diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index f2fe7d7b..64675b08 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -21,20 +21,35 @@ jobs:
       contents: write
       id-token: write
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout release branch
+      - name: Checkout workflow SHA
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          ref: ${{ github.ref_name }}
+          ref: ${{ github.sha }}
+          fetch-depth: 0
 
-      - name: Pin checkout to workflow SHA
-        run: git reset --hard ${{ github.sha }}
+      - name: Restore release branch at workflow SHA
+        run: git checkout -B "$GITHUB_REF_NAME" "$GITHUB_SHA"
+
+      - name: Check workflow SHA is still current
+        id: release_head
+        run: |
+          set -o pipefail
+          remote_sha="$(git ls-remote --exit-code origin "refs/heads/${GITHUB_REF_NAME}" | cut -f1)"
+          if [[ "$remote_sha" == "$GITHUB_SHA" ]]; then
+            echo "current=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "current=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "::notice::Skipping stale release run for ${GITHUB_SHA}; ${GITHUB_REF_NAME} is now at ${remote_sha}."
+          fi
 
       - name: Set up Python
+        if: steps.release_head.outputs.current == 'true'
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: '3.12'
           cache: pip
       - name: Set up Node
+        if: steps.release_head.outputs.current == 'true'
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
           node-version: '22'
@@ -42,22 +57,41 @@ jobs:
           cache-dependency-path: dashboard/package-lock.json
 
       - name: Install package with test dependencies
+        if: steps.release_head.outputs.current == 'true'
         run: python -m pip install -e '.[test]'
       - name: Install dashboard dependencies
+        if: steps.release_head.outputs.current == 'true'
         run: npm ci
         working-directory: dashboard
       - name: Run dashboard tests
+        if: steps.release_head.outputs.current == 'true'
         run: npm test
         working-directory: dashboard
       - name: Build dashboard
+        if: steps.release_head.outputs.current == 'true'
         run: npm run build
         working-directory: dashboard
 
       - name: Run tests before release
+        if: steps.release_head.outputs.current == 'true'
         run: pytest -q
 
+      - name: Recheck workflow SHA before release
+        id: pre_release_head
+        if: steps.release_head.outputs.current == 'true'
+        run: |
+          set -o pipefail
+          remote_sha="$(git ls-remote --exit-code origin "refs/heads/${GITHUB_REF_NAME}" | cut -f1)"
+          if [[ "$remote_sha" == "$GITHUB_SHA" ]]; then
+            echo "current=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "current=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "::notice::Skipping release because ${GITHUB_REF_NAME} advanced to ${remote_sha} during validation."
+          fi
+
       - name: Semantic version release
         id: release
+        if: steps.pre_release_head.outputs.current == 'true'
         uses: python-semantic-release/python-semantic-release@v10.5.3
         with:
           github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/docs/releases.md b/docs/releases.md
index 72c4cb4f..ee9f40e2 100644
--- a/docs/releases.md
+++ b/docs/releases.md
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ When commits land on `main`, the `release` workflow:
 8. creates a GitHub Release;
 9. builds `sdist`/wheel artifacts and uploads them to the GitHub Release.
 
+Release runs are serialized. If another commit reaches `main` before an older
+run starts publishing, the stale run exits successfully and leaves the release
+to the run for the current branch head.
+
 No PyPI publish is configured yet.
 
 ## Commit convention
diff --git a/tests/test_release_workflow.py b/tests/test_release_workflow.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b47297f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_release_workflow.py
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+WORKFLOW = Path(__file__).parents[1] / ".github" / "workflows" / "release.yml"
+
+
+def release_steps():
+    sections = WORKFLOW.read_text().split("\n      - name: ")[1:]
+    return {
+        name: body
+        for section in sections
+        for name, _, body in [section.partition("\n")]
+    }
+
+
+def test_release_checkout_can_pin_an_older_workflow_sha():
+    steps = release_steps()
+
+    checkout = steps["Checkout workflow SHA"]
+    assert "ref: ${{ github.sha }}" in checkout
+    assert "fetch-depth: 0" in checkout
+    assert 'git checkout -B "$GITHUB_REF_NAME" "$GITHUB_SHA"' in steps[
+        "Restore release branch at workflow SHA"
+    ]
+
+
+def test_stale_release_runs_skip_validation_and_publish_steps():
+    steps = release_steps()
+    initial_guard = steps["Check workflow SHA is still current"]
+
+    assert "id: release_head" in initial_guard
+    assert 'refs/heads/${GITHUB_REF_NAME}' in initial_guard
+    assert 'echo "current=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"' in initial_guard
+
+    guarded_steps = [
+        "Set up Python",
+        "Set up Node",
+        "Install package with test dependencies",
+        "Install dashboard dependencies",
+        "Run dashboard tests",
+        "Build dashboard",
+        "Run tests before release",
+        "Recheck workflow SHA before release",
+    ]
+    for name in guarded_steps:
+        assert "if: steps.release_head.outputs.current == 'true'" in steps[name]
+
+    final_guard = steps["Recheck workflow SHA before release"]
+    assert "id: pre_release_head" in final_guard
+    assert 'refs/heads/${GITHUB_REF_NAME}' in final_guard
+    assert "if: steps.pre_release_head.outputs.current == 'true'" in steps[
+        "Semantic version release"
+    ]