diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index e92380a39..893193009 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -130,6 +130,43 @@ jobs:
             -Prelease \
             release:perform
 
+      # The published artifact set is defined by the Maven model (maven-deploy-plugin skip
+      # flags in the POMs); this step only verifies the outcome. It runs before the git push
+      # so that a broken publication fails the release without pushing commits or tags.
+      - name: Verify published artifact set
+        run: |
+          BASE_URL='https://eldonexus.de/repository/maven-public/nl/pim16aap2/BigDoors'
+          failed=0
+
+          # These artifacts (and their full parent POM chain) must be resolvable by consumers.
+          for artifact in \
+            "BigDoors-parent/${RELEASE_VERSION}/BigDoors-parent-${RELEASE_VERSION}.pom" \
+            "hooks/${RELEASE_VERSION}/hooks-${RELEASE_VERSION}.pom" \
+            "core/${RELEASE_VERSION}/core-${RELEASE_VERSION}.pom" \
+            "core/${RELEASE_VERSION}/core-${RELEASE_VERSION}.jar" \
+            "hooks-api/${RELEASE_VERSION}/hooks-api-${RELEASE_VERSION}.pom" \
+            "hooks-api/${RELEASE_VERSION}/hooks-api-${RELEASE_VERSION}.jar"; do
+            code=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "${BASE_URL}/${artifact}")
+            if [ "${code}" != "200" ]; then
+              echo "::error::Expected artifact missing (HTTP ${code}): ${artifact}"
+              failed=1
+            fi
+          done
+
+          # Internal modules must never be published.
+          for artifact in \
+            "nms-api/${RELEASE_VERSION}/nms-api-${RELEASE_VERSION}.pom" \
+            "hooks-bundle/${RELEASE_VERSION}/hooks-bundle-${RELEASE_VERSION}.pom" \
+            "nms/${RELEASE_VERSION}/nms-${RELEASE_VERSION}.pom"; do
+            code=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "${BASE_URL}/${artifact}")
+            if [ "${code}" != "404" ]; then
+              echo "::error::Internal artifact unexpectedly published (HTTP ${code}): ${artifact}"
+              failed=1
+            fi
+          done
+
+          exit "${failed}"
+
       - name: Push release commits and tag
         run: git push origin master --follow-tags
 
@@ -159,19 +196,26 @@ jobs:
             core/target/BigDoors.jar.asc
             core/target/BigDoors.jar.SHA-256
 
-      - name: Clear changelog for next release
+      - name: Clear changelog and bump README version for next release
         env:
           GPG_KEY: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_GPG_KEY }}
           Maven_GPG_PASSPHRASE: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE }}
         run: |
           echo "$GPG_KEY" | gpg --batch --import
-          
+
           version_line=$(echo "${{ env.NEXT_DEV_VERSION }}" | sed 's/-SNAPSHOT//g')
           { printf '%s\n\n' "$version_line"; cat changelog.txt; } > changelog.tmp
           mv changelog.tmp changelog.txt
-          
+
           > NEXT_RELEASE_CHANGELOG.md
-          
-          git add changelog.txt NEXT_RELEASE_CHANGELOG.md
-          git commit -S -m "chore: clear next changelog after v${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }} release"
+
+          # Point the README dependency snippets at the version that was just released.
+          # The greps fail the step loudly if a README reformat ever breaks the sed patterns.
+          sed -i "s|<version>[0-9][0-9.]*</version>|<version>${RELEASE_VERSION}</version>|" README.md
+          sed -i "s|BigDoors:core:[0-9][0-9.]*|BigDoors:core:${RELEASE_VERSION}|" README.md
+          grep -q "<version>${RELEASE_VERSION}</version>" README.md
+          grep -q "BigDoors:core:${RELEASE_VERSION}" README.md
+
+          git add changelog.txt NEXT_RELEASE_CHANGELOG.md README.md
+          git commit -S -m "chore: clear changelog and bump README to v${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }} after release"
           git push origin master
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6216686ff..61a062108 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-![Static Badge](https://img.shields.io/nexus/r/nl.pim16aap2/BigDoors?color=green&label=BigDoors&logo=BigDoors&logoColor=red&server=https%3A%2F%2Feldonexus.de&style=flat-square)
+[![BigDoors release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/PimvanderLoos/BigDoors?label=BigDoors&color=green&style=flat-square)](https://github.com/PimvanderLoos/BigDoors/releases/latest)
 
 # BigDoors v1
 BigDoors is a plugin for the Minecraft server mod [Spigot](https://spigotmc.org). Its aim is to enhance your server with
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ There are 2 modules available:
   <dependency>
     <groupId>nl.pim16aap2.BigDoors</groupId>
     <artifactId>core</artifactId>
-    <version>0.1.8.64</version>
+    <version>0.1.8.68</version>
     <scope>provided</scope>
   </dependency>
 </dependencies>
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ maven {
 }
 
 dependencies {
-  compileOnly 'nl.pim16aap2.BigDoors:core:0.1.8.64'
+  compileOnly 'nl.pim16aap2.BigDoors:core:0.1.8.68'
 }
 ```
 
diff --git a/hooks/pom.xml b/hooks/pom.xml
index 1ff7d36ae..c1cfad3d2 100644
--- a/hooks/pom.xml
+++ b/hooks/pom.xml
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 
     <properties>
         <maven.javadoc.skip>true</maven.javadoc.skip>
+        <!-- Hook implementations are internal; only hooks-api (which overrides this) is published. -->
+        <maven.deploy.skip>true</maven.deploy.skip>
     </properties>
 
     <modules>
@@ -50,4 +52,24 @@
             <scope>provided</scope>
         </dependency>
     </dependencies>
+
+    <build>
+        <plugins>
+            <plugin>
+                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+                <artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
+                <version>${dependency.maven-deploy.version}</version>
+                <!--
+                    This aggregator POM must be published: it is the parent of the published
+                    hooks-api artifact, and Maven cannot resolve an artifact without its full
+                    parent POM chain. 'inherited=false' limits this override to this module,
+                    so the child hook modules keep the maven.deploy.skip=true default above.
+                -->
+                <inherited>false</inherited>
+                <configuration>
+                    <skip>false</skip>
+                </configuration>
+            </plugin>
+        </plugins>
+    </build>
 </project>
diff --git a/nms/pom.xml b/nms/pom.xml
index d1f6ee72d..96e47af0d 100644
--- a/nms/pom.xml
+++ b/nms/pom.xml
@@ -68,5 +68,7 @@
         <maven.compiler.source>8</maven.compiler.source>
         <maven.compiler.target>8</maven.compiler.target>
         <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
+        <!-- NMS modules are internal implementation details; they are not published to the Maven repository. -->
+        <maven.deploy.skip>true</maven.deploy.skip>
     </properties>
 </project>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index ef07a7333..aa4c35c86 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -117,9 +117,6 @@
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
                 <version>${dependency.maven-deploy.version}</version>
-                <configuration>
-                    <skip>true</skip>
-                </configuration>
             </plugin>
 
             <plugin>