diff --git a/ci/build-release-candidate.py b/ci/build-release-candidate.py
index 3ee4f78..968c644 100644
--- a/ci/build-release-candidate.py
+++ b/ci/build-release-candidate.py
@@ -406,7 +406,18 @@ def normalize_and_validate_sbom(
             raise CandidateError(
                 f"CycloneDX component lacks a license: {component.get('name')!r}"
             )
-        if not component_has_sha256(component):
+        # WHY the hash rule splits on inventory membership: an inventory
+        # component already carries every digest its hash source can honestly
+        # provide -- validated_component_inventory refuses a repository-file or
+        # external-distribution entry without one, while a registry-version-pin
+        # entry records that no upstream per-install integrity value exists
+        # (ci/tool-lock.toml states the same contract). Demanding a SHA-256 for
+        # those here would require a digest that cannot exist; a component from
+        # any other source still must carry one.
+        if (
+            not component_has_sha256(component)
+            and str(component.get("purl")) not in inventory_purls
+        ):
             raise CandidateError(
                 f"CycloneDX component lacks a SHA-256 hash: {component.get('name')!r}"
             )
diff --git a/ci/check-release-candidate.py b/ci/check-release-candidate.py
index 30d89c0..c83a6cb 100644
--- a/ci/check-release-candidate.py
+++ b/ci/check-release-candidate.py
@@ -110,6 +110,17 @@ def main() -> int:
                                 "sha256": "1" * 64,
                             },
                         },
+                        {
+                            "name": "Fixture registry pin",
+                            "version": "3.0.0",
+                            "purl": "pkg:npm/fixture-registry-pin@3.0.0",
+                            "scope": "required",
+                            "license": "MIT",
+                            "hash": {
+                                "kind": "registry-version-pin",
+                                "registry": "npm",
+                            },
+                        },
                     ],
                 },
                 indent=2,
@@ -180,7 +191,14 @@ def main() -> int:
         assert {component["purl"] for component in sbom_doc["components"]} == {
             "pkg:generic/fixture-font@1.0.0?file_name=fixture.woff2",
             "pkg:generic/fixture-renderer@2.0.0?arch=x86_64&os=linux",
+            "pkg:npm/fixture-registry-pin@3.0.0",
         }
+        registry_pin = next(
+            component
+            for component in sbom_doc["components"]
+            if component["purl"] == "pkg:npm/fixture-registry-pin@3.0.0"
+        )
+        assert "hashes" not in registry_pin
         dependency_rows = {
             row["ref"]: row["dependsOn"] for row in sbom_doc["dependencies"]
         }