diff --git a/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
index 80c2336..e390599 100644
--- a/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
+++ b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     {
       "name": "lvbt-contributions",
       "description": "Create readable LVBT GitHub issues and pull requests.",
-      "version": "0.5.0",
+      "version": "0.5.1",
       "source": "./packages/cli/plugins/lvbt-contributions"
     }
   ]
diff --git a/docs/reference/release-0-5-1.md b/docs/reference/release-0-5-1.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dfa23ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/reference/release-0-5-1.md
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# Repository tooling 0.5.1
+
+Nothing changes in how your repository works. This patch fixes the maintainer script that gives a
+repository its first `Standard update` workflow, and makes a missing `workflow_dispatch` trigger
+easy to spot.
+
+- Rerunning `standards/propose.ts` from a checkout still on the update branch no longer closes that
+  branch's own pull request. An unchanged run now closes a same-release pull request only when the
+  default branch on GitHub already vendors the release.
+- A tracking ref left from an update branch GitHub has deleted no longer makes the next push fail.
+- When `ci.yml` has no `workflow_dispatch` trigger, the `Standard update` run now says so and fails
+  after opening its pull request, instead of stopping with an unexplained error.
+
+This is a patch release, so its update pull request merges itself once `Validate` passes. It is the
+first release to reach repositories through their own `Standard update` workflow.
diff --git a/examples/basic/.claude/settings.json b/examples/basic/.claude/settings.json
index 22dbad4..edfe297 100644
--- a/examples/basic/.claude/settings.json
+++ b/examples/basic/.claude/settings.json
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
       "source": {
         "source": "github",
         "repo": "LasVegasForTransit/repository-tooling",
-        "ref": "v0.5.0"
+        "ref": "v0.5.1"
       }
     }
   },
diff --git a/examples/basic/package.json b/examples/basic/package.json
index ed616f4..b3ff9b4 100644
--- a/examples/basic/package.json
+++ b/examples/basic/package.json
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
     "*": "prettier --write --ignore-unknown"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/cli": "0.5.0",
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/prettier-config": "0.5.0",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/cli": "0.5.1",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/prettier-config": "0.5.1",
     "lint-staged": "catalog:",
     "markdownlint-cli2": "catalog:",
     "markdownlint-rule-relative-links": "catalog:",
diff --git a/examples/basic/packages/example/package.json b/examples/basic/packages/example/package.json
index 10b4c09..1ec6203 100644
--- a/examples/basic/packages/example/package.json
+++ b/examples/basic/packages/example/package.json
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@
     "test": "vitest run"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/eslint-config": "0.5.0",
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/typescript-config": "0.5.0",
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/vitest-config": "0.5.0",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/eslint-config": "0.5.1",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/typescript-config": "0.5.1",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/vitest-config": "0.5.1",
     "@types/node": "catalog:",
     "eslint": "catalog:",
     "typescript": "catalog:",
diff --git a/examples/with-astro/.claude/settings.json b/examples/with-astro/.claude/settings.json
index 22dbad4..edfe297 100644
--- a/examples/with-astro/.claude/settings.json
+++ b/examples/with-astro/.claude/settings.json
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
       "source": {
         "source": "github",
         "repo": "LasVegasForTransit/repository-tooling",
-        "ref": "v0.5.0"
+        "ref": "v0.5.1"
       }
     }
   },
diff --git a/examples/with-astro/apps/site/package.json b/examples/with-astro/apps/site/package.json
index 19ac71d..cea3d2c 100644
--- a/examples/with-astro/apps/site/package.json
+++ b/examples/with-astro/apps/site/package.json
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@astrojs/check": "catalog:",
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/eslint-config": "0.5.0",
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/playwright-config": "0.5.0",
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/typescript-config": "0.5.0",
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/vitest-config": "0.5.0",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/eslint-config": "0.5.1",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/playwright-config": "0.5.1",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/typescript-config": "0.5.1",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/vitest-config": "0.5.1",
     "@playwright/test": "catalog:",
     "@types/node": "catalog:",
     "eslint": "catalog:",
diff --git a/examples/with-astro/package.json b/examples/with-astro/package.json
index 50671a2..ee5c183 100644
--- a/examples/with-astro/package.json
+++ b/examples/with-astro/package.json
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
     "*": "prettier --write --ignore-unknown"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/cli": "0.5.0",
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/prettier-config": "0.5.0",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/cli": "0.5.1",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/prettier-config": "0.5.1",
     "lint-staged": "catalog:",
     "markdownlint-cli2": "catalog:",
     "markdownlint-rule-relative-links": "catalog:",
diff --git a/examples/with-vite-react/.claude/settings.json b/examples/with-vite-react/.claude/settings.json
index 22dbad4..edfe297 100644
--- a/examples/with-vite-react/.claude/settings.json
+++ b/examples/with-vite-react/.claude/settings.json
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
       "source": {
         "source": "github",
         "repo": "LasVegasForTransit/repository-tooling",
-        "ref": "v0.5.0"
+        "ref": "v0.5.1"
       }
     }
   },
diff --git a/examples/with-vite-react/apps/app/package.json b/examples/with-vite-react/apps/app/package.json
index dc885d2..6022f32 100644
--- a/examples/with-vite-react/apps/app/package.json
+++ b/examples/with-vite-react/apps/app/package.json
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@
     "react-dom": "catalog:"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/eslint-config": "0.5.0",
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/playwright-config": "0.5.0",
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/typescript-config": "0.5.0",
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/vitest-config": "0.5.0",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/eslint-config": "0.5.1",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/playwright-config": "0.5.1",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/typescript-config": "0.5.1",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/vitest-config": "0.5.1",
     "@playwright/test": "catalog:",
     "@tailwindcss/vite": "catalog:",
     "@types/node": "catalog:",
diff --git a/examples/with-vite-react/package.json b/examples/with-vite-react/package.json
index 2199229..ecda05d 100644
--- a/examples/with-vite-react/package.json
+++ b/examples/with-vite-react/package.json
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
     "*": "prettier --write --ignore-unknown"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/cli": "0.5.0",
-    "@lasvegasfortransit/prettier-config": "0.5.0",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/cli": "0.5.1",
+    "@lasvegasfortransit/prettier-config": "0.5.1",
     "lint-staged": "catalog:",
     "markdownlint-cli2": "catalog:",
     "markdownlint-rule-relative-links": "catalog:",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 87ef2b5..9acc987 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "lvbt-repository-tooling",
   "private": true,
-  "version": "0.5.0",
+  "version": "0.5.1",
   "type": "module",
   "description": "Source of truth for the LVBT repository standard: the shared @lasvegasfortransit packages and the example repositories create-turbo copies.",
   "packageManager": "pnpm@11.25.0",
diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index 500ac05..49acae7 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@lasvegasfortransit/cli",
-  "version": "0.5.0",
+  "version": "0.5.1",
   "description": "The lvbt command every LVBT repository runs for bootstrap, preflight, and deploy, plus the production platform setup, the shared git hooks, and the lvbt-contributions agent plugin.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/packages/cli/plugins/lvbt-contributions/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/packages/cli/plugins/lvbt-contributions/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index 18c099d..ac5dc3a 100644
--- a/packages/cli/plugins/lvbt-contributions/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/packages/cli/plugins/lvbt-contributions/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "lvbt-contributions",
-  "version": "0.5.0",
+  "version": "0.5.1",
   "description": "Create readable LVBT GitHub issues and pull requests through the organization workflow.",
   "author": {
     "name": "Las Vegans for Better Transit",
diff --git a/packages/cli/plugins/lvbt-contributions/.codex-plugin/plugin.json b/packages/cli/plugins/lvbt-contributions/.codex-plugin/plugin.json
index 5c68dc0..03f60e4 100644
--- a/packages/cli/plugins/lvbt-contributions/.codex-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/packages/cli/plugins/lvbt-contributions/.codex-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "lvbt-contributions",
-  "version": "0.5.0",
+  "version": "0.5.1",
   "description": "Create readable LVBT GitHub issues and pull requests through the organization workflow.",
   "author": {
     "name": "Las Vegans for Better Transit",
diff --git a/packages/eslint-config/package.json b/packages/eslint-config/package.json
index 50b0c72..5e9c3d2 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-config/package.json
+++ b/packages/eslint-config/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@lasvegasfortransit/eslint-config",
-  "version": "0.5.0",
+  "version": "0.5.1",
   "description": "The ESLint configurations every LVBT repository uses.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/packages/playwright-config/package.json b/packages/playwright-config/package.json
index f2108b1..d6ae7c0 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-config/package.json
+++ b/packages/playwright-config/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@lasvegasfortransit/playwright-config",
-  "version": "0.5.0",
+  "version": "0.5.1",
   "description": "The Playwright configuration every LVBT repository spreads into its own: end-to-end tests under tests/e2e, desktop and mobile projects, traces on failure.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/packages/prettier-config/package.json b/packages/prettier-config/package.json
index 6428c0f..e3cdf8d 100644
--- a/packages/prettier-config/package.json
+++ b/packages/prettier-config/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@lasvegasfortransit/prettier-config",
-  "version": "0.5.0",
+  "version": "0.5.1",
   "description": "The Prettier configuration every LVBT repository uses.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/packages/typescript-config/package.json b/packages/typescript-config/package.json
index da0e97c..1330efa 100644
--- a/packages/typescript-config/package.json
+++ b/packages/typescript-config/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@lasvegasfortransit/typescript-config",
-  "version": "0.5.0",
+  "version": "0.5.1",
   "description": "TypeScript configurations every LVBT repository extends.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "repository": {
diff --git a/packages/vitest-config/package.json b/packages/vitest-config/package.json
index 35ab091..e077e5d 100644
--- a/packages/vitest-config/package.json
+++ b/packages/vitest-config/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@lasvegasfortransit/vitest-config",
-  "version": "0.5.0",
+  "version": "0.5.1",
   "description": "The Vitest configuration every LVBT repository spreads into its own.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/packages/web-platform/package.json b/packages/web-platform/package.json
index bff470a..94ca12f 100644
--- a/packages/web-platform/package.json
+++ b/packages/web-platform/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@lasvegasfortransit/web-platform",
-  "version": "0.5.0",
+  "version": "0.5.1",
   "description": "Provider-neutral deployment, provisioning, and validation primitives for LVBT web repositories.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/standards/propose.ts b/standards/propose.ts
index f2b5720..f86fdd8 100644
--- a/standards/propose.ts
+++ b/standards/propose.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,12 @@ function remoteBranchState(
   branch: string,
   runner: Runner,
 ): 'absent' | 'current' | 'stale' | 'edited' {
-  if (!runner('git', ['ls-remote', '--heads', 'origin', branch], target)) return 'absent';
+  if (!runner('git', ['ls-remote', '--heads', 'origin', branch], target)) {
+    // A tracking ref left from a branch GitHub has since deleted would make --force-with-lease
+    // refuse the push, so forget it.
+    runner('git', ['update-ref', '-d', `refs/remotes/origin/${branch}`], target);
+    return 'absent';
+  }
   runner(
     'git',
     ['fetch', '--quiet', 'origin', `+refs/heads/${branch}:refs/remotes/origin/${branch}`],
@@ -136,6 +141,33 @@ function createOrEdit(options: {
   return (JSON.parse(runner('node', args, target)) as { number: number }).number;
 }
 
+/** The release the repository's default branch vendors, read from GitHub rather than the checkout. */
+function defaultBranchRelease(target: string, runner: Runner): string | null {
+  const manifest = runner(
+    'gh',
+    [
+      'api',
+      'repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/.lvbt/web-platform.json',
+      '-H',
+      'Accept: application/vnd.github.raw',
+    ],
+    target,
+  );
+  return (JSON.parse(manifest) as { release: string | null }).release;
+}
+
+/** Runs Validate on the update branch; a workflow token's push alone starts no workflow. */
+function dispatchValidation(target: string, branch: string, runner: Runner): void {
+  try {
+    runner('gh', ['workflow', 'run', 'ci.yml', '--ref', branch], target);
+  } catch {
+    process.stderr.write(
+      `Could not run ci.yml on ${branch}. Give ci.yml a workflow_dispatch trigger, as the examples' has, so update pull requests get their Validate check.\n`,
+    );
+    process.exitCode = 1;
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Pushes the update branch, opens or refreshes its pull request, enables auto-merge, and closes
  * update pull requests for older releases.
@@ -166,8 +198,10 @@ export async function proposeRelease(options: {
     if (automerge) runner('gh', ['pr', 'merge', String(number), '--auto', '--rebase'], target);
     // A push made with a repository's own GITHUB_TOKEN starts no workflow, but a dispatch always
     // does, and its Validate check lands on the branch's head commit.
-    if (pushed) runner('gh', ['workflow', 'run', 'ci.yml', '--ref', updateBranch(tag)], target);
-  } else {
+    if (pushed) dispatchValidation(target, updateBranch(tag), runner);
+  } else if (defaultBranchRelease(target, runner) === tag) {
+    // Only a default branch that already carries the release makes its update pull request moot;
+    // a checkout that happens to be on the update branch does not.
     superseded.push(...open.filter(({ headRefName }) => headRefName === updateBranch(tag)));
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/propose.test.mjs b/tests/propose.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2db2bad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/propose.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import test from 'node:test';
+
+import { proposeRelease } from '../standards/propose.ts';
+
+const entry = { name: 'example', requiredStatus: 'Validate', kind: 'consumer' };
+
+/** A runner that records every command and answers from a table of canned outputs. */
+function fakeRunner(answers) {
+  const calls = [];
+  const runner = (command, args) => {
+    const line = [command, ...args].join(' ');
+    calls.push(line);
+    for (const [pattern, answer] of answers) {
+      if (!pattern.test(line)) continue;
+      if (answer instanceof Error) throw answer;
+      return answer;
+    }
+    return '';
+  };
+  return { calls, runner };
+}
+
+const options = (runner, overrides = {}) => ({
+  source: '/nonexistent/source',
+  tooling: '/nonexistent/tooling',
+  target: '/nonexistent/target',
+  entry,
+  tag: 'v0.5.0',
+  changed: false,
+  from: 'v0.4.5',
+  runner,
+  ...overrides,
+});
+
+const openUpdate = JSON.stringify([
+  { number: 7, headRefName: 'automation/repository-standard-v0.5.0' },
+]);
+
+test('an unchanged checkout closes its update only when the default branch has the release', async () => {
+  const behind = fakeRunner([
+    [/^gh pr list --state open/, openUpdate],
+    [/web-platform\.json/, JSON.stringify({ release: 'v0.4.5' })],
+  ]);
+  await proposeRelease(options(behind.runner));
+  assert.ok(!behind.calls.some((call) => call.startsWith('gh pr close')));
+
+  const current = fakeRunner([
+    [/^gh pr list --state open/, openUpdate],
+    [/web-platform\.json/, JSON.stringify({ release: 'v0.5.0' })],
+  ]);
+  await proposeRelease(options(current.runner));
+  assert.ok(current.calls.some((call) => call.startsWith('gh pr close 7')));
+});
+
+test('a branch GitHub deleted is pushed afresh and a failed dispatch is reported, not thrown', async (t) => {
+  const exitCode = process.exitCode;
+  t.after(() => {
+    process.exitCode = exitCode;
+  });
+  const { calls, runner } = fakeRunner([
+    [/^gh pr list --state open/, '[]'],
+    [/^git ls-remote --heads/, ''],
+    [/^gh pr list --head/, JSON.stringify([{ number: 12 }])],
+    [/^gh workflow run ci\.yml/, new Error('no workflow_dispatch trigger')],
+  ]);
+  const outcome = await proposeRelease(
+    options(runner, { changed: true, from: 'v0.5.0', tag: 'v0.5.1' }),
+  );
+  assert.equal(outcome, 'example: #12');
+  const forget = calls.findIndex((call) => call.startsWith('git update-ref -d'));
+  const push = calls.findIndex((call) => call.startsWith('git push --force-with-lease'));
+  assert.ok(forget !== -1 && forget < push, 'the stale tracking ref is forgotten before the push');
+  assert.ok(
+    calls.some((call) => call === 'gh pr merge 12 --auto --rebase'),
+    'a patch merges itself',
+  );
+  assert.equal(process.exitCode, 1);
+});