diff --git a/.github/workflows/npm-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/npm-publish.yml
index e775f3a..f0699d7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/npm-publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/npm-publish.yml
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           DIST_TAG: ${{ needs.resolve.outputs.dist_tag }}
           VERSION: ${{ needs.resolve.outputs.version }}
+          NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
         shell: bash
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
@@ -216,7 +217,11 @@ jobs:
             echo "@operatorstack/create-yield@${VERSION} already exists"
           else
             file="$(jq -r '.archives[] | select(.name == "@operatorstack/create-yield") | .file' dist/release-unit/npm/npm-release.json)"
-            npm publish "dist/release-unit/npm/${file}" --tag "$DIST_TAG"
+            if [[ -n "${NPM_TOKEN:-}" ]]; then
+              NODE_AUTH_TOKEN="$NPM_TOKEN" npm publish "dist/release-unit/npm/${file}" --tag "$DIST_TAG"
+            else
+              npm publish "dist/release-unit/npm/${file}" --tag "$DIST_TAG"
+            fi
           fi
       - name: Verify complete npm release unit
         env:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/verify.yml b/.github/workflows/verify.yml
index 1a68e3d..cea9d54 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/verify.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/verify.yml
@@ -179,9 +179,16 @@ jobs:
         run: npm run test:conversion
       - name: Run every example fixture
         run: |
-          plan="$RUNNER_TEMP/example-release-plan.env"
-          node scripts/release-plan.mjs --bump auto --output "$plan" --notes "$RUNNER_TEMP/example-release-notes.md"
-          . "$plan"
+          base_tag="$(git tag --merged HEAD --list 'v[0-9]*' --sort=-v:refname | head -n1)"
+          test -n "$base_tag"
+          pending_changesets="$(git diff --name-only --diff-filter=A "$base_tag"..HEAD -- '.changeset/*.md')"
+          if [[ -n "$pending_changesets" ]]; then
+            plan="$RUNNER_TEMP/example-release-plan.env"
+            node scripts/release-plan.mjs --bump auto --output "$plan" --notes "$RUNNER_TEMP/example-release-notes.md"
+            . "$plan"
+          else
+            version="${base_tag#v}"
+          fi
           go build -ldflags "-X main.version=$version" -o "$RUNNER_TEMP/yskill" ./cmd/yskill
           "$RUNNER_TEMP/yskill" test examples/investigate
           "$RUNNER_TEMP/yskill" test examples/release-checklist
diff --git a/scripts/check-release-control.mjs b/scripts/check-release-control.mjs
index 5fbd3ca..0132e4c 100644
--- a/scripts/check-release-control.mjs
+++ b/scripts/check-release-control.mjs
@@ -302,8 +302,31 @@ export async function checkReleaseControl(root = resolve(import.meta.dirname, ".
     "crates.io publishing must not use a bootstrap token",
   )
   for (const [name, text] of Object.entries(raw)) {
+    let credentialSurface = text
+    if (name === "npm-publish.yml") {
+      const initializerStart = text.indexOf("      - name: Publish npm initializer")
+      const initializerEnd = text.indexOf("      - name: Verify complete npm release unit")
+      expect(
+        initializerStart >= 0 && initializerEnd > initializerStart,
+        "npm bootstrap credential must be confined to the initializer step",
+      )
+      const initializer = text.slice(initializerStart, initializerEnd)
+      expect(
+        initializer.includes("NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}"),
+        "the initializer bootstrap credential must be explicitly scoped",
+      )
+      expect(
+        initializer.includes(
+          'NODE_AUTH_TOKEN="$NPM_TOKEN" npm publish "dist/release-unit/npm/${file}"',
+        ),
+        "the bootstrap credential must authenticate only the verified initializer archive",
+      )
+      credentialSurface = text.slice(0, initializerStart) + text.slice(initializerEnd)
+    }
     expect(
-      !/NPM_TOKEN|NODE_AUTH_TOKEN|PYPI_TOKEN|secrets\.(npm|pypi)|password:/i.test(text),
+      !/NPM_TOKEN|NODE_AUTH_TOKEN|PYPI_TOKEN|secrets\.(npm|pypi)|password:/i.test(
+        credentialSurface,
+      ),
       `${name}: long-lived registry credentials are forbidden`,
     )
   }