diff --git a/.github/workflows/examples-smoke.yml b/.github/workflows/examples-smoke.yml
index a9295063..55f5e91e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/examples-smoke.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/examples-smoke.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ on:
       - examples/**
       - scripts/examples-smoke/**
       - .github/workflows/examples-smoke.yml
+      - packages/**
+      - package.json
+      - pnpm-lock.yaml
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - main
@@ -29,6 +32,11 @@ on:
       - examples/**
       - scripts/examples-smoke/**
       - .github/workflows/examples-smoke.yml
+      - packages/**
+      - package.json
+      - pnpm-lock.yaml
+  schedule:
+    - cron: 0 3 * * *
   workflow_dispatch: {}
 permissions:
   contents: read
diff --git a/scripts/examples-smoke/build-fixture.ts b/scripts/examples-smoke/build-fixture.ts
index 1a73fae2..8dabae2d 100644
--- a/scripts/examples-smoke/build-fixture.ts
+++ b/scripts/examples-smoke/build-fixture.ts
@@ -110,7 +110,10 @@ function writeRootPackageJson(
 }
 
 function buildNpmSingle(out: string, tarballNames: Record<string, string>): void {
-  writeRootPackageJson(out, 'smoke-consumer', {}, tarballNames);
+  // A single-package consumer's one package IS the publishable one, so it must not be `private`.
+  // writeRootPackageJson defaults `private: true` for the monorepo roots (where only members ship),
+  // but a private single package is skipped at discovery — leaving nothing to release.
+  writeRootPackageJson(out, 'smoke-consumer', { private: false }, tarballNames);
 }
 
 function buildNpmMonorepo(out: string, tarballNames: Record<string, string>): void {
diff --git a/scripts/examples-smoke/generate-smoke-workflow.ts b/scripts/examples-smoke/generate-smoke-workflow.ts
index 1a01609b..23d9058d 100644
--- a/scripts/examples-smoke/generate-smoke-workflow.ts
+++ b/scripts/examples-smoke/generate-smoke-workflow.ts
@@ -215,17 +215,32 @@ export function buildWorkflow(): Record<string, unknown> {
     jobs[`smoke-${scenario.id}`] = smokeJob(scenario);
   }
 
+  // The smoke exercises `releasekit release`, so it must also run when that release code — or the
+  // dependencies it resolves — changes, not just the examples/harness; otherwise a regression in
+  // release logic can break the smoke without ever re-triggering it.
+  const triggerPaths = [
+    'examples/**',
+    'scripts/examples-smoke/**',
+    '.github/workflows/examples-smoke.yml',
+    'packages/**',
+    'package.json',
+    'pnpm-lock.yaml',
+  ];
+
   return {
     name: 'Examples Smoke',
     on: {
       push: {
         branches: ['main'],
-        paths: ['examples/**', 'scripts/examples-smoke/**', '.github/workflows/examples-smoke.yml'],
+        paths: [...triggerPaths],
       },
       pull_request: {
         branches: ['main'],
-        paths: ['examples/**', 'scripts/examples-smoke/**', '.github/workflows/examples-smoke.yml'],
+        paths: [...triggerPaths],
       },
+      // Nightly backstop on main: catches regressions the path filters miss (transitive dep bumps,
+      // runner-image drift) within a day.
+      schedule: [{ cron: '0 3 * * *' }],
       workflow_dispatch: {},
     },
     permissions: { contents: 'read' },