diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-tag.yml b/.github/workflows/release-tag.yml
index 3fbd2bd..07aa30c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-tag.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-tag.yml
@@ -5,8 +5,13 @@
 # pull request it does nothing; on a re-run whose tag is already on this
 # commit it passes.
 #
+# The tag ruleset admits only the IronFlock release GitHub App, so the tag is
+# written with an App token. The job runs in the caller's `release`
+# environment (deployments from main only), which holds the variable
+# RELEASE_APP_CLIENT_ID and the secret RELEASE_APP_PRIVATE_KEY.
+#
 # Callers grant
-#   permissions: { contents: write }
+#   permissions: { contents: read }
 name: release-tag
 
 on:
@@ -41,8 +46,9 @@ jobs:
   tag:
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     timeout-minutes: 5
+    environment: release
     permissions:
-      contents: write
+      contents: read
     outputs:
       tag: ${{ steps.version.outputs.tag }}
     steps:
@@ -75,10 +81,19 @@ jobs:
           COMMIT_TITLE: ${{ github.event.head_commit.message }}
           SHA: ${{ github.sha }}
         run: '"$HARNESS/scripts/release.sh" mode'
+      - name: release App token (contents of this repository)
+        id: app
+        if: steps.version.outputs.mode == 'release'
+        uses: actions/create-github-app-token@bcd2ba49218906704ab6c1aa796996da409d3eb1 # v3.2.0
+        with:
+          client-id: ${{ vars.RELEASE_APP_CLIENT_ID }}
+          private-key: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
+          repositories: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
+          permission-contents: write
       - name: git tag ${{ steps.version.outputs.tag }}
         if: steps.version.outputs.mode == 'release'
         env:
-          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.app.outputs.token }}
           REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
           TAG: ${{ steps.version.outputs.tag }}
           SHA: ${{ github.sha }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/security.yml b/.github/workflows/security.yml
index 21e3b9b..f57a802 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/security.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/security.yml
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ on:
         type: string
         default: ""
       image-on:
-        description: Events that build and scan the image. Public repositories scan on pull_request too.
+        description: Events that build and scan the image. Public repositories and release pull requests scan on pull_request too.
         type: string
         default: push,schedule,workflow_dispatch
       vex-file:
@@ -493,9 +493,14 @@ jobs:
           retention-days: 90
 
   image:
+    # Pull requests of private repositories skip the build (Actions minutes),
+    # except release pull requests: their title `release <name> v<x>` is held
+    # to a rising version by release-intent.yml, so the image that the merge
+    # publishes is scanned before the merge.
     if: >-
       inputs.image && (contains(inputs.image-on, github.event_name) ||
-      (github.event_name == 'pull_request' && !github.event.repository.private))
+      (github.event_name == 'pull_request' && (!github.event.repository.private ||
+      startsWith(github.event.pull_request.title, 'release '))))
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 30
     permissions:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1f2ced5..d78beb9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ The inputs of each workflow are documented in its `on.workflow_call` block.
 | [workflows-lint.yml](.github/workflows/workflows-lint.yml) | `lint` | actionlint, zizmor, pinact on the caller's workflows; always blocking |
 | [release-intent.yml](.github/workflows/release-intent.yml) | `intent` | the version file decides: a rise makes a release PR (title `release <name> <tag>` required), an unchanged version a no-release PR; output `kind` gates the release dry run; listed in the `needs` of `ci-ok` |
 | [release-image.yml](.github/workflows/release-image.yml) | `verify`, `build`, `publish` | release of a container image on the merge of a release PR into the protected `main`; native multi-arch build, SBOM + provenance attached, keyless push; on a release PR a dry run (every platform build, no push); re-runs are safe; read rights only |
-| [release-tag.yml](.github/workflows/release-tag.yml) | `tag` | the annotated git tag of a release, after every image job of the caller; a tag always means "in the registry"; needs `contents: write` |
+| [release-tag.yml](.github/workflows/release-tag.yml) | `tag` | the annotated git tag of a release, after every image job of the caller; a tag always means "in the registry"; written with a token of the release GitHub App from the caller's `release` environment |
 | [selftest.yml](.github/workflows/selftest.yml) | — | proves the harness against [tests/fixtures](tests/fixtures) |
 
 Gates for Node, Python and chart/shell repositories follow the same pattern
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ repository-local `integration` job next to the gate.
 - semgrep runs the IronFlock rules plus `semgrep-rulesets` (default `p/default`).
   Go repositories, whose `just lint` runs gosec, set `semgrep-rulesets: ""` so each
   finding is reported (and annotated) once.
+- The container image (`image: true`) is built and scanned on the events in
+  `image-on`, and on every pull request of a public repository. Private
+  repositories skip the build on pull requests to save Actions minutes, except
+  on release pull requests (title `release <name> v<x>`): the image that the
+  merge publishes is scanned before the merge.
 
 Every run writes a summary table to the job summary and keeps the raw reports
 as artifacts (`security-findings-*`, `security-sbom`) for 90 days. A workflow that
@@ -127,9 +132,13 @@ the next release PR; the unreleased version stays a gap in the history.
 only when the squash-merge title is a release title (`release <name> v...`;
 [templates/workflows/release.yml](templates/workflows/release.yml)). The
 identity provider grants the publisher service account only to main-branch
-pushes (and version tags) through `release-image.yml`. The caller's `tag` job
-(`release-tag.yml`) needs `contents: write`, and the GitHub Actions app as a
-bypass actor of the repository's `release tags v*` tag ruleset.
+pushes (and version tags) through `release-image.yml`. Only the IronFlock
+release GitHub App may create `v*` tags (bypass actor of the repository's
+`release tags v*` tag ruleset; the built-in GitHub Actions app cannot be one).
+`release-tag.yml` takes its token in the repository's `release` environment:
+deployments from `main` only, variable `RELEASE_APP_CLIENT_ID`, secret
+`RELEASE_APP_PRIVATE_KEY`; the token covers the contents of that one
+repository. Callers grant `contents: read` only.
 
 ## Exceptions
 
diff --git a/scripts/release.sh b/scripts/release.sh
index 6688250..8904379 100755
--- a/scripts/release.sh
+++ b/scripts/release.sh
@@ -64,9 +64,11 @@ intent() {
   [ -n "$head" ] || { echo "::error::$VERSION_FILE has no version at $HEAD_SHA"; return 1; }
 
   if [ "$head" = "$base" ]; then
+    # The squash merge carries this title, and release.yml starts on a merge
+    # whose message starts with 'release ' (GitHub compares case-insensitively).
     # shellcheck disable=SC2153 # TITLE comes from the environment (see the header)
-    if [[ "$TITLE" =~ ^release\ [^\ ]+\ ${TAG_PREFIX}[0-9] ]]; then
-      echo "::error::the title reads like a release, but $VERSION_FILE is unchanged ($head): bump it (just release-patch) or retitle the pull request"
+    if [[ "$(printf '%s' "$TITLE" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')" == "release "* ]]; then
+      echo "::error::the title starts with 'release ', but $VERSION_FILE is unchanged ($head): bump it (just release-patch) or retitle the pull request"
       return 1
     fi
     echo "no-release pull request (version unchanged): merging it releases nothing"
diff --git a/scripts/test_release.sh b/scripts/test_release.sh
index 2b0c136..2347e5b 100755
--- a/scripts/test_release.sh
+++ b/scripts/test_release.sh
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ for vf in VERSION package.json; do
   check "$vf: no-release, version unchanged" 0 intent "$r" "$vf" "$base" "$same" "fix a typo"
   check "$vf: no-release, any title" 0 intent "$r" "$vf" "$base" "$same" "deps: bump express (dependabot)"
   check "$vf: release title without a bump" 1 intent "$r" "$vf" "$base" "$same" "release x v1.2.3"
+  check "$vf: any title starting with release, without a bump" 1 intent "$r" "$vf" "$base" "$same" "Release notes cleanup"
+  check "$vf: no-release title mentioning a release later" 0 intent "$r" "$vf" "$base" "$same" "docs: explain the release flow"
 
   git -C "$r" checkout -q "$base"
   setv "$r" "$vf" 1.2.4
diff --git a/templates/workflows/ci-go.yml b/templates/workflows/ci-go.yml
index a7ff90f..0bbb01a 100644
--- a/templates/workflows/ci-go.yml
+++ b/templates/workflows/ci-go.yml
@@ -36,15 +36,13 @@ jobs:
 
   # Release pull requests only: the release workflow as a dry run (every
   # platform build, no push, no tag), so a broken image build never reaches
-  # main. contents: write only because GitHub checks the called workflow's
-  # tag job against this grant even though the job is skipped here (it runs
-  # on a push to main only); fork pull requests get a read-only token anyway.
+  # main.
   release-build:
     needs: [intent]
     if: needs.intent.outputs.kind == 'release'
     uses: ./.github/workflows/release.yml
     permissions:
-      contents: write
+      contents: read
       id-token: write
 
   # The one required check of the main-branch ruleset: green only when every
diff --git a/templates/workflows/release.yml b/templates/workflows/release.yml
index 7f20a25..f71a5bf 100644
--- a/templates/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/templates/workflows/release.yml
@@ -48,6 +48,6 @@ jobs:
     if: github.event_name == 'push' && startsWith(github.event.head_commit.message, 'release ')
     uses: IronFlock/workflows/.github/workflows/release-tag.yml@v1
     permissions:
-      contents: write
+      contents: read
     with:
       version-file: VERSION