diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index ef69f40..1af1306 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -444,7 +444,15 @@ jobs:
     needs:
       - release-target
       - validate-artifacts
-    if: ${{ needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true' }}
+    # Artifact promotion intentionally skips rebuild-artifacts. Override that skipped
+    # ancestor only after every direct publication prerequisite succeeds.
+    if: >-
+      ${{
+        always()
+        && needs.release-target.result == 'success'
+        && needs.validate-artifacts.result == 'success'
+        && needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true'
+      }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 10
     environment:
@@ -470,7 +478,17 @@ jobs:
       - release-please
       - release-target
       - publish-release-assets
-    if: ${{ needs.release-please.outputs.release-created == 'true' && needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true' }}
+    # Keep the explicit status override through the final job so the intentionally
+    # skipped rebuild ancestor cannot suppress crate publication either.
+    if: >-
+      ${{
+        always()
+        && needs.release-please.result == 'success'
+        && needs.release-target.result == 'success'
+        && needs.publish-release-assets.result == 'success'
+        && needs.release-please.outputs.release-created == 'true'
+        && needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true'
+      }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 20
     environment:
diff --git a/crates/xtask/src/main.rs b/crates/xtask/src/main.rs
index a9d6b1a..0acc111 100644
--- a/crates/xtask/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/xtask/src/main.rs
@@ -1303,26 +1303,36 @@ fn check_workflow_policy(
     }
     let publish_assets =
         yaml_path(release, &["jobs", "publish-release-assets"]).unwrap_or(&YamlValue::Null);
-    if yaml_path(publish_assets, &["if"]).and_then(YamlValue::as_str)
-        != Some("${{ needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true' }}")
-    {
+    if !yaml_path(publish_assets, &["if"]).is_some_and(|condition| {
+        [
+            "always()",
+            "needs.release-target.result == 'success'",
+            "needs.validate-artifacts.result == 'success'",
+            "needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true'",
+        ]
+        .iter()
+        .all(|marker| yaml_contains_string(condition, marker))
+    }) {
         issues.push(
-            "FAIL: release-publication-condition-invalid: asset publication must require affirmative publish_assets authorization."
+            "FAIL: release-publication-condition-invalid: asset publication must override skipped ancestors while requiring successful validation and affirmative publish_assets authorization."
                 .to_string(),
         );
     }
     let publish_crate = yaml_path(release, &["jobs", "publish-crate"]).unwrap_or(&YamlValue::Null);
     if !yaml_path(publish_crate, &["if"]).is_some_and(|condition| {
-        yaml_contains_string(
-            condition,
+        [
+            "always()",
+            "needs.release-please.result == 'success'",
+            "needs.release-target.result == 'success'",
+            "needs.publish-release-assets.result == 'success'",
             "needs.release-please.outputs.release-created == 'true'",
-        ) && yaml_contains_string(
-            condition,
             "needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true'",
-        )
+        ]
+        .iter()
+        .all(|marker| yaml_contains_string(condition, marker))
     }) {
         issues.push(
-            "FAIL: release-crate-publication-condition-invalid: crate publication must require a created release and affirmative publish_assets authorization."
+            "FAIL: release-crate-publication-condition-invalid: crate publication must override skipped ancestors while requiring successful publication prerequisites, a created release, and affirmative publish_assets authorization."
                 .to_string(),
         );
     }
@@ -2416,12 +2426,14 @@ jobs:
           fi
   rebuild-artifacts: {uses: './.github/workflows/native.yml'}
   publish-release-assets:
-    if: ${{ needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true' }}
+    needs: [release-target, validate-artifacts]
+    if: ${{ always() && needs.release-target.result == 'success' && needs.validate-artifacts.result == 'success' && needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true' }}
     permissions: {contents: write}
     environment: {name: cargo}
     steps: [{run: 'gh release upload'}]
   publish-crate:
-    if: ${{ needs.release-please.outputs.release-created == 'true' && needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true' }}
+    needs: [release-please, release-target, publish-release-assets]
+    if: ${{ always() && needs.release-please.result == 'success' && needs.release-target.result == 'success' && needs.publish-release-assets.result == 'success' && needs.release-please.outputs.release-created == 'true' && needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true' }}
     steps:
       - {run: 'cargo publish --dry-run --locked'}
       - {run: 'cargo publish --locked'}
@@ -2604,6 +2616,36 @@ jobs:
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn workflow_policy_rejects_asset_publication_without_skipped_ancestor_override() {
+        let broken = valid_release_workflow_text().replace(
+            "${{ always() && needs.release-target.result == 'success' && needs.validate-artifacts.result == 'success' && needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true' }}",
+            "${{ needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true' }}",
+        );
+        let issues = workflow_policy_issues(&broken);
+        assert!(
+            issues
+                .iter()
+                .any(|issue| issue.contains("release-publication-condition-invalid")),
+            "{issues:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn workflow_policy_rejects_crate_publication_without_skipped_ancestor_override() {
+        let broken = valid_release_workflow_text().replace(
+            "${{ always() && needs.release-please.result == 'success' && needs.release-target.result == 'success' && needs.publish-release-assets.result == 'success' && needs.release-please.outputs.release-created == 'true' && needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true' }}",
+            "${{ needs.release-please.outputs.release-created == 'true' && needs.release-target.outputs.publish_assets == 'true' }}",
+        );
+        let issues = workflow_policy_issues(&broken);
+        assert!(
+            issues
+                .iter()
+                .any(|issue| issue.contains("release-crate-publication-condition-invalid")),
+            "{issues:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn workflow_policy_rejects_automatic_rebuild_recovery() {
         let broken = valid_release_workflow_text()
diff --git a/docs/release.md b/docs/release.md
index e033132..3616405 100644
--- a/docs/release.md
+++ b/docs/release.md
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@ Pull requests targeting `main` and pushes to `main` run:
    other merge.
 5. The successful CI run for the release pull request merge enables tag creation. The resulting Release run creates the
    `vX.Y.Z` tag, proves that the tag resolves to the triggering CI SHA, validates all four
-   archives/checksums/provenance records from that exact run, and uploads the public assets from one publisher.
+   archives/checksums/provenance records from that exact run, and uploads the public assets from one publisher. Promotion
+   intentionally skips the rebuild job; the asset and crate publishers explicitly override that skipped ancestor only
+   after their direct prerequisites succeed, so GitHub cannot silently suppress publication after validation.
 6. `cargo publish --dry-run --locked` runs at the immutable tag, then the crate publishes automatically after native
    assets succeed. Manual recovery never publishes the crate.