diff --git a/.github/workflows/package-smoke.yml b/.github/workflows/package-smoke.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 17236918f..000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/package-smoke.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,69 +0,0 @@
-name: Package Smoke
-
-on:
-  pull_request:
-    paths:
-      - 'package.json'
-      - 'pnpm-lock.yaml'
-      - 'pnpm-workspace.yaml'
-      - 'packages/**'
-      - 'tsdown.config.ts'
-      - 'scripts/check-package.ts'
-      - 'scripts/build-android-helper.sh'
-      - 'scripts/build-xcuitest-apple.sh'
-      - 'scripts/package-android-helper.sh'
-      - 'scripts/package-apple-runner-source.mjs'
-      - 'scripts/patch-xcuitest-runner-icon.ts'
-      - 'scripts/sync-mcp-metadata.mjs'
-      - 'scripts/write-xcuitest-cache-metadata.mjs'
-      - 'apple/macos-helper/**'
-      - 'apple/runner/**'
-      - 'android/ime-helper/**'
-      - 'android/snapshot-helper/**'
-      - '.github/actions/setup-node-pnpm/**'
-      - '.github/workflows/package-smoke.yml'
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - main
-    paths:
-      - 'package.json'
-      - 'pnpm-lock.yaml'
-      - 'pnpm-workspace.yaml'
-      - 'packages/**'
-      - 'tsdown.config.ts'
-      - 'scripts/check-package.ts'
-      - 'scripts/build-android-helper.sh'
-      - 'scripts/build-xcuitest-apple.sh'
-      - 'scripts/package-android-helper.sh'
-      - 'scripts/package-apple-runner-source.mjs'
-      - 'scripts/patch-xcuitest-runner-icon.ts'
-      - 'scripts/sync-mcp-metadata.mjs'
-      - 'scripts/write-xcuitest-cache-metadata.mjs'
-      - 'apple/macos-helper/**'
-      - 'apple/runner/**'
-      - 'android/ime-helper/**'
-      - 'android/snapshot-helper/**'
-      - '.github/actions/setup-node-pnpm/**'
-      - '.github/workflows/package-smoke.yml'
-
-permissions:
-  contents: read
-
-concurrency:
-  group: package-smoke-${{ github.ref }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
-
-jobs:
-  package:
-    name: Build npm package
-    runs-on: macos-26
-    timeout-minutes: 30
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
-
-      - name: Setup toolchain
-        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-node-pnpm
-
-      - name: Build complete npm package
-        run: pnpm prepack
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d6328db56..99035bf2f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -103,7 +103,10 @@
     "package:android-ime-helper:npm": "rm -rf android/ime-helper/dist && AGENT_DEVICE_ANDROID_HELPER=ime sh ./scripts/package-android-helper.sh $(node -p \"require('./package.json').version\") android/ime-helper/dist",
     "build:macos-helper": "swift build -c release --package-path apple/macos-helper",
     "build:macos-helper:clean": "swift package --package-path apple/macos-helper clean && pnpm build:macos-helper",
-    "package:npm": "pnpm build && pnpm build:xcuitest:ios && pnpm build:xcuitest:macos && pnpm build:xcuitest:tvos && pnpm build:xcuitest:visionos && pnpm build:macos-helper:clean && pnpm package:apple-runner:npm && pnpm build:android && pnpm check:package",
+    "build:package": "pnpm build && pnpm build:xcuitest:ios && pnpm build:xcuitest:macos && pnpm build:xcuitest:tvos && pnpm build:xcuitest:visionos && pnpm build:macos-helper:clean && pnpm package:apple-runner:npm && pnpm build:android",
+    "package:npm": "pnpm build:package && pnpm check:package",
+    "release:prepare": "rm -rf .tmp/release && pnpm check:mcp-metadata && pnpm build:package && pnpm check:package -- --pack-destination .tmp/release",
+    "release:publish": "pnpm release:prepare && npm publish --ignore-scripts .tmp/release/*.tgz",
     "ad": "node bin/agent-device.mjs",
     "bench:help-conformance": "node scripts/help-conformance-bench.mjs",
     "maestro:conformance": "node --experimental-strip-types --test packages/maestro/test/conformance/verify.test.ts packages/maestro/test/conformance/differential/run.test.ts packages/maestro/test/conformance/differential/invariants.test.ts",
diff --git a/scripts/check-affected/checks.ts b/scripts/check-affected/checks.ts
index 75775003e..2b50649b5 100644
--- a/scripts/check-affected/checks.ts
+++ b/scripts/check-affected/checks.ts
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ export const CHECK_CATALOG: readonly CheckSpec[] = [
     id: 'package',
     label: 'Published package (publint, attw, clean-install resolution)',
     kind: { type: 'script', script: 'check:package' },
-    ciJobs: ['Packaged CLI Node 22.12', 'Build npm package'],
+    ciJobs: ['Packaged CLI Node 22.12'],
     // Needs a `pnpm build` output and the npm registry, both of which local runs already have.
     localRunnable: true,
   },
diff --git a/scripts/check-package.ts b/scripts/check-package.ts
index 19b6f6f98..e230d573c 100644
--- a/scripts/check-package.ts
+++ b/scripts/check-package.ts
@@ -33,9 +33,19 @@ type PackedManifest = PackedDependencies & {
 };
 
 const repoRoot = path.resolve(import.meta.dirname, '..');
+const packDestinationFlag = '--pack-destination';
+const suppliedPackDestination = process.argv
+  .slice(2)
+  .find((arg, index, args) => (args[index - 1] === packDestinationFlag ? arg : undefined));
+if (process.argv.includes(packDestinationFlag) && !suppliedPackDestination) {
+  throw new Error(`${packDestinationFlag} requires a destination directory.`);
+}
 // `npm install` resolves `file:` tarballs through the real path, and macOS `/var` is a symlink to
 // `/private/var`; resolving up front keeps the paths this script prints equal to the ones npm uses.
 const workDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(fs.realpathSync(os.tmpdir()), 'agent-device-package-'));
+const packDestination = suppliedPackDestination
+  ? path.resolve(repoRoot, suppliedPackDestination)
+  : workDir;
 const consumerDir = path.join(workDir, 'consumer');
 
 /** Stdout is captured for the callers that parse it; stderr passes through so failures are readable. */
@@ -70,10 +80,15 @@ function packTarball(): string {
   if (!fs.existsSync(path.join(repoRoot, 'dist', 'src'))) {
     throw new Error('No dist/src build found. Run `pnpm build` first.');
   }
+  fs.mkdirSync(packDestination, { recursive: true });
   const packed = JSON.parse(
-    run('npm', ['pack', '--ignore-scripts', '--json', '--pack-destination', workDir], repoRoot),
+    run(
+      'npm',
+      ['pack', '--ignore-scripts', '--json', '--pack-destination', packDestination],
+      repoRoot,
+    ),
   ) as [{ filename: string }];
-  return path.join(workDir, packed[0].filename);
+  return path.join(packDestination, packed[0].filename);
 }
 
 function lintTarball(tarball: string): void {
diff --git a/src/__tests__/npm-package-scripts.test.ts b/src/__tests__/npm-package-scripts.test.ts
index 6843aabf8..e46006cbd 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/npm-package-scripts.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/npm-package-scripts.test.ts
@@ -12,10 +12,6 @@ const perfNightlyWorkflow = fs.readFileSync(
   path.join(repoRoot, '.github', 'workflows', 'perf-nightly.yml'),
   'utf8',
 );
-const packageSmokeWorkflow = fs.readFileSync(
-  path.join(repoRoot, '.github', 'workflows', 'package-smoke.yml'),
-  'utf8',
-);
 const packagedCliWorkflow = fs.readFileSync(
   path.join(repoRoot, '.github', 'workflows', 'ci.yml'),
   'utf8',
@@ -31,17 +27,6 @@ test('prepack builds the complete package without stopping the development daemo
   assert.equal(script('prepack'), 'pnpm check:mcp-metadata && pnpm package:npm');
   assert.doesNotMatch(script('package:npm'), /clean:daemon|rebuild:cli/);
   assert.equal(packageJson.scripts['build:dev'], undefined);
-  assert.match(packageSmokeWorkflow, /run: pnpm prepack/);
-  for (const input of [
-    'pnpm-workspace.yaml',
-    'packages/**',
-    'scripts/patch-xcuitest-runner-icon.ts',
-    'scripts/sync-mcp-metadata.mjs',
-    'scripts/write-xcuitest-cache-metadata.mjs',
-    '.github/actions/setup-node-pnpm/**',
-  ]) {
-    assert.ok(packageSmokeWorkflow.includes(`- '${input}'`));
-  }
 });
 
 test('perf uses one platform-selectable entry point', () => {
@@ -59,10 +44,11 @@ test('Fallow exposes one changed-code gate and an explicit full-tree audit', ()
   assert.equal(script('fallow:all'), 'fallow --summary');
 });
 
-// `check:package` verifies the tarball, so it has to observe every build output the package ships —
-// it runs last, after the Apple and Android payloads exist, not next to the JS build.
-test('the npm package build covers every package-owned build output, then verifies the result', () => {
-  assert.deepEqual(script('package:npm').split(' && '), [
+// `check:package` verifies the tarball, so it has to observe every build output the package ships.
+// Keep construction separate from verification so release preparation can publish the exact tarball
+// that was installed and smoke-tested instead of rebuilding it during `npm publish`.
+test('the npm package build covers every package-owned output before verification', () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(script('build:package').split(' && '), [
     'pnpm build',
     'pnpm build:xcuitest:ios',
     'pnpm build:xcuitest:macos',
@@ -71,8 +57,8 @@ test('the npm package build covers every package-owned build output, then verifi
     'pnpm build:macos-helper:clean',
     'pnpm package:apple-runner:npm',
     'pnpm build:android',
-    'pnpm check:package',
   ]);
+  assert.equal(script('package:npm'), 'pnpm build:package && pnpm check:package');
 
   assert.deepEqual(script('build:android').split(' && '), [
     'pnpm package:android-snapshot-helper:npm',
@@ -80,10 +66,26 @@ test('the npm package build covers every package-owned build output, then verifi
   ]);
 });
 
-// Behavior of the closure audit is pinned by fixtures in
-// scripts/__tests__/package-closure-audit.test.ts, which can fail a malformed package the way no
-// test of the real gate can. That leaves the wiring: the audit and both runtime probes have to stay
-// wired into the gate, or the fixtures would keep passing while the tarball went unchecked.
+test('release publishing uploads the tarball that passed the package gate', () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    script('release:prepare'),
+    'rm -rf .tmp/release && pnpm check:mcp-metadata && pnpm build:package && pnpm check:package -- --pack-destination .tmp/release',
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    script('release:publish'),
+    'pnpm release:prepare && npm publish --ignore-scripts .tmp/release/*.tgz',
+  );
+  assert.doesNotMatch(script('release:publish'), /prepack|package:npm/);
+});
+
+test('the package checker can retain the tarball it verifies for publishing', () => {
+  const gate = fs.readFileSync(path.join(repoRoot, 'scripts', 'check-package.ts'), 'utf8');
+  assert.match(gate, /--pack-destination/);
+  assert.match(gate, /packDestination/);
+  assert.match(gate, /fs\.mkdirSync\(packDestination, \{ recursive: true \}\)/);
+  assert.match(gate, /fs\.rmSync\(workDir, \{ recursive: true, force: true \}\)/);
+});
+
 test('the package gate runs the closure audit and both runtime probes', () => {
   const gate = fs.readFileSync(path.join(repoRoot, 'scripts', 'check-package.ts'), 'utf8');
   for (const call of [