diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-core.yml b/.github/workflows/release-core.yml
index 1bd1338..1432b63 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-core.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-core.yml
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ on:  # yamllint disable-line rule:truthy
       finalize_sha:
         description: "Release branch SHA after finalization"
         value: ${{ jobs.finalize.outputs.finalize_sha }}
+      tag_already_exists:
+        description: "Remote publish tag already exists at finalize SHA (retry path)"
+        value: ${{ jobs.finalize.outputs.tag_already_exists }}
       image_tag:
         description: "Resolved devcontainer image tag"
         value: ${{ jobs.validate.outputs.image_tag }}
@@ -239,18 +242,7 @@ jobs:
           echo "publish_version=$PUBLISH_VERSION" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "next_rc=$NEXT_RC" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
-      - name: Verify publish tag does not exist
-        env:
-          PUBLISH_VERSION: ${{ steps.publish_meta.outputs.publish_version }}
-        run: |
-          if git ls-remote --exit-code --tags --refs origin "refs/tags/$PUBLISH_VERSION" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-            echo "ERROR: Tag $PUBLISH_VERSION already exists"
-            exit 1
-          fi
-          if git rev-parse -q --verify "refs/tags/$PUBLISH_VERSION" > /dev/null; then
-            echo "ERROR: Local tag $PUBLISH_VERSION already exists"
-            exit 1
-          fi
+      # Remote tag vs finalize SHA is validated in the finalize job (tag_state) after finalize_sha is known.
 
       - name: Find and verify PR
         id: pr
@@ -349,6 +341,7 @@ jobs:
     if: ${{ inputs.dry_run != true }}
     outputs:
       finalize_sha: ${{ steps.finalize.outputs.finalize_sha }}
+      tag_already_exists: ${{ steps.tag_state.outputs.tag_already_exists }}
 
     steps:
       - name: Generate commit app token
@@ -492,6 +485,34 @@ jobs:
           fi
           echo "finalize_sha=$FINALIZE_SHA" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
+      - name: Check if publish tag already exists at finalize SHA
+        id: tag_state
+        env:
+          PUBLISH_VERSION: ${{ needs.validate.outputs.publish_version }}
+          FINALIZE_SHA: ${{ steps.finalize.outputs.finalize_sha }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          REMOTE_LINE=$(git ls-remote origin "refs/tags/${PUBLISH_VERSION}^{}" || true)
+          if [ -z "$REMOTE_LINE" ]; then
+            REMOTE_LINE=$(git ls-remote origin "refs/tags/${PUBLISH_VERSION}" || true)
+          fi
+          if [ -z "$REMOTE_LINE" ]; then
+            echo "tag_already_exists=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "No remote tag ${PUBLISH_VERSION} yet"
+            exit 0
+          fi
+          REMOTE_TARGET_SHA=$(printf '%s\n' "$REMOTE_LINE" | awk '{print $1}')
+          if [ -z "$REMOTE_TARGET_SHA" ]; then
+            echo "tag_already_exists=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            exit 0
+          fi
+          if [ "$REMOTE_TARGET_SHA" != "$FINALIZE_SHA" ]; then
+            echo "ERROR: Tag $PUBLISH_VERSION exists but target commit is $REMOTE_TARGET_SHA; expected $FINALIZE_SHA (finalize SHA)"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "tag_already_exists=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "Remote tag $PUBLISH_VERSION already points to finalize SHA; publish will skip tag create/push"
+
   test:
     name: Test Finalized Release
     needs: [validate, finalize]
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/release-publish.yml
index 60ae8dd..00afaef 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-publish.yml
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ on:  # yamllint disable-line rule:truthy
         required: false
         default: "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
         type: string
+      tag_already_exists:
+        description: "Skip tag create/push when remote tag already points at finalize SHA"
+        required: false
+        default: false
+        type: boolean
     secrets:
       token:
         required: false
@@ -134,6 +139,7 @@ jobs:
           git config user.email "$GIT_USER_EMAIL"
 
       - name: Create and push tag
+        if: ${{ !inputs.tag_already_exists }}
         env:
           PUBLISH_VERSION: ${{ inputs.publish_version }}
         run: |
@@ -143,6 +149,9 @@ jobs:
             if retry --retries 3 --backoff 5 --max-backoff 30 -- git ls-remote --tags --refs origin "$PUBLISH_VERSION" | grep -q "refs/tags/$PUBLISH_VERSION$"; then
               LOCAL_TAG_TARGET_SHA=$(git rev-parse "$PUBLISH_VERSION^{}")
               REMOTE_TAG_TARGET_SHA=$(retry --retries 3 --backoff 5 --max-backoff 30 -- git ls-remote --tags origin "refs/tags/$PUBLISH_VERSION^{}" | awk '{print $1}')
+              if [ -z "$REMOTE_TAG_TARGET_SHA" ]; then
+                REMOTE_TAG_TARGET_SHA=$(retry --retries 3 --backoff 5 --max-backoff 30 -- git ls-remote --tags origin "refs/tags/$PUBLISH_VERSION" | awk '{print $1}')
+              fi
               if [ -z "$REMOTE_TAG_TARGET_SHA" ]; then
                 echo "ERROR: Remote tag exists but target SHA could not be resolved: $PUBLISH_VERSION"
                 exit 1
@@ -181,8 +190,20 @@ jobs:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.auth.outputs.token }}
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
-          if retry --retries 2 --backoff 5 --max-backoff 20 -- gh release view "$PUBLISH_VERSION" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            echo "ERROR: GitHub Release already exists for tag $PUBLISH_VERSION"
+          if RELEASE_JSON=$(retry --retries 2 --backoff 5 --max-backoff 20 -- gh release view "$PUBLISH_VERSION" --json isDraft,isPrerelease 2>/dev/null); then
+            IS_DRAFT=$(printf '%s' "$RELEASE_JSON" | jq -r '.isDraft')
+            if [ "$IS_DRAFT" = "true" ]; then
+              echo "Draft GitHub Release already exists for $PUBLISH_VERSION; skipping create (retry path)."
+              exit 0
+            fi
+            if [ "$RELEASE_KIND" = "candidate" ]; then
+              IS_PRERELEASE=$(printf '%s' "$RELEASE_JSON" | jq -r '.isPrerelease')
+              if [ "$IS_PRERELEASE" = "true" ]; then
+                echo "Pre-release already exists for $PUBLISH_VERSION; skipping create (candidate retry path)."
+                exit 0
+              fi
+            fi
+            echo "ERROR: Published (non-draft) GitHub Release already exists for tag $PUBLISH_VERSION"
             exit 1
           fi
           if [ "$RELEASE_KIND" = "candidate" ]; then
@@ -195,7 +216,9 @@ jobs:
             retry --retries 3 --backoff 5 --max-backoff 30 -- gh release create "$PUBLISH_VERSION" \
               --title "$PUBLISH_VERSION" \
               --notes-file /tmp/release-notes.md \
-              --verify-tag
+              --verify-tag \
+              --draft
+            echo "Draft GitHub Release created; publish from ${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/releases when review is complete."
           fi
 
       - name: Set outputs
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 81b097e..e32d1c5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ jobs:
       release_kind: ${{ needs.core.outputs.release_kind }}
       git_user_name: ${{ inputs.git-user-name }}
       git_user_email: ${{ inputs.git-user-email }}
+      tag_already_exists: ${{ needs.core.outputs.tag_already_exists }}
     secrets: inherit
 
   rollback:
@@ -183,17 +184,6 @@ jobs:
             fi
           fi
 
-      - name: Delete tag if created
-        if: ${{ needs.core.outputs.publish_version != '' }}
-        continue-on-error: true
-        env:
-          PUBLISH_VERSION: ${{ needs.core.outputs.publish_version }}
-        run: |
-          set -euo pipefail
-          if git ls-remote origin "refs/tags/$PUBLISH_VERSION" | grep -q "$PUBLISH_VERSION"; then
-            retry --retries 3 --backoff 5 --max-backoff 30 -- git push origin ":refs/tags/$PUBLISH_VERSION" || true
-          fi
-
       - name: Create failure issue
         if: ${{ needs.core.outputs.version != '' }}
         env:
@@ -213,5 +203,9 @@ jobs:
           **Release PR:** #$PR_NUMBER
 
           **Automatic rollback attempted:**
-          - Release branch reset to pre-finalization state
-          - Release tag deleted (if created)"
+          - Release branch reset to pre-finalization state (best-effort)
+
+          **Tag status (forward-fix policy):**
+          - Release tags are not deleted by automation (workflow choice; GitHub immutable-release lock-in applies only after a release is **published** when that setting is enabled). If a tag was pushed before the failure, it remains on the remote.
+          - Use a new release candidate to validate fixes, then re-run the final release when ready.
+          - If a draft GitHub Release exists, manage it from the Releases UI; **publishing** locks the linked tag and assets when **immutable releases** are enabled."
diff --git a/.github/workflows/repository-dispatch.yml b/.github/workflows/repository-dispatch.yml
index bc12e5c..882cd21 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/repository-dispatch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/repository-dispatch.yml
@@ -894,7 +894,8 @@ jobs:
           ## Manual cleanup guidance
           - Inspect deploy/release PRs and workflow logs before retrying.
           - If needed, close stale release PRs and delete stale \`release/<version>\` branch.
-          - Re-dispatch using a new RC tag/version once root cause is fixed.
+          - Do not rewrite or delete **published** GitHub Releases (or their linked tags when **immutable releases** are enabled) to retry the same version; bare git tags without a published release are not locked by that feature unless a tag ruleset applies.
+          - After fixing the root cause upstream, publish a **new** RC tag (or a new final attempt only after branch/tag state matches your release policy), then rely on a fresh dispatch.
           EOF
           )"