diff --git a/.github/actions/release-candidate/action.yml b/.github/actions/release-candidate/action.yml
index 6b2d59f..3af67ba 100644
--- a/.github/actions/release-candidate/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/release-candidate/action.yml
@@ -85,6 +85,27 @@ runs:
         echo "version=$version" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
         echo "release version: $version"
 
+    - name: Configure git auth
+      shell: bash
+      env:
+        TOKEN: ${{ inputs.token }}
+        NAME: ${{ inputs.git_user_name }}
+        EMAIL: ${{ inputs.git_user_email }}
+      run: |
+        set -euo pipefail
+        git config user.name "$NAME"
+        git config user.email "$EMAIL"
+        # Same mechanism actions/checkout uses, scoped to this clone and
+        # removed in the last step. Drop any header a persisted checkout left
+        # behind first: git sends every configured extraheader, and two
+        # Authorization headers get a 400.
+        git config --unset-all "http.https://github.com/.extraheader" || true
+        auth="$(printf 'x-access-token:%s' "$TOKEN" | base64 -w0)"
+        # The token itself is masked by create-github-app-token; its base64
+        # form is not, so mask it too before it can reach a log.
+        echo "::add-mask::$auth"
+        git config "http.https://github.com/.extraheader" "AUTHORIZATION: basic $auth"
+
     # ---------------------------------------------------------------- propose
     - name: Guard (propose)
       if: inputs.stage == 'propose'
@@ -130,6 +151,13 @@ runs:
         echo "$FILE: $old -> $VERSION"
         git diff --stat
 
+    # create-pull-request authenticates its own push with the token input;
+    # hand it a clone without our header so the two never overlap.
+    - name: Remove git auth before opening the PR
+      if: inputs.stage == 'propose'
+      shell: bash
+      run: git config --unset-all "http.https://github.com/.extraheader" || true
+
     - name: Open candidate PR
       if: inputs.stage == 'propose'
       id: pr
@@ -188,3 +216,8 @@ runs:
         gh api "repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/git/refs" -f ref="refs/heads/$branch" -f sha="$MERGE_SHA" >/dev/null
         echo "release_branch=$branch" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
         echo "created $branch at $MERGE_SHA"
+
+    - name: Remove git auth
+      if: always()
+      shell: bash
+      run: git config --unset-all "http.https://github.com/.extraheader" || true
diff --git a/.github/actions/release-publish/action.yml b/.github/actions/release-publish/action.yml
index 67946ab..5e92b3f 100644
--- a/.github/actions/release-publish/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/release-publish/action.yml
@@ -60,6 +60,27 @@ outputs:
 runs:
   using: composite
   steps:
+    - name: Configure git auth
+      shell: bash
+      env:
+        TOKEN: ${{ inputs.token }}
+        NAME: ${{ inputs.git_user_name }}
+        EMAIL: ${{ inputs.git_user_email }}
+      run: |
+        set -euo pipefail
+        git config user.name "$NAME"
+        git config user.email "$EMAIL"
+        # Same mechanism actions/checkout uses, scoped to this clone and
+        # removed in the last step. Drop any header a persisted checkout left
+        # behind first: git sends every configured extraheader, and two
+        # Authorization headers get a 400.
+        git config --unset-all "http.https://github.com/.extraheader" || true
+        auth="$(printf 'x-access-token:%s' "$TOKEN" | base64 -w0)"
+        # The token itself is masked by create-github-app-token; its base64
+        # form is not, so mask it too before it can reach a log.
+        echo "::add-mask::$auth"
+        git config "http.https://github.com/.extraheader" "AUTHORIZATION: basic $auth"
+
     - name: Guard
       id: guard
       shell: bash
@@ -122,19 +143,6 @@ runs:
         } >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
         echo "publishing v$version at $MERGE_SHA"; echo "--- notes ---"; cat "$notes"
 
-    - name: Configure git auth
-      shell: bash
-      env:
-        TOKEN: ${{ inputs.token }}
-        NAME: ${{ inputs.git_user_name }}
-        EMAIL: ${{ inputs.git_user_email }}
-      run: |
-        set -euo pipefail
-        git config user.name "$NAME"
-        git config user.email "$EMAIL"
-        git config "http.https://github.com/.extraheader" \
-          "AUTHORIZATION: basic $(printf 'x-access-token:%s' "$TOKEN" | base64 -w0)"
-
     - name: Create and push tag
       id: tag
       shell: bash
@@ -183,7 +191,7 @@ runs:
           exit 0
         fi
         git commit --quiet -m "chore(release): changelog for v$VERSION"
-        git push --quiet --force-with-lease origin "$head"
+        git push --quiet --force origin "$head"
         url="$(gh pr create --base "$default" --head "$head" \
           --title "chore(release): changelog for v$VERSION" \
           --body "Back-merge of \`$CHANGELOG\` from \`$TAG\` into \`$default\`, opened by release-publish.")"
diff --git a/.github/actions/release-settle/action.yml b/.github/actions/release-settle/action.yml
index bef04e9..7711aba 100644
--- a/.github/actions/release-settle/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/release-settle/action.yml
@@ -59,6 +59,27 @@ outputs:
 runs:
   using: composite
   steps:
+    - name: Configure git auth
+      shell: bash
+      env:
+        TOKEN: ${{ inputs.token }}
+        NAME: ${{ inputs.git_user_name }}
+        EMAIL: ${{ inputs.git_user_email }}
+      run: |
+        set -euo pipefail
+        git config user.name "$NAME"
+        git config user.email "$EMAIL"
+        # Same mechanism actions/checkout uses, scoped to this clone and
+        # removed in the last step. Drop any header a persisted checkout left
+        # behind first: git sends every configured extraheader, and two
+        # Authorization headers get a 400.
+        git config --unset-all "http.https://github.com/.extraheader" || true
+        auth="$(printf 'x-access-token:%s' "$TOKEN" | base64 -w0)"
+        # The token itself is masked by create-github-app-token; its base64
+        # form is not, so mask it too before it can reach a log.
+        echo "::add-mask::$auth"
+        git config "http.https://github.com/.extraheader" "AUTHORIZATION: basic $auth"
+
     - name: Guard
       id: guard
       shell: bash
@@ -119,20 +140,6 @@ runs:
         echo "notes_file=$notes" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
         echo "--- release notes ---"; cat "$notes"
 
-    - name: Configure git auth
-      shell: bash
-      env:
-        TOKEN: ${{ inputs.token }}
-        NAME: ${{ inputs.git_user_name }}
-        EMAIL: ${{ inputs.git_user_email }}
-      run: |
-        set -euo pipefail
-        git config user.name "$NAME"
-        git config user.email "$EMAIL"
-        # Same mechanism actions/checkout uses; scoped to this clone, removed below.
-        git config "http.https://github.com/.extraheader" \
-          "AUTHORIZATION: basic $(printf 'x-access-token:%s' "$TOKEN" | base64 -w0)"
-
     - name: Write changelog and open settle PR
       id: pr
       shell: bash
@@ -151,7 +158,7 @@ runs:
         what="$(python3 "$TOOLS" changelog-insert "$CHANGELOG" "$VERSION" "$NOTES")"
         git add "$CHANGELOG"
         git commit --quiet -m "chore(release): settle v$VERSION" -m "Changelog entry $what for v$VERSION at $COMMIT."
-        git push --quiet --force-with-lease origin "$head"
+        git push --quiet --force origin "$head"
         body="$RUNNER_TEMP/settle-pr-body.md"
         {
           echo "Settle **v$VERSION** at \`$COMMIT\` (tip of \`$BRANCH\`)."
diff --git a/.github/actions/release-tools/__pycache__/release_tools.cpython-314.pyc b/.github/actions/release-tools/__pycache__/release_tools.cpython-314.pyc
index e6416d2..9001b8e 100644
Binary files a/.github/actions/release-tools/__pycache__/release_tools.cpython-314.pyc and b/.github/actions/release-tools/__pycache__/release_tools.cpython-314.pyc differ
diff --git a/.github/actions/release-tools/__pycache__/test_release_tools.cpython-314.pyc b/.github/actions/release-tools/__pycache__/test_release_tools.cpython-314.pyc
index b4715a3..60fe62c 100644
Binary files a/.github/actions/release-tools/__pycache__/test_release_tools.cpython-314.pyc and b/.github/actions/release-tools/__pycache__/test_release_tools.cpython-314.pyc differ