diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 010bce4..467a266 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -24,14 +24,17 @@
 # published stable installer, so the job runs once the WINGET_PACKAGE_ID variable
 # is set (docs/RELEASING.md) and fails if the token is missing from then on. The
 # tokens live in the `release` environment, which only v* tags can use:
-#   DEPS_PAT        fine-grained token: contents + pull requests (write) on this
-#                   repository, so the packaging PR runs the required checks
+#   RELEASE_APP_PRIVATE_KEY  private key of the release GitHub App (contents +
+#                   pull requests write on this repository only); the job mints a
+#                   short-lived token from it, so the packaging PR's commit is
+#                   signed by GitHub and the PR runs the required checks
 #   CHOCO_API_KEY   chocolatey.org API key
 #   WINGET_TOKEN    fine-grained token that can fork and open pull requests on
 #                   public repositories (microsoft/winget-pkgs)
 #   NUGET_API_KEY   nuget.org key with push rights for gclo.Engine (NUGET_PUBLISH)
-# plus the repository variable WINGET_PACKAGE_ID (KofTwentyTwo.gclo, set after the
-# one-time manual `wingetcreate new`).
+# plus the repository variables RELEASE_APP_CLIENT_ID (the release App's client id)
+# and WINGET_PACKAGE_ID (KofTwentyTwo.gclo, set after the one-time manual
+# `wingetcreate new`).
 name: Release
 
 on:
@@ -136,13 +139,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: Require the publishing secrets
         shell: pwsh
         env:
-          DEPS_PAT: ${{ secrets.DEPS_PAT }}
+          RELEASE_APP_CLIENT_ID: ${{ vars.RELEASE_APP_CLIENT_ID }}
+          RELEASE_APP_PRIVATE_KEY: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
           CHOCO_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.CHOCO_API_KEY }}
         run: |
-          $missing = @('DEPS_PAT', 'CHOCO_API_KEY') | Where-Object { [string]::IsNullOrEmpty((Get-Item -Path "env:$_" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Value) }
+          $missing = @('RELEASE_APP_CLIENT_ID', 'RELEASE_APP_PRIVATE_KEY', 'CHOCO_API_KEY') | Where-Object { [string]::IsNullOrEmpty((Get-Item -Path "env:$_" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Value) }
           if ($missing)
           {
-             Write-Output "::error::Missing in the release environment: $($missing -join ', '). Add them (docs/RELEASING.md) and re-run this job."
+             Write-Output "::error::Missing in the release environment (or repository variables): $($missing -join ', '). Add them (docs/RELEASING.md) and re-run this job."
              exit 1
           }
 
@@ -173,19 +177,28 @@ jobs:
           CHOCO_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.CHOCO_API_KEY }}
         run: choco push (Get-ChildItem artifacts/chocolatey/*.nupkg | Select-Object -First 1).FullName --source https://push.chocolatey.org/ --api-key $env:CHOCO_API_KEY
 
+      # protect-main requires signed commits and a DCO sign-off. The action only
+      # signs with a bot token (a PAT is explicitly unsupported), so the PR is
+      # opened with a short-lived token of the release GitHub App: GitHub signs
+      # the commit, its author is the App's [bot] user (exempt from the DCO
+      # check), and the PR still triggers the required checks (#81, #85).
+      - name: Mint a release App token
+        id: app
+        uses: actions/create-github-app-token@bcd2ba49218906704ab6c1aa796996da409d3eb1 # v3.2.0
+        with:
+          client-id: ${{ vars.RELEASE_APP_CLIENT_ID }}
+          private-key: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
+          permission-contents: write
+          permission-pull-requests: write
+
       - name: Open a PR with the updated package manifests
         uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@5f6978faf089d4d20b00c7766989d076bb2fc7f1 # v8.1.1
         with:
-          token: ${{ secrets.DEPS_PAT }}
+          token: ${{ steps.app.outputs.token }}
+          sign-commits: true
           base: main
           branch: packaging/v${{ needs.release.outputs.version }}
           delete-branch: true
-          # The pr / dco gate wants a Signed-off-by whose email matches the commit
-          # author, so author and committer are the same identity (the actor who
-          # pushed the tag) and the action signs off as that committer (#81).
-          author: ${{ github.actor }} <${{ github.actor_id }}+${{ github.actor }}@users.noreply.github.com>
-          committer: ${{ github.actor }} <${{ github.actor_id }}+${{ github.actor }}@users.noreply.github.com>
-          signoff: true
           commit-message: 'build(packaging): point the Scoop and Chocolatey manifests at v${{ needs.release.outputs.version }}'
           title: 'build(packaging): point the Scoop and Chocolatey manifests at v${{ needs.release.outputs.version }}'
           body: |
diff --git a/docs/RELEASING.md b/docs/RELEASING.md
index d81d175..3c93e25 100644
--- a/docs/RELEASING.md
+++ b/docs/RELEASING.md
@@ -65,12 +65,20 @@ its first submission cannot be automated; see below.
 | Job | Runs for | Needs | Publishes |
 | --- | -------- | ----- | --------- |
 | `release` (shared workflow) | every tag | nothing beyond `GITHUB_TOKEN` | the GitHub Release: Setup, portable, full/delta packages, feed, CLI zip, SBOMs, `SHA256SUMS`, provenance and SBOM attestations |
-| `packages` | stable only | `DEPS_PAT` (fine-grained token: contents and pull requests, write, this repository, ≤ 90 days), `CHOCO_API_KEY` (chocolatey.org) | the Chocolatey package pushed to chocolatey.org, and a `build(packaging): …` pull request against `main` with `bucket/gclo.json` and `packaging/chocolatey` pointed at the release |
+| `packages` | stable only | `RELEASE_APP_PRIVATE_KEY` (private key of the release GitHub App, see below) plus the repository variable `RELEASE_APP_CLIENT_ID`, `CHOCO_API_KEY` (chocolatey.org) | the Chocolatey package pushed to chocolatey.org, and a `build(packaging): …` pull request against `main` with `bucket/gclo.json` and `packaging/chocolatey` pointed at the release |
 | `winget` | stable only, once the repository variable `WINGET_PACKAGE_ID` is set (`KofTwentyTwo.gclo`, after the one-time manual submission below) | `WINGET_TOKEN` (fine-grained token that can fork and open pull requests on public repositories, ≤ 90 days); missing → the job fails | a manifest update PR on [microsoft/winget-pkgs](https://github.com/microsoft/winget-pkgs) |
 | `nuget` | only when the repository variable `NUGET_PUBLISH` is `true` | `NUGET_API_KEY` (nuget.org, push rights for `gclo.Engine`) | `gclo.Engine` on nuget.org |
 
-Why `DEPS_PAT`: a pull request opened with the default `GITHUB_TOKEN` triggers no
-status checks, so the packaging PR could never satisfy `main`'s required checks.
+Why a GitHub App: `main` requires signed commits, a DCO sign-off, and the full set
+of status checks. A pull request opened with the default `GITHUB_TOKEN` triggers
+no checks, and the action that opens the PR cannot sign commits with a personal
+access token. With a short-lived token minted from the App, GitHub signs the
+commit, its author is the App's `[bot]` user (exempt from the DCO check), and the
+checks run. Create the App once (the same pattern the standards repository uses):
+GitHub App installed **only on this repository**, permissions Contents and Pull
+requests **write**, no ruleset bypass. Store its client id as the Actions variable
+`RELEASE_APP_CLIENT_ID` and its private key (`.pem`) as `RELEASE_APP_PRIVATE_KEY`
+in the `release` environment; never as a repository secret or a committed file.
 
 ## First winget submission (one-time, manual)
 
diff --git a/docs/adr/0003-repository-as-scoop-bucket.md b/docs/adr/0003-repository-as-scoop-bucket.md
index d6e5f50..dabf4e4 100644
--- a/docs/adr/0003-repository-as-scoop-bucket.md
+++ b/docs/adr/0003-repository-as-scoop-bucket.md
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ and hash; `PackagingManifestTests` keeps both manifests valid and in agreement.
 - Stable releases are consumable via `scoop bucket add gclo <repo>` with no external
   account; prereleases never touch package managers.
 - The generated manifest pull request targets `main` and goes through the normal
-  gates (with `DEPS_PAT` it also gets status checks).
+  gates: it is opened with a short-lived release GitHub App token, so its commit
+  is signed by GitHub, exempt from the DCO check as a bot, and runs the required
+  status checks (#85).
 - Security: a new distribution channel; both channels verify the asset hash
   (threat model T2), and the hash they pin is the one `SHA256SUMS` attests.
 - Follow-up: `CHOCO_API_KEY` and the first Chocolatey moderation (#7).
diff --git a/docs/security/threat-model.md b/docs/security/threat-model.md
index b7689e7..3ead58b 100644
--- a/docs/security/threat-model.md
+++ b/docs/security/threat-model.md
@@ -111,3 +111,4 @@ flowchart LR
 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
 | 2026-10-09 | v1.0.1 | James Maes (@KofTwentyTwo) | Initial model, covering the path-recovery, WSL clone, vault scoping, package-manager, and SBOM changes of 1.0.1 |
 | 2026-10-09 | v1.0.1 | James Maes (@KofTwentyTwo) | T11 updated: releases build in the shared standards workflow; publishing tokens moved to the `release` environment (#76) |
+| 2026-10-10 | v1.0.2 | James Maes (@KofTwentyTwo) | T11: the packaging PR is opened with a short-lived release GitHub App token (contents + pull requests on this repository, no bypass) instead of a long-lived PAT; the commit is GitHub-signed (#85) |