        options:
+          - compact-builder
+          - compact-cli
+          - compact-simulator
+
+jobs:
+  publish:
+    name: Publish merged release
+    if: >-
+      github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' ||
+      (github.event.pull_request.merged == true &&
+       contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'release'))
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    environment: compact-npm-prod # Final approval gate before npm publish
+
+    permissions:
+      contents: write   # push the version tag
+      id-token: write   # npm provenance
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Get github app token
+        uses: actions/create-github-app-token@f8d387b68d61c58ab83c6c016672934102569859 # v3.0.0
+        id: gh-app-token
+        with:
+          app-id: ${{ vars.GH_APP_ID }}
+          private-key: ${{ secrets.GH_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
+
+      # For pull_request runs: checkout the merge commit (deterministic view of
+      # what was just merged). For manual dispatch: checkout the dispatched ref
+      # (defaults to main but can be any branch — hotfix, release-prep, etc.).
+      # The compact-npm-prod environment approval is the security gate, not the
+      # branch ref.
+      - name: Check out target ref
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          ref: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.pull_request.merge_commit_sha || github.ref }}
+          token: ${{ steps.gh-app-token.outputs.token }}
+
+      - name: Detect released package
+        id: pkg
+        env:
+          EVENT: ${{ github.event_name }}
+          MERGE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.merge_commit_sha }}
+          INPUT_PACKAGE: ${{ inputs.package }}
+        run: |
+          if [[ "$EVENT" == "workflow_dispatch" ]]; then
+            PKG="$INPUT_PACKAGE"
+            case "$PKG" in
+              compact-builder)   DIR="builder" ;;
+              compact-cli)       DIR="cli" ;;
+              compact-simulator) DIR="simulator" ;;
+              *)
+                echo "::error::unknown package: $PKG"
+                exit 1
+                ;;
+            esac
+          else
+            mapfile -t CHANGED < <(git diff --name-only "$MERGE_SHA^" "$MERGE_SHA" -- 'packages/*/package.json')
+            COUNT=${#CHANGED[@]}
+            if [[ "$COUNT" -ne 1 ]]; then
+              echo "::error::expected exactly one packages/*/package.json change, found $COUNT"
+              printf '%s\n' "${CHANGED[@]}" >&2
+              exit 1
+            fi
+            DIR=$(echo "${CHANGED[0]}" | awk -F/ '{print $2}')
+            case "$DIR" in
+              builder)   PKG="compact-builder" ;;
+              cli)       PKG="compact-cli" ;;
+              simulator) PKG="compact-simulator" ;;
+              *)
+                echo "::error::unknown package directory: $DIR"
+                exit 1
+                ;;
+            esac
+          fi
+          VERSION=$(node -p "require('./packages/$DIR/package.json').version")
+          echo "dir=$DIR" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "name=$PKG" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "version=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          {
+            echo "### Publishing"
+            echo "- Package: $PKG"
+            echo "- Version: $VERSION"
+            echo "- Trigger: $EVENT"
+          } >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+
+      - name: Setup Environment
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup
+
+      - name: Build package
+        run: yarn build --filter=@openzeppelin/${{ steps.pkg.outputs.name }}
+
+      - name: Create and push tag
+        env:
+          TAG: ${{ steps.pkg.outputs.name }}/v${{ steps.pkg.outputs.version }}
+        run: |
+          if git ls-remote --tags --exit-code origin "refs/tags/$TAG" >/dev/null; then
+            echo "tag $TAG already on origin, leaving it in place"
+          else
+            git tag "$TAG"
+            git push origin "$TAG"
+          fi
+
+      - name: Publish to npm
+        env:
+          NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          yarn config set npmAuthToken "$NPM_TOKEN"
+          cd packages/${{ steps.pkg.outputs.dir }}
+          yarn npm publish --access public --provenance
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 1a25ac4..6f1f301 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -22,12 +22,13 @@ on:
 
 jobs:
   release:
-    name: Release ${{ inputs.package }}
+    name: Open release PR for ${{ inputs.package }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
-    environment: compact-npm-prod # Includes npm token and requires approval
+    environment: compact-npm-prod # Requires approval before opening the release PR
 
     permissions:
-      contents: write # Required to push commits and tags
+      contents: write       # create the release branch
+      pull-requests: write  # open the PR + enable auto-merge
 
     steps:
       - name: Get github app token
@@ -74,35 +75,76 @@ jobs:
           yarn version ${{ inputs.version_bump }}
           NEW_VERSION=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
           echo "new=$NEW_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo "### Release Summary" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-          echo "- Package: ${{ inputs.package }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-          echo "- New version: $NEW_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-          echo "- Bump type: ${{ inputs.version_bump }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo "branch=release/${{ inputs.package }}-v$NEW_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          {
+            echo "### Release Summary"
+            echo "- Package: ${{ inputs.package }}"
+            echo "- New version: $NEW_VERSION"
+            echo "- Bump type: ${{ inputs.version_bump }}"
+          } >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
 
       - name: Verify package contents
         run: |
           cd packages/${{ steps.pkg.outputs.dir }}
           yarn pack --dry-run
 
-      # Uses GitHub API to create signed commits for verification on protected branches
+      # Branch protection blocks direct pushes to main, so route the version bump
+      # through a PR: create branch → signed bot commit → open PR → auto-merge.
+      - name: Create release branch
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.gh-app-token.outputs.token }}
+          BRANCH: ${{ steps.version.outputs.branch }}
+        run: |
+          if gh api "/repos/${{ github.repository }}/git/refs/heads/$BRANCH" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "branch $BRANCH already exists, reusing it"
+          else
+            SHA=$(gh api "/repos/${{ github.repository }}/git/refs/heads/${{ github.ref_name }}" -q .object.sha)
+            gh api --method POST "/repos/${{ github.repository }}/git/refs" \
+              -f ref="refs/heads/$BRANCH" \
+              -f sha="$SHA"
+          fi
+
       - name: Commit version bump
         uses: iarekylew00t/verified-bot-commit@934fa64df2191ab067d0c0d73f422239b6933392 # v2.2.1
         with:
-          message: "Release ${{ inputs.package }} v${{ steps.version.outputs.new }}"
+          message: "release: ${{ inputs.package }} v${{ steps.version.outputs.new }}"
           token: ${{ steps.gh-app-token.outputs.token }}
-          ref: ${{ github.ref_name }}
+          ref: ${{ steps.version.outputs.branch }}
           files: |
             packages/${{ steps.pkg.outputs.dir }}/package.json
 
-      - name: Create and push tag
+      - name: Ensure release label exists
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.gh-app-token.outputs.token }}
         run: |
-          git tag "${{ inputs.package }}/v${{ steps.version.outputs.new }}"
-          git push origin "${{ inputs.package }}/v${{ steps.version.outputs.new }}"
+          gh label create release \
+            --description "Automated release PR" \
+            --color ededed \
+            --force
 
-      - name: Publish to npm
+      - name: Open release PR
+        id: open-pr
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.gh-app-token.outputs.token }}
+          BRANCH: ${{ steps.version.outputs.branch }}
         run: |
-          yarn config set npmAuthToken "$NPM_TOKEN"
-          cd packages/${{ steps.pkg.outputs.dir }}
-          yarn npm publish --access public --provenance
+          cat > /tmp/pr-body.md <<EOF
+          Automated release PR for **${{ inputs.package }}** v${{ steps.version.outputs.new }} (${{ inputs.version_bump }} bump).
+
+          This PR was opened by the release workflow. Once required checks pass (semgrep, CodeQL, code-owner review), it will auto-merge. Merging will trigger the publish workflow, which tags the release and publishes to npm.
+          EOF
+          PR_URL=$(gh pr create \
+            --base "${{ github.ref_name }}" \
+            --head "$BRANCH" \
+            --title "release: ${{ inputs.package }} v${{ steps.version.outputs.new }}" \
+            --label release \
+            --body-file /tmp/pr-body.md)
+          echo "url=$PR_URL" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "- PR: $PR_URL" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+
+      # If this step fails with "auto-merge is not allowed", enable it under
+      # Settings → General → "Allow auto-merge", then re-run the workflow.
+      - name: Enable auto-merge
         env:
-          NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.gh-app-token.outputs.token }}
+        run: gh pr merge "${{ steps.open-pr.outputs.url }}" --auto --squash
diff --git a/.yarnrc.yml b/.yarnrc.yml
index 91b1101..053bc28 100644
--- a/.yarnrc.yml
+++ b/.yarnrc.yml
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@ compressionLevel: mixed
 enableGlobalCache: false
 
 nodeLinker: node-modules
+
+npmPublishRegistry: "https://registry.npmjs.org"
diff --git a/packages/builder/package.json b/packages/builder/package.json
index 5c4667b..938313f 100644
--- a/packages/builder/package.json
+++ b/packages/builder/package.json
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@
   ],
   "author": "OpenZeppelin Community <maintainers@openzeppelin.org>",
   "license": "MIT",
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url": "git+https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/compact-tools.git",
+    "directory": "packages/builder"
+  },
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",
   "types": "./dist/index.d.ts",
diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index 11c8d91..92bac10 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@
   ],
   "author": "OpenZeppelin Community <maintainers@openzeppelin.org>",
   "license": "MIT",
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url": "git+https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/compact-tools.git",
+    "directory": "packages/cli"
+  },
   "type": "module",
   "exports": {
     "./run-builder": "./dist/runBuilder.js",
diff --git a/packages/simulator/package.json b/packages/simulator/package.json
index e73b723..80f8627 100644
--- a/packages/simulator/package.json
+++ b/packages/simulator/package.json
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@
   ],
   "author": "OpenZeppelin Community <maintainers@openzeppelin.org>",
   "license": "MIT",
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url": "git+https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/compact-tools.git",
+    "directory": "packages/simulator"
+  },
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",
   "types": "./dist/index.d.ts",