17 changed files with 109 additions and 761 deletions
--- a/.github/labeler.yml
+++ b/.github/labeler.yml
@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ scope:release-flow:
          - CHANGELOG.md
          - drills/**
          - test/decide.test.sh
-          - test/preflight.test.sh
          - test/facts.test.sh
          - test/release-chain.test.sh
          - test/version.test.sh
--- a/.github/scripts/release-path.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/release-path.sh
@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ printf '%s\n' \
  bin/ \
  lib/version.sh \
  lib/decide.sh \
-  lib/preflight.sh \
  lib/facts.sh \
  lib/changelog.sh \
  lib/forge.sh
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@ -205,40 +205,31 @@ jobs:
          fi
          changelog_section CHANGELOG.md "$VER" > "$RUNNER_TEMP/notes.md"
          cat "$RUNNER_TEMP/notes.md"
-      - name: preflight — resume this merge, refuse every other collision
-        id: preflight
+      - name: nothing may exist yet — no tag, no release (re-runs refuse loudly)
        if: steps.decide.outputs.ceremony == 'yes'
        env:
          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
          VER: ${{ steps.facts.outputs.ver }}
-          MERGE_SHA: ${{ github.sha }}
-        # The pure table in lib/preflight.sh distinguishes a stranded run of
-        # this door from a completed release or a tag at another commit (#273).
+        # What makes a re-run of a completed ceremony refuse instead of
+        # clobber, and what catches a manual tag racing the merge.
        run: |
-          tag_read_rc=0
-          tag_refs="$(git ls-remote --exit-code origin "refs/tags/$VER" "refs/tags/$VER^{}")" || tag_read_rc=$?
-          case "$tag_read_rc" in
-            0) tag_shas="$(printf '%s\n' "$tag_refs" | awk 'NF { print $1 }')" ;;
-            2) tag_shas="" ;;
-            *)
-              echo "could not read tag '$VER' from origin (git ls-remote exit $tag_read_rc) — refusing rather than assuming it does not exist." >&2
-              exit 1
-              ;;
-          esac
-          # shellcheck source=/dev/null
-          . "$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/forge.sh"
-          forge_select ""
-          if ! released="$(forge_release_exists "$VER")"; then
-            echo "could not read whether release '$VER' exists — refusing rather than assuming it does not (#191)." >&2
+          if git ls-remote --exit-code origin "refs/tags/$VER" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "tag '$VER' already exists — this release already happened, or a manual tag won the race; refusing to re-release, creating nothing." >&2
            exit 1
          fi
          # shellcheck source=/dev/null
-          . "$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/preflight.sh"
-          out="$(TAG_SHAS="$tag_shas" RELEASED="$released" release_preflight)"
-          printf '%s\n' "$out"
-          printf '%s\n' "$out" | grep '^resume=' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          . "$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/forge.sh"
+          forge_select ""
+          if ! exists="$(forge_release_exists "$VER")"; then
+            echo "could not read whether release '$VER' exists — refusing rather than assuming it does not (#191)." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          if [ "$exists" = yes ]; then
+            echo "release '$VER' already exists — refusing to re-release, creating nothing." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
      - name: tag the merge commit — same job as the publish, on purpose
-        if: steps.decide.outputs.ceremony == 'yes' && steps.preflight.outputs.resume != 'yes'
+        if: steps.decide.outputs.ceremony == 'yes'
        env:
          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
          VER: ${{ steps.facts.outputs.ver }}
@ -372,22 +363,6 @@ jobs:
          fi
          changelog_section CHANGELOG.md "$VER" > "$RUNNER_TEMP/notes.md"
          cat "$RUNNER_TEMP/notes.md"
-      - name: no published release may exist
-        env:
-          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
-          VER: ${{ steps.assert.outputs.ver }}
-        run: |
-          # shellcheck source=/dev/null
-          . "$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/forge.sh"
-          forge_select ""
-          if ! exists="$(forge_release_exists "$VER")"; then
-            echo "could not read whether release '$VER' exists — refusing rather than assuming it does not (#191)." >&2
-            exit 1
-          fi
-          if [ "$exists" = yes ]; then
-            echo "release '$VER' already exists — refusing to re-release, creating nothing." >&2
-            exit 1
-          fi
      - name: artifact hook — the consumer's own release-artifact action
        # After the tag exists (it fired this door), before the publish —
        # the same contract as the merge door's twin step.
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ workflow that carries it.
 consumer's release, when it is stale.)

 **The merge is the ship decision; the tag is transcription.** After the
-merge, [release.yml](.github/workflows/release.yml#L136-L310) asserts its
-way to certainty, tags the merge commit, publishes the forge release with
+merge, [release.yml](.github/workflows/release.yml#L136-L301) asserts its
+way to certainty, tags the merge commit, publishes the GitHub release with
 the version's own changelog section as the body — the curated prose, never
 the generated PR list ([lib/changelog.sh](lib/changelog.sh) is the one
 canonical extractor, and [bin/changelog-section](bin/changelog-section) is
@ -127,13 +127,12 @@ steps run past the tag, and what a failure at each leaves behind is what
 sorts them. Two fail before the release exists: the consumer's
 [artifact hook](docs/CONSUMERS.md#the-artifact-hook) sits between the tag and
 the publish, so its non-zero exit aborts, and the publish itself
-([`forge_release_create`](.github/workflows/release.yml#L264-L277))
+([`gh release create --verify-tag`](.github/workflows/release.yml#L246-L258))
 can fail on the API call or the assets. Either leaves the same state — a tag
-standing and no release — which the merge-door preflight recognizes and a
-re-run resumes. The tag door remains the fallback when the original run is no
-longer reachable or the release must come from a fixed tree. The third is the
-re-arm, which runs after the publish, and its refusal is the single failure in
-this file that leaves a real release behind.
+standing and no release — which the
+[nothing-exists assert](#the-merge-door-refused-releaseyml) names and the tag
+door recovers. The third is the re-arm, which runs after the publish, and its
+refusal is the single failure in this file that leaves a real release behind.

 ## The two doors

@ -142,20 +141,18 @@ this file that leaves a real release behind.
  `release`-labeled PR whose version transitioned to bare is the ceremony,
  everything legitimate that isn't one is a green no-op, and every
  half-ceremony dies loudly
-  ([release.yml](.github/workflows/release.yml#L136-L310)). Use it for every
+  ([release.yml](.github/workflows/release.yml#L136-L301)). Use it for every
  normal release.

 - **The tag door — the fallback and the backfill.** A bare `X.Y.Z` tag push
  — **no `v` prefix**, box's 0.6.0 set the scheme
-  ([release.yml](.github/workflows/release.yml#L325-L410)) — publishes the
+  ([release.yml](.github/workflows/release.yml#L303-L371)) — publishes the
  same way. The tag is the operator's explicit act, so there is no decide
-  and no label check — what is left is three asserts: **the tag names the
+  and no label check — what is left is two asserts: **the tag names the
  tree's own version**
-  ([L350–L361](.github/workflows/release.yml#L350-L361)), **the tagged
+  ([L328–L339](.github/workflows/release.yml#L328-L339)) and **the tagged
  tree carries a publishable `## X.Y.Z` section**
-  ([L362–L374](.github/workflows/release.yml#L362-L374)), and **no published
-  release already exists for the tag**
-  ([L375–L390](.github/workflows/release.yml#L375-L390)); any failure
+  ([L340–L352](.github/workflows/release.yml#L340-L352)); either failing
  refuses, creating nothing. No `-dev` bump either
  — the fallback does not rewrite main (cast's precedent). Use it when the
  merge path is red, for backfills, and for the
@ -473,7 +470,7 @@ so this line can only appear when some *other* caller invokes `version_read`
 directly with a backend that is neither `file` nor `package-json`. Fix that
 caller.

-### The merge door refused ([release.yml](.github/workflows/release.yml#L136-L310))
+### The merge door refused ([release.yml](.github/workflows/release.yml#L136-L301))

 > CHANGELOG.md has no '## $VER' section at the merge commit — the ceremony PR must stamp it; refusing to publish an empty release

@ -483,21 +480,22 @@ without its stamp (a state the
 the PR — red main here means it was overridden). Stamp the section on main,
 then publish by the tag door.

-> release '$VER' already exists — this release already happened; refusing to re-release, creating nothing.
-> tag '$VER' already exists at <tag sha> but this run would tag <MERGE_SHA> — a manual tag won the race, or it names a different commit; refusing to re-release, creating nothing. Delete that tag, or re-tag the merge commit.
-> NOTICE: tag '$VER' already stands at this merge commit and no release exists — a previous run of this door tagged and then failed to publish. Resuming: the tag is not recreated; the artifact hook and the publish run.
+> tag '$VER' already exists — this release already happened, or a manual tag won the race; refusing to re-release, creating nothing.
+> release '$VER' already exists — refusing to re-release, creating nothing.

-[L208–L239](.github/workflows/release.yml#L208-L239), the merge-door
-preflight — the published-release refusal prevents clobbering, the
-different-commit refusal diagnoses a racing or manual tag with both SHAs, and
-the notice resumes this door after its tag succeeded but the artifact hook or
-publish failed. Re-run the merge-door job first. If that run is no longer
-reachable or the tree itself needs repair, use the tag-door fallback: delete
-and re-push the tag from the fixed tree, or run `forge_release_create` by hand.
+[L208–L223](.github/workflows/release.yml#L208-L223), the nothing-exists
+assert — what makes a re-run of a completed ceremony refuse instead of
+clobber, and what catches a manual tag racing the merge. If the release
+truly exists, there is nothing to do: this red is the system declining to do
+the thing twice. If the tag exists but the release does not (a manual tag
+won the race, or
+[a failed artifact hook](docs/CONSUMERS.md#the-artifact-hook), or the publish
+step itself failing after the tag), recover by the tag door: delete and
+re-push the tag, or `gh release create` by hand from a fixed tree.

 > direct push refused (branch protection?) — opening the bump PR instead

-[L302–L310](.github/workflows/release.yml#L302-L310) — loud, but not a
+[L293–L301](.github/workflows/release.yml#L293-L301) — loud, but not a
 refusal: the post-release `-dev` bump could not push directly, so the run
 opened a `release`-labeled bump PR itself. Your move: merge it promptly —
 until it lands, main is sitting bare, where a dev install impersonates the
@ -505,35 +503,29 @@ release and the
 [armed guard's window](#changelog-armed--main-never-sits-disarmed) stays
 open.

-### The tag door refused ([release.yml](.github/workflows/release.yml#L325-L410))
+### The tag door refused ([release.yml](.github/workflows/release.yml#L303-L371))

 > tag '$GITHUB_REF_NAME' does not match the tree's version '$ver' — creating nothing.
 > A release is a PR, then a tag: the release PR bumps the version and stamps the changelog; the tag goes on its MERGE commit. Delete this tag and re-tag the right commit.

-[L356–L359](.github/workflows/release.yml#L356-L359). The message is the
+[L333–L337](.github/workflows/release.yml#L333-L337). The message is the
 remedy.

 > CHANGELOG.md has no '## $VER' section — run changelog-assemble in the release PR before tagging; refusing to publish an empty release

-[L368–L374](.github/workflows/release.yml#L368-L374). The tagged tree was
+[L346–L349](.github/workflows/release.yml#L346-L349). The tagged tree was
 never stamped. Assemble the section
 ([docs/CONSUMERS.md](docs/CONSUMERS.md#assembling-a-release-section)), then
 delete and re-push the tag.

-> release '$VER' already exists — refusing to re-release, creating nothing.
-
-[L375–L390](.github/workflows/release.yml#L375-L390). A published release is
-never replaced by the fallback. If it is correct, there is nothing to do; if
-it is wrong, correct that published artifact deliberately before retrying.
-
-### The re-arm refused ([release.yml](.github/workflows/release.yml#L276-L310))
+### The re-arm refused ([release.yml](.github/workflows/release.yml#L267-L301))

 The bump belongs to the merge door alone — the tag door deliberately does not
-rewrite main ([L325–L329](.github/workflows/release.yml#L325-L329)) — and it
+rewrite main ([L303–L307](.github/workflows/release.yml#L303-L307)) — and it
 runs *after* the tag, the notes and the publish. So a refusal here leaves a
 real release standing behind a main that never re-armed — the release exists,
 and main is left *armed to impersonate* it, still reading the version it just
-shipped ([L275](.github/workflows/release.yml#L275)). That is the one failure
+shipped ([L266](.github/workflows/release.yml#L266)). That is the one failure
 in this catalog whose remedy is a manual bump, not a re-run.

 > version_next_dev: refusing '$ver' — expected bare X.Y.Z
@ -581,7 +573,7 @@ In every case the remedy has the same shape — bump `VERSION` (or the
 shipped version was bare, and where it was an rc, whatever you have decided
 comes next. Note that a *push* refusal is not one of these — branch
 protection is expected, and the step opens the bump PR itself rather than
-failing ([L302–L310](.github/workflows/release.yml#L302-L310)).
+failing ([L293–L301](.github/workflows/release.yml#L293-L301)).

 ### Red main that is not the release workflow

--- a/2
+++ b/2
@ -1 +1 @@
-0.6.4-dev
+0.6.3
--- a/actions/labels-reconcile/labels-reconcile.sh
+++ b/actions/labels-reconcile/labels-reconcile.sh
@ -270,8 +270,7 @@ set_required_bots() { # the PR author is recused by construction
 # The state machine. Pure functions over these globals, set per PR:
 #   DRAFT        true|false
 #   HEAD_SHA     the PR's current head commit
-#   BASE_SHA     the PR's base branch head
-#   MERGE_BASE_SHA  the PR's merge base (the release-shape guard's ref)
+#   BASE_SHA     the PR's base branch head (the release-shape guard's ref)
 #   REQUESTED    newline-separated logins with a review currently requested
 #   REVIEWS_JSON JSON array of submitted, gradeable reviews
 #   MERGEABLE    MERGEABLE | CONFLICTING | UNKNOWN  (GitHub's own verdict)
@ -919,8 +918,7 @@ reconcile_pr() { # $1 = PR number; relies on the globals set from its fetch
  # Drafts are exempt (the build phase is the builder's); the version
  # reads cost two API calls and only on PRs missing the label.
  if [ "$DRAFT" != true ] && ! has_label release; then
-    release_shape_warning "$n" "$(tree_version "$HEAD_SHA")" \
-      "$(tree_version "${MERGE_BASE_SHA:-$BASE_SHA}")"
+    release_shape_warning "$n" "$(tree_version "$HEAD_SHA")" "$(tree_version "$BASE_SHA")"
  fi

  # ---- merge-next: cleared, never set ----------------------------------
@ -1033,7 +1031,6 @@ main() {
      set_required_bots "$AUTHOR"
      HEAD_SHA="$(jq -r '.head.sha' <<<"$PR_JSON")"
      BASE_SHA="$(jq -r '.base.sha' <<<"$PR_JSON")"
-      MERGE_BASE_SHA="$(jq -r '.merge_base // empty' <<<"$PR_JSON")"
      LABELS="$(jq -r '.labels[].name' <<<"$PR_JSON")"
      # This allow-list answers whether a row is a submitted, gradeable review;
      # bot_verdict separately answers what that submitted verdict says (#235).
--- a/changelog.d/269.md
+++ b/changelog.d/269.md
@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-### Fixed
-
- The upstream deferral record now names its floor and a dated measurement instead of a frozen `0.7.4` ceiling that expired before it was written (#269).
-
-### Changed
-
- `docs/UPSTREAM-SYNC.md` now records unconditionally that the next sync campaign merges rather than ports, and so advances the ancestry baseline (#269).
--- a/changelog.d/271.md
+++ b/changelog.d/271.md
@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-### Fixed
-
- Forgejo release publishing now stages drafts until assets upload, rolls back failures, and recovers stranded same-tag drafts before retrying (#271).
--- a/changelog.d/273.md
+++ b/changelog.d/273.md
@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-### Fixed
-
- Merge-door release reruns resume after a matching stranded tag while completed or conflicting releases still refuse with precise diagnostics (#273).
--- a/changelog.d/275.md
+++ b/changelog.d/275.md
@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-### Fixed
-
- Compare release-shaped pull requests with their merge base so later base-branch releases do not create phantom version-change warnings (#275).
--- a/docs/UPSTREAM-SYNC.md
+++ b/docs/UPSTREAM-SYNC.md
@ -30,33 +30,10 @@ The ancestry baseline therefore remains the full `.upstream-ref` value
 `upstream-0.6.x` for upstream's line and bare `0.6.x` for releases cut on this
 forge.

-Upstream's drill-record fixes and the upstream `0.7.x` line remain deferred to
-the next sync campaign. That line has no ceiling this file can hold still —
-upstream tags roughly one release a week — so what is recorded here is its
-floor and the date it was last measured: `0.7.0` onward, `0.7.6` newest as
-measured 2026-08-27. Run `git ls-remote --tags` for today's ceiling. The
-sentence this replaced froze `0.7.4` and was already a release behind on the
-day it was written.
-
-## The next campaign merges
-
-The next sync campaign is a merge, not a port, and it therefore advances
-`.upstream-ref` to the commit it merges. The operator ruled this on #268 on
-2026-08-27, when release-init found no forge-local work to fill an `0.6.4` and
-opened no window.
-
-The reason is the ancestry baseline. `.upstream-ref` has been pinned at
-`8c3a4d1` — upstream `0.6.0`, merged by #198 — because 0.6.2 came across as a
-port and a port moves no ancestry. Another port would leave it pinned and
-guarantee a third, larger campaign against a delta that is still growing.
-
-Size it before starting. With upstream's tags fetched read-only per step 1,
-`git diff --shortstat 8c3a4d1dee2bdb5ac06a632a285bb65ab2615214 0.7.6`
-was 92 files and +25,121/-971 over 488 commits when measured 2026-08-27, and
-the three action scripts the forge delta is heaviest in all move:
-`runner-isolated` +1619, `issueflow-reconcile` +913, `labels-reconcile` +889.
-Step 4 of the procedure below — the audit of what merged *without* conflicting
-— is where that size is actually paid for.
+Upstream's drill-record fixes and the upstream `0.7.0` through `0.7.4` line
+remain deferred to the next sync campaign. If that campaign merges rather
+than ports, it is the campaign that advances `.upstream-ref`; another port
+leaves the ancestry baseline unchanged.

 ## The standing resolutions

--- a/lib/forge-forgejo.sh
+++ b/lib/forge-forgejo.sh
@ -25,12 +25,12 @@ forgejo_api_base() {
  # THE TRAP, measured on this instance with REPO unset (#191, caught by
  # @kimi on !193 before it shipped):
  #
-#   forge_release_exists 0.4.1  -> "no", rc 0   (repos//releases/tags/0.4.1
-#                                                404s; a repo-less path read
-#                                                as "the published release
-#                                                does not exist" — and the
-#                                                nothing-exists assert would
-#                                                then proceed to CREATE)
+  #   forge_release_exists 0.4.1  -> "no", rc 0   (repos//releases/tags/0.4.1
+  #                                                404s; a repo-less path read
+  #                                                as "the release does not
+  #                                                exist" — and the
+  #                                                nothing-exists assert would
+  #                                                then proceed to CREATE)
  #   forge_commit_pulls <sha>    -> "[]", rc 0   (a commit that HAS a merged
  #                                                PR behind it, read as none)
  #
@ -672,31 +672,22 @@ forgejo_read_code() {
  rm -f "$hdr"
 }

-# forge_release_exists <tag> — prints `yes` for a published release and `no`
-# for a draft or a 404. A non-zero exit means the read did not complete and
-# the answer is UNKNOWN; the caller must not treat that as `no` (#191, #271).
+# forge_release_exists <tag> — prints `yes` or `no`. A non-zero exit means
+# the read did not complete and the answer is UNKNOWN; the caller must not
+# treat that as `no` (#191).
 forge_release_exists() {
-  local tag="${1:?forge_release_exists: tag required}" body code draft
+  local tag="${1:?forge_release_exists: tag required}" body code
  body="$(mktemp)"
  code="$(forgejo_read_code "repos/$REPO/releases/tags/$tag" "$body")" || { rm -f "$body"; return 1; }
+  rm -f "$body"
  case "$code" in
-    2*)
-      if ! draft="$(jq -r 'if has("draft") then .draft else false end' "$body" 2>/dev/null)" \
-        || [[ "$draft" != true && "$draft" != false ]]; then
-        rm -f "$body"
-        echo "forge_release_exists: unreadable draft state for release '$tag' — the answer is unknown, not 'no'" >&2
-        return 1
-      fi
-      [ "$draft" = true ] && echo no || echo yes
-      ;;
+    2*) echo yes ;;
    404) echo no ;;
    *)
-      rm -f "$body"
      echo "forge_release_exists: HTTP $code reading release '$tag' — the answer is unknown, not 'no'" >&2
      return 1
      ;;
  esac
-  rm -f "$body"
 }

 # forge_commit_pulls <sha> — the pull requests whose merge produced <sha>, as
@ -774,74 +765,20 @@ forgejo_urlencode() {
  jq -rn --arg s "${1-}" '$s|@uri'
 }

-# forgejo_release_cleanup_draft <id> <tag> — best-effort rollback after a
-# post-create failure. The caller has already printed the original failure;
-# cleanup can add evidence but must never replace that diagnosis (#271).
-forgejo_release_cleanup_draft() {
-  local id="${1:?forgejo_release_cleanup_draft: id required}"
-  local tag="${2:?forgejo_release_cleanup_draft: tag required}" cleanup
-  if ! cleanup="$(forgejo_write DELETE "repos/$REPO/releases/$id" '' 2>&1)"; then
-    [ -z "$cleanup" ] || printf '%s\n' "$cleanup" >&2
-    echo "forge_release_create: cleanup failed; stranded draft $id for tag '$tag'" >&2
-  fi
-  return 0
-}
-
-# forge_release_create <tag> <title> <notes-file> [asset…] — creates a draft,
-# uploads every asset, then publishes it. Any failure after create removes the
-# draft, so the function leaves either a complete published release or nothing.
+# forge_release_create <tag> <title> <notes-file> [asset…] — publishes, then
+# uploads each asset to the created release. The release id comes back from
+# the create, so no second lookup is needed.
 forge_release_create() {
  local tag="${1:?forge_release_create: tag required}" title="${2:?forge_release_create: title required}"
  local notes="${3:?forge_release_create: notes file required}" out id base token
-  local existing code draft existing_id
  shift 3
-
-  # A previous rollback whose DELETE failed must not wedge the next attempt.
-  # Remove only a draft for this exact tag; a published release is never
-  # touched and its create will retain Forgejo's ordinary conflict refusal.
-  existing="$(mktemp)"
-  code="$(forgejo_read_code "repos/$REPO/releases/tags/$tag" "$existing")" || { rm -f "$existing"; return 1; }
-  case "$code" in
-    2*)
-      if ! draft="$(jq -r 'if has("draft") then .draft else false end' "$existing" 2>/dev/null)" \
-        || [[ "$draft" != true && "$draft" != false ]]; then
-        rm -f "$existing"
-        echo "forge_release_create: unreadable draft state for release '$tag' — refusing to replace it" >&2
-        return 1
-      fi
-      if [ "$draft" = true ]; then
-        existing_id="$(jq -r '.id // empty' "$existing")"
-        if [ -z "$existing_id" ]; then
-          rm -f "$existing"
-          echo "forge_release_create: the stranded draft for tag '$tag' has no release id — refusing to replace it" >&2
-          return 1
-        fi
-        echo "forge_release_create: removing stranded draft $existing_id for tag '$tag' before publish" >&2
-        if ! forgejo_write DELETE "repos/$REPO/releases/$existing_id" '' >/dev/null; then
-          rm -f "$existing"
-          echo "forge_release_create: could not remove stranded draft $existing_id for tag '$tag'" >&2
-          return 1
-        fi
-      fi
-      ;;
-    404) ;;
-    *)
-      rm -f "$existing"
-      echo "forge_release_create: HTTP $code checking for a stranded draft for tag '$tag' — refusing to publish" >&2
-      return 1
-      ;;
-  esac
-  rm -f "$existing"
-
  out="$(forgejo_write POST "repos/$REPO/releases" \
    "$(jq -nc --arg t "$tag" --arg n "$title" --rawfile b "$notes" \
-        '{tag_name:$t,name:$n,body:$b,draft:true,prerelease:false}')")" || return 1
+        '{tag_name:$t,name:$n,body:$b,draft:false,prerelease:false}')")" || return 1
  id="$(printf '%s' "$out" | jq -r '.id // empty')"
  [ -n "$id" ] || { echo "forge_release_create: the create returned no release id" >&2; return 1; }
-  if ! base="$(forgejo_api_base)"; then
-    forgejo_release_cleanup_draft "$id" "$tag"
-    return 1
-  fi
+  [ "$#" -gt 0 ] || return 0
+  base="$(forgejo_api_base)" || return 1
  token="${GH_TOKEN:-${GITHUB_TOKEN:-${FORGEJO_TOKEN:-}}}"
  local f name
  for f in "$@"; do
@ -855,16 +792,8 @@ forge_release_create() {
    curl -sS -f -X POST -H "Authorization: token $token" \
      -F "attachment=@$f" \
      "$base/repos/$REPO/releases/$id/assets?name=$name" >/dev/null \
-      || {
-        echo "forge_release_create: asset upload failed for '$f'" >&2
-        forgejo_release_cleanup_draft "$id" "$tag"
-        return 1
-      }
+      || { echo "forge_release_create: asset upload failed for '$f'" >&2; return 1; }
  done
-  if ! forgejo_write PATCH "repos/$REPO/releases/$id" '{"draft":false}' >/dev/null; then
-    forgejo_release_cleanup_draft "$id" "$tag"
-    return 1
-  fi
 }

 # forge_pr_create <head> <base> <title> <body> <label…> — POST /pulls takes
--- a/lib/preflight.sh
+++ b/lib/preflight.sh
@ -1,81 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-# lib/preflight.sh — the merge door's resume decision, pure and exhaustively
-# tested (issue #273).
-#
-# A merge-door run creates the tag before the artifact hook and release. A
-# failed hook or publish therefore leaves a tag but no release. Re-running the
-# same merge commit must resume after that irreversible step; a published
-# release or a tag naming another commit must still refuse.
-#
-# Pure: no repository or forge reads. The workflow establishes four facts:
-#
-#   VER         the version being released
-#   MERGE_SHA   the commit this door would tag
-#   TAG_SHAS    object names returned for the direct and peeled tag refs,
-#               newline-separated; empty means the tag is absent
-#   RELEASED    yes|no — whether a published release for VER exists
-#
-# Output: resume=yes or resume=no on stdout, notices to stdout, refusals to
-# stderr, return 1 on refusal.
-#
-# The decision table (this IS the spec — issue #273):
-#
-# | # | RELEASED | TAG_SHAS contains MERGE_SHA | result                    |
-# |---|----------|------------------------------|---------------------------|
-# | 1 | yes      | either                       | REFUSE: already released   |
-# | 2 | no       | empty                        | resume=no: ordinary run    |
-# | 3 | no       | yes                          | resume=yes + resume NOTICE |
-# | 4 | no       | non-empty, no                | REFUSE: tag is elsewhere   |
-
-release_preflight() {
-  local tag_sha sha
-
-  if [ -z "${VER:-}" ]; then
-    printf '%s\n' "VER is empty — the caller failed to establish the release version. Refusing to decide — creating nothing." >&2
-    return 1
-  fi
-  if [ -z "${MERGE_SHA:-}" ]; then
-    printf '%s\n' "MERGE_SHA is empty — the caller failed to establish the merge commit. Refusing to decide — creating nothing." >&2
-    return 1
-  fi
-  if [ -z "${RELEASED:-}" ]; then
-    printf '%s\n' "RELEASED is empty — the caller failed to establish whether release '$VER' exists. Refusing to decide — creating nothing." >&2
-    return 1
-  fi
-  case "$RELEASED" in
-    yes | no) ;;
-    *)
-      printf '%s\n' "RELEASED='$RELEASED' — expected yes or no. Refusing to decide — creating nothing." >&2
-      return 1
-      ;;
-  esac
-
-  # Row 1 comes first: deleting a tag under a standing release never makes
-  # that release safe to recreate.
-  if [ "$RELEASED" = yes ]; then
-    printf '%s\n' "release '$VER' already exists — this release already happened; refusing to re-release, creating nothing." >&2
-    return 1
-  fi
-
-  # Row 2: an absent tag is the ordinary first run.
-  if [ -z "${TAG_SHAS:-}" ]; then
-    printf '%s\n' 'resume=no'
-    return 0
-  fi
-
-  # Row 3: compare each object name as a whole line. For an annotated tag the
-  # direct ref names the tag object and the peeled ref names MERGE_SHA.
-  while IFS= read -r sha; do
-    if [ "$sha" = "$MERGE_SHA" ]; then
-      printf '%s\n' "NOTICE: tag '$VER' already stands at this merge commit and no release exists — a previous run of this door tagged and then failed to publish. Resuming: the tag is not recreated; the artifact hook and the publish run."
-      printf '%s\n' 'resume=yes'
-      return 0
-    fi
-  done <<<"$TAG_SHAS"
-
-  # Row 4: the first object name is enough to diagnose the conflicting tag;
-  # MERGE_SHA is printed beside it so the operator sees both sides.
-  tag_sha="${TAG_SHAS%%$'\n'*}"
-  printf '%s\n' "tag '$VER' already exists at $tag_sha but this run would tag $MERGE_SHA — a manual tag won the race, or it names a different commit; refusing to re-release, creating nothing. Delete that tag, or re-tag the merge commit." >&2
-  return 1
-}
--- a/test/forge-backends.test.sh
+++ b/test/forge-backends.test.sh
@ -952,25 +952,16 @@ check "...and never hits the flat /pulls/{n}/comments endpoint" 1 "" \
 #   tag creation          GitHub  POST /git/refs
 #                         Forgejo POST /tags   (/git/refs is GET-only)

-# release_stub <code> <body> [<code> <body>…] — a curl stub answering a
-# sequence of canned responses and recording the method+path it was asked for.
-# The cursor lives in a file because forge_release_create captures
-# forgejo_write in a command substitution; an in-memory counter would advance
-# only in that subshell and every later request would replay response one.
+# release_stub <code> <body> — a curl stub answering one canned response and
+# recording the method+path it was asked for.
 release_stub() {
  # Globals, not locals: the curl closure below runs long after this
  # function returns, exactly as stub_writes does above.
-  STUB_CODES=() STUB_BODIES=()
-  while [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; do
-    STUB_CODES+=("$1") STUB_BODIES+=("$2")
-    shift 2
-  done
-  STUB_READ_CODE="${STUB_CODES[0]}" STUB_READ_BODY="${STUB_BODIES[0]}"
-  printf '0\n' >"$TMP/release-stub-cursor"
+  STUB_CODE="$1" STUB_BODY="$2"
  : >"$WRITES"
  # shellcheck disable=SC2317 # invoked indirectly, by the forge verbs
  curl() {
-    local hdr="" out="" method=GET url="" payload="" fail_on_http=false
+    local hdr="" out="" method=GET url="" payload=""
    while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
      case "$1" in
        -D) hdr="$2"; shift ;;
@ -978,32 +969,18 @@ release_stub() {
        -X) method="$2"; shift ;;
        -d) payload="$2"; shift ;;
        -F) payload="$payload -F $2"; shift ;;
-        -f) fail_on_http=true ;;
        -H) shift ;;
        -*) ;;
        *) url="$1" ;;
      esac
      shift
    done
-    local index code body
-    if [ "$method" = GET ]; then
-      code="$STUB_READ_CODE" body="$STUB_READ_BODY"
-    else
-      index="$(cat "$TMP/release-stub-cursor")"
-      code="${STUB_CODES[$index]:-${STUB_CODES[${#STUB_CODES[@]} - 1]}}"
-      body="${STUB_BODIES[$index]:-${STUB_BODIES[${#STUB_BODIES[@]} - 1]}}"
-      printf '%s\n' "$((index + 1))" >"$TMP/release-stub-cursor"
-    fi
-    [ -n "$hdr" ] && printf 'HTTP/1.1 %s x\r\n\r\n' "$code" >"$hdr"
-    [ -n "$out" ] && printf '%s' "$body" >"$out"
+    [ -n "$hdr" ] && printf 'HTTP/1.1 %s x\r\n\r\n' "$STUB_CODE" >"$hdr"
+    [ -n "$out" ] && printf '%s' "$STUB_BODY" >"$out"
    printf '%s %s %s\n' "$method" "${url##*/api/v1/}" "$payload" >>"$WRITES"
-    if [ "$fail_on_http" = true ]; then
-      case "$code" in 2*) ;; *) return 22 ;; esac
-    fi
    return 0
  }
 }
-release_read() { STUB_READ_CODE="$1" STUB_READ_BODY="$2"; }

 GITHUB_API_URL=https://forge.example/api/v1
 export GITHUB_API_URL
@ -1046,10 +1023,6 @@ check "forgejo: a 500 refuses rather than saying 'none'" 1 "the answer is unknow

 release_stub 200 '{"tag_name":"1.2.3"}'
 check "forgejo: a present release is yes" 0 "yes" forge_release_exists 1.2.3
-release_stub 200 '{"tag_name":"1.2.3","draft":true}'
-check "forgejo: a draft is not a present release" 0 "no" forge_release_exists 1.2.3
-release_stub 200 '{"tag_name":"1.2.3","draft":false}'
-check "forgejo: a published release is present" 0 "yes" forge_release_exists 1.2.3
 release_stub 404 '{}'
 check "forgejo: an absent release is no" 0 "no" forge_release_exists 1.2.3
 release_stub 503 '{}'
@ -1073,22 +1046,9 @@ check "forgejo: the tag body names the target sha" 0 '"target":"cafebabe"' \
  writes_after forge_tag_create 1.2.3 cafebabe

 printf 'notes body\n' >"$TMP/notes.md"
-release_writes_after() { "$@" >/dev/null 2>&1; grep -v '^GET ' "$WRITES"; }
-
-release_stub 201 '{"id":42}' 200 '{}'
-release_read 404 '{}'
+release_stub 201 '{"id":42}'
 check "forgejo: the publish POSTs to /releases with the notes as body" 0 '"body":"notes body' \
-  release_writes_after forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md"
-check "the create stages a draft" 0 '"draft":true' cat "$WRITES"
-zero_asset_writes() {
-  release_stub 201 '{"id":42}' 200 '{}'
-  release_read 404 '{}'
-  forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md" >/dev/null 2>&1
-  local got
-  got="$(grep -v '^GET ' "$WRITES" | sed -E 's/ (\{.*|$)//')"
-  [ "$got" = $'POST repos/o/r/releases\nPATCH repos/o/r/releases/42' ] || { printf '%s\n' "$got"; return 1; }
-}
-check "the zero-asset path creates then publishes" 0 "" zero_asset_writes
+  writes_after forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md"

 # Assets: the hook contract permits any filename the consumer drops in
 # RELEASE_ASSETS_DIR, and the asset name travels as a QUERY VALUE. Raw
@ -1102,179 +1062,18 @@ check "the encoder escapes the query delimiters" 0 "a%26b%23c%2Bd%25e.tgz" \

 printf 'x\n' >"$TMP/release asset.tgz"
 printf 'y\n' >"$TMP/a&b.tgz"
-release_stub 201 '{"id":42}' 201 '{}' 200 '{}'
-release_read 404 '{}'
+release_stub 201 '{"id":42}'
 check "an asset with a space uploads under the encoded name" 0 "assets?name=release%20asset.tgz" \
-  release_writes_after forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md" "$TMP/release asset.tgz"
-release_stub 201 '{"id":42}' 201 '{}' 200 '{}'
-release_read 404 '{}'
+  writes_after forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md" "$TMP/release asset.tgz"
+release_stub 201 '{"id":42}'
 check "an asset with '&' does not become two parameters" 0 "assets?name=a%26b.tgz" \
-  release_writes_after forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md" "$TMP/a&b.tgz"
-release_stub 201 '{"id":42}' 201 '{}' 200 '{}'
-release_read 404 '{}'
+  writes_after forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md" "$TMP/a&b.tgz"
+release_stub 201 '{"id":42}'
 check "the upload targets the created release id" 0 "releases/42/assets" \
-  release_writes_after forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md" "$TMP/a&b.tgz"
-release_stub 201 '{"id":42}' 201 '{}' 200 '{}'
-release_read 404 '{}'
+  writes_after forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md" "$TMP/a&b.tgz"
+release_stub 201 '{"id":42}'
 check "the asset rides as a multipart attachment" 0 "attachment=@" \
-  release_writes_after forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md" "$TMP/a&b.tgz"
-
-happy_asset_writes() {
-  release_stub 201 '{"id":42}' 201 '{}' 201 '{}' 200 '{}'
-  release_read 404 '{}'
-  forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md" "$TMP/release asset.tgz" "$TMP/a&b.tgz" >/dev/null 2>&1
-  local got want
-  got="$(grep -v '^GET ' "$WRITES" | sed -E 's/ (\{.*| -F.*|$)//')"
-  want=$'POST repos/o/r/releases\nPOST repos/o/r/releases/42/assets?name=release%20asset.tgz\nPOST repos/o/r/releases/42/assets?name=a%26b.tgz\nPATCH repos/o/r/releases/42'
-  [ "$got" = "$want" ] || { printf '%s\n' "$got"; return 1; }
-}
-check "assets upload in argument order before the release is published" 0 "" happy_asset_writes
-
-upload_failure() {
-  release_stub 201 '{"id":42}' 500 '{}' 204 '{}'
-  release_read 404 '{}'
-  forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md" "$TMP/a&b.tgz"
-}
-check "an upload failure returns non-zero" 1 "asset upload failed" upload_failure
-check "an upload failure deletes the draft" 0 "DELETE repos/o/r/releases/42" cat "$WRITES"
-
-flip_failure() {
-  release_stub 201 '{"id":42}' 500 '{}' 204 '{}'
-  release_read 404 '{}'
-  forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md"
-}
-check "a publish flip failure returns non-zero" 1 "HTTP 500" flip_failure
-check "a publish flip failure deletes the draft" 0 "DELETE repos/o/r/releases/42" cat "$WRITES"
-
-create_failure() {
-  release_stub 500 '{}'
-  release_read 404 '{}'
-  forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md"
-}
-check "a create failure returns non-zero" 1 "HTTP 500" create_failure
-check "a create failure has nothing to delete" 1 "" grep -q '^DELETE ' "$WRITES"
-
-missing_release_id() {
-  release_stub 201 '{}'
-  release_read 404 '{}'
-  forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md"
-}
-check "a create without an id keeps its refusal" 1 "returned no release id" missing_release_id
-check "a create without an id deletes nothing unknown" 1 "" grep -q '^DELETE ' "$WRITES"
-
-stranded_cleanup_failure() {
-  release_stub 201 '{"id":42}' 500 '{"message":"upload refused"}' 500 '{"message":"delete refused"}'
-  release_read 404 '{}'
-  forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md" "$TMP/a&b.tgz"
-}
-check "cleanup failure preserves the original failure" 1 "asset upload failed" stranded_cleanup_failure
-check "cleanup failure also names the stranded draft" 1 "stranded draft 42 for tag '1.2.3'" stranded_cleanup_failure
-
-release_stub 204 '{}' 201 '{"id":42}' 200 '{}'
-release_read 200 '{"id":41,"tag_name":"1.2.3","draft":true}'
-forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md" >/dev/null 2>&1
-stranded_draft_order() {
-  local got
-  got="$(grep -v '^GET ' "$WRITES" | head -2 | sed -E 's/ (\{.*|$)//')"
-  [ "$got" = $'DELETE repos/o/r/releases/41\nPOST repos/o/r/releases' ] || { printf '%s\n' "$got"; return 1; }
-}
-check "a stranded same-tag draft is deleted before create" 0 "" stranded_draft_order
-
-release_stub 409 '{}'
-release_read 200 '{"id":41,"tag_name":"1.2.3","draft":false}'
-forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md" >/dev/null 2>&1
-check "a published same-tag release is never deleted" 1 "" grep -q '^DELETE ' "$WRITES"
-
-# The merge door's preflight step is extracted and executed. Its network
-# edges are stubbed at the boundary, while the real pure decision library
-# consumes the gathered facts (#273).
-MERGE_PREFLIGHT="$TMP/merge-preflight.sh"
-{
-  printf '%s\n' '#!/usr/bin/env bash' 'set -e'
-  yq -r '.jobs.release-on-merge.steps[] | select(.id == "preflight") | .run' \
-    "$ROOT/.github/workflows/release.yml"
-} >"$MERGE_PREFLIGHT"
-chmod +x "$MERGE_PREFLIGHT"
-
-mkdir -p "$TMP/merge-preflight-lib/lib" "$TMP/merge-preflight-bin"
-ln -s "$ROOT/lib/preflight.sh" "$TMP/merge-preflight-lib/lib/preflight.sh"
-# shellcheck disable=SC2016 # expanded when the generated helper runs
-printf '%s\n' \
-  'forge_select() { :; }' \
-  'forge_release_exists() { case "$RELEASE_EXISTS" in error) return 1 ;; *) echo "$RELEASE_EXISTS" ;; esac; }' \
-  >"$TMP/merge-preflight-lib/lib/forge.sh"
-# shellcheck disable=SC2016 # expanded when the PATH stub is executed
-printf '%s\n' \
-  '#!/usr/bin/env bash' \
-  'case "$GIT_LS_REMOTE" in' \
-  '  absent) exit 2 ;;' \
-  '  error) exit 128 ;;' \
-  '  *) printf "%s\n" "$GIT_LS_REMOTE" ;;' \
-  'esac' >"$TMP/merge-preflight-bin/git"
-chmod +x "$TMP/merge-preflight-bin/git"
-
-merge_preflight_extracted() { [ "$(wc -l <"$MERGE_PREFLIGHT")" -ge 8 ]; }
-run_merge_preflight() {
-  : >"$TMP/merge-preflight-output"
-  CEREMONY_DIR="$TMP/merge-preflight-lib" \
-    GITHUB_OUTPUT="$TMP/merge-preflight-output" \
-    PATH="$TMP/merge-preflight-bin:$PATH" \
-    VER=1.2.3 MERGE_SHA=1111111111111111111111111111111111111111 \
-    RELEASE_EXISTS="$1" GIT_LS_REMOTE="$2" "$MERGE_PREFLIGHT"
-}
-merge_preflight_output_is() {
-  run_merge_preflight "$1" "$2" >/dev/null && \
-    [ "$(cat "$TMP/merge-preflight-output")" = "$3" ]
-}
-
-check "the merge door's preflight is extracted" 0 "" merge_preflight_extracted
-check "the merge door refuses an unreadable release state" 1 \
-  "refusing rather than assuming" run_merge_preflight error absent
-check "the merge door refuses an unreadable tag state" 1 \
-  "could not read tag '1.2.3'" run_merge_preflight no error
-check "ls-remote exit 2 is tag absence and proceeds" 0 "" \
-  merge_preflight_output_is no absent resume=no
-check "a matching peeled ref records a resume" 0 "" \
-  merge_preflight_output_is no \
-  $'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa\trefs/tags/1.2.3\n1111111111111111111111111111111111111111\trefs/tags/1.2.3^{}' \
-  resume=yes
-tag_step_uses_preflight() {
-  yq -r '.jobs.release-on-merge.steps[] | select(.name | test("tag the merge commit")) | .if' \
-    "$ROOT/.github/workflows/release.yml" | grep -q 'steps.preflight.outputs.resume'
-}
-check "the merge-door tag step is conditioned on the preflight output" 0 "" \
-  tag_step_uses_preflight
-
-# The tag door's published-release guard is extracted and executed, like the
-# other workflow-shell contracts in this repository. The tag itself is this
-# door's premise, so only a published release refuses; adding the merge door's
-# ls-remote half here would destroy the documented delete-and-re-push recovery.
-TAG_GUARD="$TMP/tag-release-guard.sh"
-{
-  printf '%s\n' '#!/usr/bin/env bash' 'set -e'
-  yq -r '.jobs.release-on-tag.steps[] | select(.name == "no published release may exist") | .run' \
-    "$ROOT/.github/workflows/release.yml"
-} >"$TAG_GUARD"
-chmod +x "$TAG_GUARD"
-mkdir -p "$TMP/tag-guard-lib/lib"
-# shellcheck disable=SC2016 # expanded when the generated helper runs, not while this test writes it
-printf '%s\n' \
-  'forge_select() { :; }' \
-  'forge_release_exists() { case "$RELEASE_EXISTS" in error) return 1 ;; *) echo "$RELEASE_EXISTS" ;; esac; }' \
-  >"$TMP/tag-guard-lib/lib/forge.sh"
-
-tag_guard_extracted() { [ "$(wc -l <"$TAG_GUARD")" -ge 8 ]; }
-run_tag_guard() {
-  CEREMONY_DIR="$TMP/tag-guard-lib" VER=1.2.3 RELEASE_EXISTS="$1" "$TAG_GUARD"
-}
-tag_door_has_no_tag_exists_guard() {
-  ! yq -r '.jobs.release-on-tag.steps[].run // ""' "$ROOT/.github/workflows/release.yml" | grep -q 'ls-remote'
-}
-check "the tag door's published-release guard is extracted" 0 "" tag_guard_extracted
-check "the tag door refuses an existing published release" 1 "release '1.2.3' already exists" run_tag_guard yes
-check "the tag door proceeds when no published release exists" 0 "" run_tag_guard no
-check "the tag door refuses when release state is unreadable" 1 "refusing rather than assuming" run_tag_guard error
-check "the tag door carries no tag-exists guard" 0 "" tag_door_has_no_tag_exists_guard
+  writes_after forge_release_create 1.2.3 1.2.3 "$TMP/notes.md" "$TMP/a&b.tgz"

 # --- the github twins address their own paths ----------------------------
 . "$ROOT/lib/forge-github.sh"
--- a/test/labels-reconcile.test.sh
+++ b/test/labels-reconcile.test.sh
@ -175,93 +175,6 @@ expect "an unreadable head version is silent — never nag on a guess" "" \
 expect "a bare head over an unreadable base still warns" yes \
  "$(release_shape_warning 41 2.0.0 "" | grep -qF '::warning::' && echo yes || echo no)"

-# The pure matrix above proves the warning predicate. These two fixtures drive
-# the sweep boundary that chooses WHICH base tree feeds it (#275): the
-# reporting Forgejo payload exposes the PR's moving base tip beside its fixed
-# merge base, and using the former manufactures a downgrade after an
-# intervening release. A missing merge-base field deliberately keeps the
-# specified base-tip fallback for backends that do not supply that fact.
-release_shape_ref_probe() { # $1 = phantom | bump | fallback
-  (
-    # shellcheck disable=SC2030 # this probe intentionally isolates its repository fixture
-    REPO=owner/repo
-    LABELS_CONF="$FIXTURE_CONF"
-    CEREMONY_FORGE=github
-    mode="$1"
-    refs="$RTMP/release-shape-$mode-refs"
-    : >"$refs"
-    case "$mode" in
-      phantom)
-        head_ver=1.3.0 base_tip_ver=1.4.0 merge_base_ver=1.3.0
-        merge_base_json='"merge-base"' ;;
-      bump)
-        head_ver=1.4.0 base_tip_ver=1.3.0 merge_base_ver=1.3.0
-        merge_base_json='"merge-base"' ;;
-      fallback)
-        head_ver=1.4.0 base_tip_ver=1.4.0 merge_base_ver=unused
-        merge_base_json=null ;;
-      *) return 2 ;;
-    esac
-    # shellcheck disable=SC2317 # reached through the GitHub backend selected above
-    gh() {
-      if [ "$1" = label ] && [ "$2" = list ]; then
-        core_label_rows | cut -d'|' -f1
-        return 0
-      fi
-      if [ "$1" = pr ] && [ "$2" = list ]; then
-        printf '701\n'
-        return 0
-      fi
-      if [ "$1" = pr ] && [ "$2" = view ]; then
-        jq -n '{mergeable:"MERGEABLE",statusCheckRollup:[]}'
-        return 0
-      fi
-      if [ "$1" = issue ] && [ "$2" = edit ]; then return 0; fi
-      case "$(forge_stub_path "$*")" in
-        *'repos/owner/repo/pulls/701 --jq .requested_reviewers'*) return 0 ;;
-        *repos/owner/repo/pulls/701/reviews*) return 0 ;;
-        *repos/owner/repo/pulls/701)
-          jq -n --argjson merge_base "$merge_base_json" \
-            '{draft:false,user:{login:"fixture-builder"},
-                  head:{sha:"head"},base:{sha:"base-tip"},merge_base:$merge_base,
-                  labels:[{name:"state:addressing"},{name:"blocked"}],
-                  requested_reviewers:[],created_at:"2026-08-31T20:00:00Z"}' ;;
-        *repos/owner/repo/commits/head*) printf '2026-08-31T20:00:00Z\n' ;;
-        *repos/owner/repo/contents/VERSION\?ref=head*)
-          printf 'head\n' >>"$refs"
-          printf '%s' "$head_ver" | base64 ;;
-        *repos/owner/repo/contents/VERSION\?ref=base-tip*)
-          printf 'base-tip\n' >>"$refs"
-          printf '%s' "$base_tip_ver" | base64 ;;
-        *repos/owner/repo/contents/VERSION\?ref=merge-base*)
-          printf 'merge-base\n' >>"$refs"
-          printf '%s' "$merge_base_ver" | base64 ;;
-        *) printf '[]\n' ;;
-      esac
-    }
-    main
-  )
-}
-
-phantom_shape="$(release_shape_ref_probe phantom)"
-expect "an unchanged branch cut before a later base release emits no release-shape warning" \
-  no "$(grep -q 'release-shaped' <<<"$phantom_shape" && echo yes || echo no)"
-expect "the unchanged-branch guard compares head with the PR merge base" \
-  $'head\nmerge-base' "$(cat "$RTMP/release-shape-phantom-refs")"
-
-bump_shape="$(release_shape_ref_probe bump)"
-expect "a genuine version bump relative to the merge base keeps the warning text" \
-  yes "$(grep -qF '#701 is release-shaped (version 1.3.0 -> 1.4.0 at its head)' \
-    <<<"$bump_shape" && echo yes || echo no)"
-expect "the genuine-bump guard also compares head with the PR merge base" \
-  $'head\nmerge-base' "$(cat "$RTMP/release-shape-bump-refs")"
-
-fallback_shape="$(release_shape_ref_probe fallback)"
-expect "a null merge base falls back to the base tip without guessing a warning" \
-  no "$(grep -q 'release-shaped' <<<"$fallback_shape" && echo yes || echo no)"
-expect "the null merge-base fallback compares head with the base tip" \
-  $'head\nbase-tip' "$(cat "$RTMP/release-shape-fallback-refs")"
-
 # -- drafts are building, whoever is requested --------------------------------
 DRAFT=true HEAD_SHA=head1 REQUESTED="" REVIEWS_JSON='[]'
 expect "draft PR is building" state:building "$(decide_state)"
--- a/test/preflight.test.sh
+++ b/test/preflight.test.sh
@ -1,121 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-# Contract tests for lib/preflight.sh (issue #273) — every row of the
-# merge-door resume table, offline. set -u, not -e: refusals are behavior for
-# the harness to inspect.
-set -u
-
-ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
-# shellcheck source=test/harness.sh
-. "$ROOT/test/harness.sh"
-
-PREFLIGHT="$ROOT/lib/preflight.sh"
-TMP="$(mktemp -d)"
-trap 'rm -rf "$TMP"' EXIT
-VER=1.2.3
-MERGE_SHA=1111111111111111111111111111111111111111
-FOREIGN_SHA=2222222222222222222222222222222222222222
-
-# preflight <VER> <MERGE_SHA> <TAG_SHAS> <RELEASED> — run the pure decision
-# with exactly the four gathered facts in its environment.
-preflight() {
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2016 # PREFLIGHT expands inside the isolated child
-  env VER="$1" MERGE_SHA="$2" TAG_SHAS="$3" RELEASED="$4" \
-    PREFLIGHT="$PREFLIGHT" bash -c '. "$PREFLIGHT"; release_preflight'
-}
-
-preflight_stdout() {
-  preflight "$@" 2>/dev/null
-}
-
-preflight_stderr() {
-  { preflight "$@" >/dev/null; } 2>&1
-}
-
-refuses_without_output() {
-  local out rc
-  out="$(preflight "$@" 2>/dev/null)"
-  rc=$?
-  [ "$rc" -eq 1 ] && [ -z "$out" ]
-}
-
-# --- the four table rows ----------------------------------------------------
-
-check "row 1: a published release refuses even with no tag" 1 \
-  "release '$VER' already exists — this release already happened" \
-  preflight_stderr "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "" yes
-check "row 1: a published release refuses with the matching tag" 1 \
-  "release '$VER' already exists — this release already happened" \
-  preflight_stderr "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "$MERGE_SHA" yes
-check "row 1: a published release refuses with a foreign tag" 1 \
-  "release '$VER' already exists — this release already happened" \
-  preflight_stderr "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "$FOREIGN_SHA" yes
-check "row 1: refusal emits no workflow output" 0 "" \
-  refuses_without_output "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "$MERGE_SHA" yes
-
-check "row 2: an ordinary first run proceeds" 0 "resume=no" \
-  preflight_stdout "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "" no
-
-check "row 3: the matching tag resumes" 0 "resume=yes" \
-  preflight_stdout "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "$MERGE_SHA" no
-check "row 3: resume notice names the previous failed publish" 0 \
-  "a previous run of this door tagged and then failed to publish" \
-  preflight_stdout "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "$MERGE_SHA" no
-check "row 3: an annotated tag resumes when the peeled ref matches" 0 \
-  "resume=yes" preflight_stdout "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" \
-  "$FOREIGN_SHA"$'\n'"$MERGE_SHA" no
-check "row 3: an annotated tag resumes when the direct ref matches" 0 \
-  "resume=yes" preflight_stdout "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" \
-  "$MERGE_SHA"$'\n'"$FOREIGN_SHA" no
-
-check "row 4: a foreign tag refuses" 1 "tag '$VER' already exists" \
-  preflight_stderr "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "$FOREIGN_SHA" no
-check "row 4: the refusal names the foreign tag SHA" 1 "$FOREIGN_SHA" \
-  preflight_stderr "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "$FOREIGN_SHA" no
-check "row 4: the refusal names the merge SHA" 1 "$MERGE_SHA" \
-  preflight_stderr "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "$FOREIGN_SHA" no
-check "row 4: refusal emits no workflow output" 0 "" \
-  refuses_without_output "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "$FOREIGN_SHA" no
-
-# A ref object that merely contains MERGE_SHA is not the merge commit. Each
-# ls-remote object name is compared as a whole line.
-PREFIX_SHA="${MERGE_SHA%?}"
-check "a prefix of MERGE_SHA does not resume" 1 "already exists at $PREFIX_SHA" \
-  preflight_stderr "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "$PREFIX_SHA" no
-check "a line containing MERGE_SHA does not resume" 1 \
-  "already exists at x${MERGE_SHA}y" \
-  preflight_stderr "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "x${MERGE_SHA}y" no
-
-# --- fact validation --------------------------------------------------------
-
-check "empty VER refuses" 1 "VER is empty" \
-  preflight_stderr "" "$MERGE_SHA" "" no
-check "empty MERGE_SHA refuses" 1 "MERGE_SHA is empty" \
-  preflight_stderr "$VER" "" "" no
-check "empty RELEASED refuses" 1 "RELEASED is empty" \
-  preflight_stderr "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "" ""
-check "malformed RELEASED refuses" 1 "RELEASED='maybe' — expected yes or no" \
-  preflight_stderr "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "" maybe
-
-# --- stream discipline and purity ------------------------------------------
-
-notice_stays_on_stdout() {
-  local stdout stderr
-  stdout="$(preflight "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "$MERGE_SHA" no 2>"$TMP/preflight.err")"
-  stderr="$(cat "$TMP/preflight.err")"
-  [ -n "$stdout" ] && [ -z "$stderr" ]
-}
-refusal_stays_on_stderr() {
-  local stdout stderr rc
-  stdout="$(preflight "$VER" "$MERGE_SHA" "$FOREIGN_SHA" no 2>"$TMP/preflight.err")"
-  rc=$?
-  stderr="$(cat "$TMP/preflight.err")"
-  [ "$rc" -eq 1 ] && [ -z "$stdout" ] && [ -n "$stderr" ]
-}
-no_tool_calls() {
-  ! grep -v '^[[:space:]]*#' "$PREFLIGHT" | grep -Ewq 'git|gh|curl|wget'
-}
-check "resume notice and output stay on stdout" 0 "" notice_stays_on_stdout
-check "refusal stays on stderr" 0 "" refusal_stays_on_stderr
-check "preflight calls no git/gh/network tools" 0 "" no_tool_calls
-
-summary
--- a/test/release-path.test.sh
+++ b/test/release-path.test.sh
@ -97,17 +97,6 @@ path_check() {
  [ -z "$missing" ] && [ -z "$extra" ]
 }

-path_check_reports_only() {
-  local tree="$1" expected="$2" output rc
-  output="$(path_check "$tree" 2>&1)"
-  rc=$?
-  if [ "$rc" -ne 1 ] || [ "$output" != "$expected" ]; then
-    printf 'expected only: %s\ngot (exit %s): %s\n' \
-      "$expected" "$rc" "$output" >&2
-    return 1
-  fi
-}
-
 readme_has_no_path_enumeration() {
  local token found=no
  for token in \
@ -130,7 +119,6 @@ fixture() {
    "\$ROOT/lib/changelog.sh" >"$tree/bin/assemble"
  printf '#!/usr/bin/env bash\n' >"$tree/lib/changelog.sh"
  printf '#!/usr/bin/env bash\n' >"$tree/lib/decide.sh"
-  printf '#!/usr/bin/env bash\n' >"$tree/lib/preflight.sh"
  # facts.sh sources BOTH on this tree: version.sh, and the forge shim #191
  # put on the doors' path so a Forgejo consumer can publish (#198). The
  # synthetic tree mirrors the real one, or every fixture below reports
@ -146,7 +134,7 @@ fixture() {

 # Exact output is the record author's copy-paste source.
 check "manifest prints the specified ordered release path" 0 \
-  $'.github/workflows/release.yml\nbin/\nlib/version.sh\nlib/decide.sh\nlib/preflight.sh\nlib/facts.sh\nlib/changelog.sh\nlib/forge.sh' \
+  $'.github/workflows/release.yml\nbin/\nlib/version.sh\nlib/decide.sh\nlib/facts.sh\nlib/changelog.sh\nlib/forge.sh' \
  bash "$PATH_SCRIPT"
 check "real workflow and transitive dependencies match the manifest" 0 "" \
  path_check "$ROOT"
@ -155,56 +143,54 @@ check "drill doctrine does not duplicate the executable release path" 0 "" \

 # A door growing a dependency must name the missing path (#237 D7).
 tree="$(fixture missing)"
-printf 'run: bash "%s"\nrun: bash "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\n' \
+printf 'run: bash "%s"\nrun: bash "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\n' \
  "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/facts.sh" "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/decide.sh" \
-  "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/preflight.sh" "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/changelog.sh" \
-  "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/version.sh" "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/ruling.sh" \
+  "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/changelog.sh" "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/version.sh" \
+  "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/ruling.sh" \
  >"$tree/.github/workflows/release.yml"
 printf '#!/usr/bin/env bash\n' >"$tree/lib/ruling.sh"
-check "a new workflow library fails with only its missing path" 0 "" \
-  path_check_reports_only "$tree" \
-  "release-path: missing dependency: lib/ruling.sh"
+check "a new workflow library fails with its missing path" 1 \
+  "missing dependency: lib/ruling.sh" path_check "$tree"

 # A library growing a sibling dependency in the production idiom must also
 # name the missing path; a literal lib/ marker in a comment is not evidence.
 tree="$(fixture missing-transitive)"
-printf 'run: bash "%s"\nrun: bash "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\n' \
+printf 'run: bash "%s"\nrun: bash "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\n' \
  "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/facts.sh" "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/decide.sh" \
-  "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/preflight.sh" "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/changelog.sh" \
+  "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/changelog.sh" \
  >"$tree/.github/workflows/release.yml"
 printf '# shellcheck source=lib/ruling.sh\n. "%s"\n' \
  "\$(cd \"\$(dirname \"\${BASH_SOURCE[0]}\")\" && pwd)/ruling.sh" \
  >>"$tree/lib/facts.sh"
 printf '#!/usr/bin/env bash\n' >"$tree/lib/ruling.sh"
-check "a new sibling library fails with only its missing path" 0 "" \
-  path_check_reports_only "$tree" \
-  "release-path: missing dependency: lib/ruling.sh"
+check "a new sibling library fails with its missing path" 1 \
+  "missing dependency: lib/ruling.sh" path_check "$tree"

 # A manifest may not rot into a safe-looking superset.
 tree="$(fixture extra)"
-printf 'run: bash "%s"\nrun: bash "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\n' \
+printf 'run: bash "%s"\nrun: bash "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\n' \
  "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/facts.sh" "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/decide.sh" \
-  "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/preflight.sh" "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/changelog.sh" \
+  "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/changelog.sh" \
  >"$tree/.github/workflows/release.yml"
-sed -i '$ s|$| \\|' \
+sed -i 's|  lib/forge.sh$|  lib/forge.sh \\|' \
  "$tree/.github/scripts/release-path.sh"
 printf '  lib/ruling.sh\n' >>"$tree/.github/scripts/release-path.sh"
 printf '#!/usr/bin/env bash\n' >"$tree/lib/ruling.sh"
-check "a path no door reads fails with only its stale path" 0 "" \
-  path_check_reports_only "$tree" "release-path: stale path: lib/ruling.sh"
+check "a path no door reads fails as stale" 1 "stale path: lib/ruling.sh" \
+  path_check "$tree"

 # Transitive sourcing is part of the derivation, not decoration.
 tree="$(fixture transitive)"
-printf 'run: bash "%s"\nrun: bash "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\n' \
+printf 'run: bash "%s"\nrun: bash "%s"\nrun: . "%s"\n' \
  "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/facts.sh" "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/decide.sh" \
-  "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/preflight.sh" "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/changelog.sh" \
+  "\$CEREMONY_DIR/lib/changelog.sh" \
  >"$tree/.github/workflows/release.yml"
 # Only the version source is dropped; the forge source #191 added stays, or
 # the fixture reports two stale paths and proves neither of them (#198).
 printf '#!/usr/bin/env bash\n# shellcheck source=lib/forge.sh\n. "%s"\n' \
  "\$(cd \"\$(dirname \"\${BASH_SOURCE[0]}\")\" && pwd)/forge.sh" \
  >"$tree/lib/facts.sh"
-check "removing facts' version source fails with only its stale path" 0 "" \
-  path_check_reports_only "$tree" "release-path: stale path: lib/version.sh"
+check "removing facts' version source fails as a stale path" 1 \
+  "stale path: lib/version.sh" path_check "$tree"

 summary