diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index fdde0d8..2a2fc05 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -106,14 +106,6 @@ jobs:
                   "::error::Release tag must point to a commit object"
               )
 
-          verification = tag_object.get("verification") or {}
-          if not verification.get("verified"):
-              reason = verification.get("reason", "unknown")
-              raise SystemExit(
-                  "::error::Release tag signature is not verified by GitHub "
-                  f"(reason: {reason})"
-              )
-
           commit_sha = str(target_object.get("sha", ""))
           if len(commit_sha) != 40:
               raise SystemExit("::error::Resolved release commit SHA is malformed")
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 25d2a21..5f6bf06 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -15,6 +15,14 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
   already proved a detached bootstrap commit containing the full final payload. That removes the
   ambiguity around how to create `release/X.Y.Z` after bootstrap-path verification while keeping
   the PR diff against `origin/main` as the authoritative scope checkpoint.
+- **Release publication now enforces annotated tags without depending on a separately configured GitHub-verified tag signature.**
+  The publish workflow and release runbook now agree that `vX.Y.Z` must be an immutable annotated
+  tag object, and the runbook includes the one allowed recovery path for replacing an accidentally
+  pushed lightweight tag before any public release object or assets exist.
+- **Release-tag immutability checks now live with the release architecture contract instead of the Python support owner.**
+  The repository validator that owns supported-interpreter truth now limits itself to Python
+  matrix wiring, while the publish workflow's annotated-tag requirements are enforced by the
+  release architecture tests that own publication semantics.
 - **Runtime boundaries, release contracts, and validation semantics now fail closed earlier and more explicitly.**
   Streamed resource loading now enforces bounded input before allocation, filesystem loaders now
   apply bounded no-follow reads, custom-function and parsing diagnostics redact payloads by
diff --git a/docs/RELEASE_PROTOCOL.md b/docs/RELEASE_PROTOCOL.md
index 57a6d34..d9bdeef 100644
--- a/docs/RELEASE_PROTOCOL.md
+++ b/docs/RELEASE_PROTOCOL.md
@@ -298,10 +298,11 @@ Do not create the tag until the exact merged `main` commit you intend to tag has
 
 ## Step 6: Tag, Publish Workflow, And Asset Convergence
 
-Create and push the version tag only after Step 5 is green:
+Create and push the version tag only after Step 5 is green. Use an annotated tag object, not a
+lightweight tag:
 
 ```bash
-git tag vX.Y.Z
+git tag -a vX.Y.Z -m "Release X.Y.Z"
 git push origin vX.Y.Z
 ```
 
@@ -340,6 +341,23 @@ the PyPI job fails — repair the workflow on `main`, merge the fix, and then re
 `workflow_dispatch` for the existing tag. Do not delete, move, or recreate the tag to retrigger
 publication.
 
+If the publish workflow fails immediately because the tag is the wrong object type and GitHub
+Release assets were never created, fix the contract first, then replace the tag exactly once with
+an annotated tag on the intended release commit:
+
+```bash
+gh release view vX.Y.Z --json tagName,isDraft,isPrerelease,publishedAt,url,assets || true
+git tag -d vX.Y.Z
+git push --delete origin vX.Y.Z
+git tag -a vX.Y.Z -m "Release X.Y.Z"
+git push origin vX.Y.Z
+```
+
+This recovery is allowed only when both of these are true:
+
+- the failed publish run exited before any public release object or assets were created;
+- the replacement tag points to the same intended release commit you already verified in Step 5.
+
 If GitHub Release assets need manual convergence after the workflow, use:
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/scripts/python_support_lib.py b/scripts/python_support_lib.py
index 2e72d64..6bf8d31 100644
--- a/scripts/python_support_lib.py
+++ b/scripts/python_support_lib.py
@@ -218,16 +218,20 @@ def _validate_workflows(root: Path, errors: list[str]) -> None:
             errors=errors,
         )
 
+    # Premise:
+    # Python support owns interpreter-version truth for the publication workflow,
+    # but release-tag immutability and tag-object semantics are a separate
+    # release-contract concern.
+    #
+    # Reason:
+    # Keeping this validator scoped to Python-version wiring prevents unrelated
+    # release-tag policy changes from breaking the Python support owner while
+    # the release architecture tests remain responsible for tag semantics.
     publish_markers = (
         "release-contract:",
         "fromJSON(needs.release-contract.outputs.supported-json)",
         "needs.release-contract.outputs.release-commit",
         "needs.release-contract.outputs.freethreaded-version",
-        "Resolve immutable annotated release tag",
-        "/git/ref/tags/",
-        "/git/tags/",
-        "Release tags must be annotated tag objects",
-        "Release tag signature is not verified by GitHub",
     )
     for marker in publish_markers:
         _expect(
diff --git a/tests/test_architecture_contract.py b/tests/test_architecture_contract.py
index b091c69..f5b2ec3 100644
--- a/tests/test_architecture_contract.py
+++ b/tests/test_architecture_contract.py
@@ -571,3 +571,19 @@ def test_release_workflows_do_not_depend_on_node20_compatibility_shims() -> None
     assert publish_workflow.count(
         "actions/download-artifact@3e5f45b2cfb9172054b4087a40e8e0b5a5461e7c"
     ) >= 3
+
+
+def test_publish_workflow_requires_annotated_tags_without_signature_verification_gate() -> None:
+    """The publish workflow should require annotated tags but not an external signing setup."""
+    publish_workflow = (REPO_ROOT / ".github" / "workflows" / "publish.yml").read_text(
+        encoding="utf-8"
+    )
+
+    assert "Resolve immutable annotated release tag" in publish_workflow
+    assert "/git/ref/tags/" in publish_workflow
+    assert "/git/tags/" in publish_workflow
+    assert "Release tags must be annotated tag objects" in publish_workflow
+    assert 'ref_object.get("type") != "tag"' in publish_workflow
+    assert "Release tag must point to a commit object" in publish_workflow
+    assert "Release tag signature is not verified by GitHub" not in publish_workflow
+    assert 'verification = tag_object.get("verification")' not in publish_workflow
diff --git a/tests/test_documentation_tooling.py b/tests/test_documentation_tooling.py
index c577776..95c42d8 100644
--- a/tests/test_documentation_tooling.py
+++ b/tests/test_documentation_tooling.py
@@ -549,6 +549,16 @@ def test_release_protocol_artifact_leak_check_uses_base_tooling() -> None:
     assert "| rg " not in text
 
 
+def test_release_protocol_requires_annotated_tags_and_documents_lightweight_recovery() -> None:
+    """Release instructions should require annotated tags and bound the wrong-tag recovery path."""
+    text = (REPO_ROOT / "docs" / "RELEASE_PROTOCOL.md").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+
+    assert 'git tag -a vX.Y.Z -m "Release X.Y.Z"' in text
+    assert "wrong object type" in text
+    assert "git push --delete origin vX.Y.Z" in text
+    assert "the failed publish run exited before any public release object or assets were created" in text
+
+
 def test_atheris_inventory_readme_matches_target_manifest() -> None:
     """The published Atheris inventory should stay aligned with the live target registry."""
     readme = (REPO_ROOT / "fuzz_atheris" / "README.md").read_text(encoding="utf-8")