diff --git a/.github/workflows/drift-check.yml b/.github/workflows/drift-check.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ef4f3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/drift-check.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+name: drift-check
+on:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '0 7 * * *'  # daily at 07:00 UTC
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  issues: write
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  sdk-drift:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683  # v4.2.2
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@39370e3970a6d050c480ffad4ff0ed4d3fdee5af  # v4.1.0
+        with:
+          node-version: 20
+      - name: Compare @rendobar/sdk dep vs npm latest
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          GITHUB_REPOSITORY: ${{ github.repository }}
+        run: node scripts/drift-check.mjs
diff --git a/.github/workflows/watchdog.yml b/.github/workflows/watchdog.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ab044b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/watchdog.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+name: watchdog
+on:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '0 */6 * * *'  # every 6h
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  issues: write
+  contents: read
+  pull-requests: read
+
+jobs:
+  check:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683  # v4.2.2
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@39370e3970a6d050c480ffad4ff0ed4d3fdee5af  # v4.1.0
+        with:
+          node-version: 20
+      - name: Detect silent release skip
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          GITHUB_REPOSITORY: ${{ github.repository }}
+        run: node scripts/watchdog.mjs
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8574af6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+# AGENTS.md — rendobar-cli
+
+Guide for agents and humans working on the Rendobar CLI. Companion doc for the monorepo's `AGENTS.md` at [rendobar/rendobar](https://github.com/rendobar/rendobar).
+
+## TL;DR
+
+- **Source, tests, workflows**: all in this repo
+- **SDK source**: lives in the [rendobar/rendobar](https://github.com/rendobar/rendobar) monorepo under `packages/sdk/`. Consumed here as `@rendobar/sdk@^1.0.0` from npm.
+- **Release**: conventional commits → release-please → tag → `cli-binaries.yml` builds 5 platform binaries with attestations → GitHub Release
+- **No manual tags, no manual version bumps**
+
+## Dev loop
+
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/rendobar/cli.git
+cd cli && pnpm install
+pnpm test          # 48 tests via bun test
+pnpm typecheck     # tsc --noEmit
+pnpm dev -- --version     # run from source
+pnpm build         # compile standalone rb / rb.exe
+./rb --version
+```
+
+## Working on SDK + CLI simultaneously
+
+When you need unreleased SDK changes in CLI:
+
+```bash
+# Prereq: clone the monorepo as a sibling (or set RENDOBAR_MONOREPO env var)
+#   ../rendobar/packages/sdk
+pnpm dev:sdk-local    # builds monorepo SDK + pnpm-links it into this repo
+pnpm test             # tests now run against your local SDK
+# ...iterate...
+pnpm dev:sdk-npm      # restores @rendobar/sdk from package.json (npm version)
+```
+
+**A pre-commit hook blocks commits while the SDK is linked.** It's automatic — if you forget to unlink, `git commit` fails with an instruction to run `pnpm dev:sdk-npm`.
+
+The sibling path is `../rendobar/packages/sdk` by default. Override via:
+
+```bash
+RENDOBAR_MONOREPO=/custom/path/to/monorepo pnpm dev:sdk-local
+```
+
+## Conventional commits
+
+Every commit on main MUST follow [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/). release-please parses them to compute version bumps. Non-conventional commits are silently skipped — the watchdog (`.github/workflows/watchdog.yml`) will open an issue within 6h if this happens.
+
+This repo is single-product: **no commit scope needed**.
+
+| Commit | Bump |
+|---|---|
+| `fix: ...` | patch (`1.0.0` → `1.0.1`) |
+| `feat: ...` | minor (`1.0.0` → `1.1.0`) |
+| `feat!: ...` or `BREAKING CHANGE:` footer | major (`1.0.0` → `2.0.0`) |
+| `chore:`, `docs:`, `test:`, `ci:`, `refactor:` | no bump, no CHANGELOG |
+
+**Force a specific version:** add `Release-As: 1.2.3` footer to a `chore:` commit.
+
+Examples:
+
+```
+feat: add rb batch command for parallel submissions
+fix: handle malformed checksums.txt in rb update
+feat!: rename --output flag to --out
+
+BREAKING CHANGE: --output is now --out
+```
+
+## Release flow (fully automated)
+
+```
+commit `feat: X` on main
+   ↓ release-please.yml fires
+release-please opens PR: "chore: release main" with bumped version
+   ↓ auto-merge (when branch protection required checks pass)
+tag v1.X.0 pushed by release-please
+   ↓ cli-binaries.yml fires on the v* tag
+5 platform builds + attestations + release + smoke tests
+   ↓
+release live at github.com/rendobar/cli/releases
+   ↓ users on older versions
+rb update → self-replaces with checksum verification + rollback
+```
+
+**You never touch tags.** Pushing a tag manually is a footgun — release-please owns them.
+
+## Guardrails already in place
+
+| Guardrail | Where | What it catches |
+|---|---|---|
+| Branch protection on `main` | GitHub settings (public repo, free) | Direct pushes, required `test` + `lint` checks before merge, linear history |
+| `commitlint` on every PR title | `.github/workflows/pr-title.yml` | Non-conventional PR titles |
+| `lefthook commit-msg` hook | `lefthook.yml` | Non-conventional local commits |
+| `lefthook pre-commit` guard | `lefthook.yml` | Committing while SDK is pnpm-linked |
+| `pnpm typecheck` + `bun test` | `.github/workflows/test.yml` | Broken code in PRs |
+| Watchdog cron (every 6h) | `.github/workflows/watchdog.yml` | Silent release skips |
+| SDK drift check cron (daily) | `.github/workflows/drift-check.yml` | Stale `@rendobar/sdk` dep vs npm latest |
+| Build provenance attestations | `.github/workflows/cli-binaries.yml` | Verify binary was built by this workflow on this commit |
+| Cross-platform smoke test | `.github/workflows/cli-binaries.yml` | Binary runs on macOS/Linux/Windows |
+
+## Verifying a released binary
+
+```bash
+# Download any release asset
+curl -fsSL -o rb.tar.gz https://github.com/rendobar/cli/releases/download/v1.0.0/rb-linux-x64.tar.gz
+
+# Verify build provenance
+gh attestation verify rb.tar.gz --repo rendobar/cli
+```
+
+Attestations prove the binary was built by this exact workflow on this exact commit, signed by GitHub's OIDC issuer.
+
+## For agents
+
+When asked to add a feature or fix a bug:
+
+1. Check `pnpm test && pnpm typecheck` is green before you touch anything
+2. Branch off `main`: `git checkout -b feat/short-name`
+3. Make changes + write tests
+4. `pnpm test && pnpm typecheck` locally
+5. Commit with a conventional message: `feat: ...` or `fix: ...`
+6. `git push -u origin <branch>` and `gh pr create --title "feat: ..."`
+7. Wait for CI green, merge
+8. Walk away — release-please handles the rest
+
+**DO NOT**:
+- Push directly to main (branch protection will reject, but don't try)
+- Push tags manually (release-please owns tags)
+- Commit while `@rendobar/sdk` is pnpm-linked (pre-commit hook rejects)
+- Edit `CHANGELOG.md` or bump `version` in `package.json` (release-please owns both)
+- Use `git commit --no-verify` (blocks hooks; investigate the hook failure instead)
+- Add a commit scope like `feat(cli): ...` (single-product repo, bare `feat:` is correct)
+
+## Gotchas
+
+- **Bun version**: pinned to `1.3.12` in all workflows. Don't bump without testing all 5 platforms.
+- **macOS sha256**: use `shasum -a 256 -c`, never `sha256sum -c` (non-existent on macOS).
+- **Tag-triggered workflows**: GitHub won't fire workflows on tags pushed by `GITHUB_TOKEN`. release-please handles this internally. If `cli-binaries.yml` doesn't fire after a release-please merge, delete the release+tag, push tag from local (user PAT triggers workflows).
+- **Attestations permission**: requires `attestations: write` in workflow permissions, separate from `id-token: write`.
diff --git a/lefthook.yml b/lefthook.yml
index de32695..d7592e2 100644
--- a/lefthook.yml
+++ b/lefthook.yml
@@ -4,3 +4,12 @@ commit-msg:
   commands:
     commitlint:
       run: npx --no-install commitlint --edit {1}
+
+pre-commit:
+  commands:
+    no-linked-sdk:
+      run: node scripts/check-no-linked-sdk.mjs
+      fail_text: |
+        @rendobar/sdk is pnpm-linked to a local checkout. Run `pnpm dev:sdk-npm` to restore
+        the npm version before committing. Bypass only if you know what you're doing:
+        lefthook run pre-commit --force
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 54fff78..b58c988 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@
     "generate-version": "node scripts/generate-version.mjs",
     "build": "pnpm generate-version && bun build --compile --minify src/main.ts --outfile rb",
     "test": "pnpm generate-version && bun test",
-    "typecheck": "pnpm generate-version && tsc --noEmit"
+    "typecheck": "pnpm generate-version && tsc --noEmit",
+    "dev:sdk-local": "node scripts/link-local-sdk.mjs",
+    "dev:sdk-npm": "node scripts/unlink-local-sdk.mjs",
+    "check:no-linked-sdk": "node scripts/check-no-linked-sdk.mjs"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@rendobar/sdk": "^1.0.0",
diff --git a/scripts/check-no-linked-sdk.mjs b/scripts/check-no-linked-sdk.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bda0e18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check-no-linked-sdk.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+// scripts/check-no-linked-sdk.mjs
+// Pre-commit guard: rejects commits while @rendobar/sdk is pnpm-linked to a
+// local dev checkout (via `pnpm link --global`).
+//
+// pnpm ALWAYS symlinks node_modules/@rendobar/sdk to node_modules/.pnpm/...
+// for normal installs, so "is a symlink" alone isn't enough. We check if the
+// symlink target contains "/.pnpm/" or "\\.pnpm\\" — if yes, it's a normal
+// pnpm store install; if no, it's a local dev link and we block the commit.
+import { lstatSync, readlinkSync, existsSync } from "node:fs";
+import { resolve } from "node:path";
+
+const SDK_PATH = resolve("node_modules", "@rendobar", "sdk");
+
+if (!existsSync(SDK_PATH)) {
+  process.exit(0);
+}
+
+try {
+  const stat = lstatSync(SDK_PATH);
+  if (!stat.isSymbolicLink()) {
+    // Real directory — probably a manual copy or non-pnpm install
+    process.exit(0);
+  }
+
+  const target = readlinkSync(SDK_PATH);
+  const normalized = target.replace(/\\/g, "/");
+
+  // Normal pnpm store install: target lives under node_modules/.pnpm/
+  if (normalized.includes("/.pnpm/")) {
+    process.exit(0);
+  }
+
+  // Anything else = dev link to a sibling checkout
+  console.error("");
+  console.error("  ✗ @rendobar/sdk is pnpm-linked to a local checkout.");
+  console.error(`    Link target: ${target}`);
+  console.error("");
+  console.error("    Commit blocked. Local-linked SDK means your CLI works");
+  console.error("    only against unreleased SDK code and will break in CI.");
+  console.error("");
+  console.error("    Fix: run `pnpm dev:sdk-npm` to restore the npm version, then commit.");
+  console.error("");
+  process.exit(1);
+} catch (err) {
+  console.error(`[check-no-linked-sdk] error: ${err.message}`);
+  process.exit(0);
+}
diff --git a/scripts/drift-check.mjs b/scripts/drift-check.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e7ef2ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/drift-check.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+// scripts/drift-check.mjs
+// Checks if the CLI's @rendobar/sdk dep is behind the latest version on npm.
+// Opens a GH issue if drifted by more than a patch version.
+// Runs via .github/workflows/drift-check.yml.
+import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+
+const REPO = process.env.GITHUB_REPOSITORY ?? "rendobar/cli";
+const PACKAGE = "@rendobar/sdk";
+
+function gh(cmd) {
+  return execSync(`gh ${cmd}`, { encoding: "utf-8" }).trim();
+}
+
+function log(msg) {
+  console.log(`[drift-check] ${msg}`);
+}
+
+function getCurrentDep() {
+  const pkg = JSON.parse(readFileSync("package.json", "utf-8"));
+  const dep = pkg.dependencies?.[PACKAGE] ?? pkg.devDependencies?.[PACKAGE];
+  if (!dep) throw new Error(`${PACKAGE} not found in package.json`);
+  return dep.replace(/^[\^~]/, "");
+}
+
+async function getNpmLatest() {
+  const res = await fetch(`https://registry.npmjs.org/${PACKAGE}/latest`);
+  if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`npm registry returned ${res.status}`);
+  const body = await res.json();
+  return body.version;
+}
+
+function parseSemver(v) {
+  const m = /^(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)/.exec(v);
+  if (!m) return null;
+  return { major: +m[1], minor: +m[2], patch: +m[3] };
+}
+
+function compareSemver(a, b) {
+  if (a.major !== b.major) return a.major - b.major;
+  if (a.minor !== b.minor) return a.minor - b.minor;
+  return a.patch - b.patch;
+}
+
+function hasExistingDriftIssue(latest) {
+  try {
+    const issues = JSON.parse(
+      gh(
+        `issue list --search "drift-check: ${PACKAGE} behind ${latest} in:title" --state open --json number --repo ${REPO}`,
+      ),
+    );
+    return issues.length > 0;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+function openIssue(current, latest) {
+  const body = `Drift check detected that \`${PACKAGE}\` dependency is behind the latest published version.
+
+| Location | Version |
+|---|---|
+| \`package.json\` | \`${current}\` |
+| npm latest | \`${latest}\` |
+
+### Fix
+
+Run:
+
+\`\`\`bash
+pnpm up ${PACKAGE}@${latest}
+git checkout -b chore/bump-sdk-${latest}
+git add package.json pnpm-lock.yaml
+git commit -m "chore(deps): bump ${PACKAGE} to ${latest}"
+git push -u origin chore/bump-sdk-${latest}
+gh pr create
+\`\`\`
+
+This issue was opened automatically by \`.github/workflows/drift-check.yml\`. It will be closed automatically when the dependency is updated.`;
+
+  gh(
+    `issue create --repo ${REPO} --title "drift-check: ${PACKAGE} behind ${latest}" --body "${body.replace(/"/g, '\\"').replace(/\n/g, "\\n")}" --label dependencies --label automated`,
+  );
+  log(`opened drift issue for ${PACKAGE}: ${current} → ${latest}`);
+}
+
+async function main() {
+  const current = getCurrentDep();
+  log(`current ${PACKAGE} dep: ${current}`);
+
+  const latest = await getNpmLatest();
+  log(`npm latest ${PACKAGE}: ${latest}`);
+
+  const currentParsed = parseSemver(current);
+  const latestParsed = parseSemver(latest);
+  if (!currentParsed || !latestParsed) {
+    log("unable to parse semver — skipping");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const diff = compareSemver(latestParsed, currentParsed);
+  if (diff <= 0) {
+    log("dep is up-to-date");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (hasExistingDriftIssue(latest)) {
+    log(`drift issue for ${latest} already open`);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  openIssue(current, latest);
+}
+
+main().catch((err) => {
+  console.error(`[drift-check] fatal: ${err.message}`);
+  process.exit(1);
+});
diff --git a/scripts/link-local-sdk.mjs b/scripts/link-local-sdk.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc601ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/link-local-sdk.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+// scripts/link-local-sdk.mjs
+// Links a sibling checkout of @rendobar/sdk into rendobar-cli for local
+// cross-repo development. Runs `pnpm link --global` from the SDK dir, then
+// `pnpm link --global @rendobar/sdk` from cli.
+//
+// Usage:
+//   pnpm dev:sdk-local                    # uses ../rendobar/packages/sdk
+//   RENDOBAR_MONOREPO=/path pnpm dev:sdk-local  # custom path
+//
+// Unlink with `pnpm dev:sdk-npm`.
+import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { existsSync } from "node:fs";
+import { resolve } from "node:path";
+
+const MONOREPO = process.env.RENDOBAR_MONOREPO ?? resolve("..", "rendobar");
+const SDK_DIR = resolve(MONOREPO, "packages", "sdk");
+
+function run(cmd, cwd) {
+  console.log(`[link-sdk] ${cwd ? `(${cwd}) ` : ""}$ ${cmd}`);
+  execSync(cmd, { stdio: "inherit", cwd });
+}
+
+function main() {
+  if (!existsSync(SDK_DIR)) {
+    console.error(`[link-sdk] SDK not found at ${SDK_DIR}`);
+    console.error(`[link-sdk] Clone the monorepo as a sibling, or set RENDOBAR_MONOREPO=/absolute/path`);
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+
+  console.log(`[link-sdk] using SDK at ${SDK_DIR}`);
+
+  // Build SDK first — pnpm link picks up the dist/ folder
+  run("pnpm --filter @rendobar/sdk build", MONOREPO);
+
+  // Register globally from SDK dir
+  run("pnpm link --global", SDK_DIR);
+
+  // Link from cli dir
+  run("pnpm link --global @rendobar/sdk");
+
+  console.log("");
+  console.log("[link-sdk] ✓ @rendobar/sdk is now linked from", SDK_DIR);
+  console.log("[link-sdk] Run `pnpm dev:sdk-npm` before committing.");
+  console.log("[link-sdk] The pre-commit hook will block commits while the SDK is linked.");
+}
+
+main();
diff --git a/scripts/unlink-local-sdk.mjs b/scripts/unlink-local-sdk.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29ae992
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/unlink-local-sdk.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+// scripts/unlink-local-sdk.mjs
+// Reverses scripts/link-local-sdk.mjs — unlinks the global pnpm link and
+// reinstalls the published @rendobar/sdk version from package.json.
+import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
+
+function run(cmd) {
+  console.log(`[unlink-sdk] $ ${cmd}`);
+  try {
+    execSync(cmd, { stdio: "inherit" });
+  } catch (err) {
+    // unlink can fail if nothing is linked — that's fine
+    console.log(`[unlink-sdk] (non-fatal) ${err.message.split("\n")[0]}`);
+  }
+}
+
+function main() {
+  run("pnpm unlink --global @rendobar/sdk");
+  run("pnpm install");
+  console.log("");
+  console.log("[unlink-sdk] ✓ @rendobar/sdk restored to npm version from package.json");
+}
+
+main();
diff --git a/scripts/watchdog.mjs b/scripts/watchdog.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..80a4eba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/watchdog.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+// scripts/watchdog.mjs
+// Detects silent release skips: commits on main since last v* tag with
+// conventional feat/fix/perf types but no open release-please PR.
+// Opens a GH issue if detected. Runs via .github/workflows/watchdog.yml.
+import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
+
+const CONVENTIONAL_BUMP = /^(feat|fix|perf|revert)(\([a-z0-9-]+\))?!?:/;
+const REPO = process.env.GITHUB_REPOSITORY ?? "rendobar/cli";
+const GRACE_MS = 2 * 60 * 60 * 1000; // 2h — don't nag within the grace window
+
+function gh(cmd) {
+  return execSync(`gh ${cmd}`, { encoding: "utf-8", maxBuffer: 10 * 1024 * 1024 }).trim();
+}
+
+function log(msg) {
+  console.log(`[watchdog] ${msg}`);
+}
+
+function getLastTag() {
+  try {
+    const tags = JSON.parse(gh(`api "repos/${REPO}/tags?per_page=100"`));
+    const vTags = tags.filter((t) => /^v\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/.test(t.name));
+    return vTags[0]?.name ?? null;
+  } catch (err) {
+    log(`failed to fetch tags: ${err.message}`);
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function getTagDate(tag) {
+  try {
+    const commit = JSON.parse(gh(`api "repos/${REPO}/commits/${encodeURIComponent(tag)}"`));
+    return new Date(commit.commit.committer.date);
+  } catch (err) {
+    log(`failed to fetch tag date: ${err.message}`);
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function getCommitsSince(since) {
+  try {
+    const isoSince = since.toISOString();
+    const commits = JSON.parse(
+      gh(`api "repos/${REPO}/commits?sha=main&since=${isoSince}&per_page=100"`),
+    );
+    return commits;
+  } catch (err) {
+    log(`failed to fetch commits: ${err.message}`);
+    return [];
+  }
+}
+
+function getOpenReleasePR() {
+  try {
+    const prs = JSON.parse(
+      gh(
+        `pr list --search "release-please in:title" --state open --json number,title,createdAt,headRefName --repo ${REPO}`,
+      ),
+    );
+    return prs;
+  } catch (err) {
+    log(`failed to fetch release PRs: ${err.message}`);
+    return [];
+  }
+}
+
+function hasExistingWatchdogIssue(tag) {
+  try {
+    const issues = JSON.parse(
+      gh(
+        `issue list --search "watchdog: silent release skip after ${tag} in:title" --state open --json number --repo ${REPO}`,
+      ),
+    );
+    return issues.length > 0;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+function openIssue(tag, skippedCommits) {
+  const commitLines = skippedCommits
+    .slice(0, 10)
+    .map((c) => `- \`${c.sha.slice(0, 7)}\` ${c.commit.message.split("\n")[0]}`)
+    .join("\n");
+  const body = `Watchdog detected ${skippedCommits.length} conventional commit(s) on \`main\` since the last release tag \`${tag}\`, but no open release-please PR.
+
+This usually means:
+1. release-please failed to run after a merge to main
+2. The commits were pushed directly to main without triggering workflows
+3. A prior release PR was closed without merging
+
+### Skipped commits
+
+${commitLines}
+
+### Fix
+
+- Re-run the release-please workflow manually: \`gh workflow run release-please --repo ${REPO}\`
+- Or push an empty commit to main to re-trigger it
+
+This issue was opened automatically by \`.github/workflows/watchdog.yml\`. Close it once the release PR exists.`;
+
+  try {
+    gh(
+      `issue create --repo ${REPO} --title "watchdog: silent release skip after ${tag}" --body "${body.replace(/"/g, '\\"').replace(/\n/g, "\\n")}" --label automated`,
+    );
+    log(`opened watchdog issue for tag ${tag}`);
+  } catch (err) {
+    log(`failed to open issue: ${err.message}`);
+  }
+}
+
+async function main() {
+  const lastTag = getLastTag();
+  if (!lastTag) {
+    log("no v* tags found — skipping (first release not yet shipped)");
+    return;
+  }
+  log(`last release tag: ${lastTag}`);
+
+  const tagDate = getTagDate(lastTag);
+  if (!tagDate) {
+    log("could not resolve tag date — skipping");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const commits = getCommitsSince(tagDate);
+  const skipped = commits.filter((c) => {
+    const subject = c.commit.message.split("\n")[0];
+    return CONVENTIONAL_BUMP.test(subject);
+  });
+
+  if (skipped.length === 0) {
+    log("no conventional commits since last tag — healthy");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const newestSkipped = new Date(skipped[0].commit.committer.date);
+  const ageMs = Date.now() - newestSkipped.getTime();
+  if (ageMs < GRACE_MS) {
+    log(`newest skipped commit is ${Math.round(ageMs / 60000)}min old, under grace window — healthy`);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const releasePRs = getOpenReleasePR();
+  if (releasePRs.length > 0) {
+    log(`found ${releasePRs.length} open release PR(s) — healthy`);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (hasExistingWatchdogIssue(lastTag)) {
+    log(`watchdog issue for ${lastTag} already exists — skipping`);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  log(`ALERT: ${skipped.length} conventional commits after ${lastTag} with no open release PR`);
+  openIssue(lastTag, skipped);
+}
+
+main().catch((err) => {
+  console.error(`[watchdog] fatal: ${err.message}`);
+  process.exit(1);
+});