diff --git a/.github/workflows/cli-package-validation.yml b/.github/workflows/cli-package-validation.yml
index 6eae6d16f0..ae25fed517 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cli-package-validation.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cli-package-validation.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ on:
       - '.npmrc'
       - 'LICENSE'
       - 'NOTICE'
+      - 'DISCLAIMER-WIP'
       - 'package.json'
       - 'package-lock.json'
       - 'patches/**'
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ on:
       - '.npmrc'
       - 'LICENSE'
       - 'NOTICE'
+      - 'DISCLAIMER-WIP'
       - 'package.json'
       - 'package-lock.json'
       - 'patches/**'
diff --git a/scripts/release-cli-package.mjs b/scripts/release-cli-package.mjs
index 26fa2a710b..88bec20310 100644
--- a/scripts/release-cli-package.mjs
+++ b/scripts/release-cli-package.mjs
@@ -446,6 +446,9 @@ function copyReleaseDocuments() {
   copyFileSync(join(cliSource, 'README.zh-CN.md'), join(stageRoot, 'README.zh-CN.md'));
   copyFileSync(join(repoRoot, 'LICENSE'), join(stageRoot, 'LICENSE'));
   copyFileSync(join(repoRoot, 'NOTICE'), join(stageRoot, 'NOTICE'));
+  // Incubator policy: podling releases carry the incubating disclaimer, kept
+  // next to LICENSE/NOTICE. The npm tarball is a release like the installers.
+  copyFileSync(join(repoRoot, 'DISCLAIMER-WIP'), join(stageRoot, 'DISCLAIMER-WIP'));
   copyFileSync(
     join(cliSource, 'THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.txt'),
     join(stageRoot, 'THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.txt'),
@@ -497,6 +500,7 @@ function writeReleaseManifest(cli, publishable) {
       'README.zh-CN.md',
       'LICENSE',
       'NOTICE',
+      'DISCLAIMER-WIP',
       'THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.txt',
     ],
     dependencies,
@@ -510,6 +514,7 @@ function validateStaging() {
   const required = [
     'dist/cli.js',
     'README.zh-CN.md',
+    'DISCLAIMER-WIP',
     'node_modules/@maka/runtime/dist/workers/filesystem-worker.js',
     'node_modules/@maka/runtime-host/dist/execution-candidate-main.js',
     'packages/eval/dist/harbor-external-subject.js',
@@ -603,6 +608,7 @@ function validatePackedFiles(files, expectedDependencyManifests) {
   }
   const requiredPacked = [
     'dist/cli.js',
+    'DISCLAIMER-WIP',
     'node_modules/@maka/runtime/dist/workers/filesystem-worker.js',
     'node_modules/@maka/runtime-host/dist/execution-candidate-main.js',
     'packages/eval/harbor/relay_agent.py',
diff --git a/scripts/smoke-release-cli-package.mjs b/scripts/smoke-release-cli-package.mjs
index 5d3d03112b..5ddb489c32 100644
--- a/scripts/smoke-release-cli-package.mjs
+++ b/scripts/smoke-release-cli-package.mjs
@@ -213,6 +213,9 @@ function validateReleaseArtifact(path) {
 
 function validateInstalledRuntimeFiles(packageRoot) {
   for (const path of [
+    // Incubator policy: the installed package carries the incubating
+    // disclaimer next to LICENSE/NOTICE, like every other Maka release.
+    'DISCLAIMER-WIP',
     'node_modules/@maka/runtime/dist/workers/filesystem-worker.js',
     'node_modules/@maka/runtime-host/dist/execution-candidate-main.js',
     'node_modules/@maka/eval/dist/index.js',