diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
index cb61a89..fd4131a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ jobs:
           token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           config-file: release-please-config.json
           manifest-file: .release-please-manifest.json
+          # Draft releases have no Git tag until artifact publication completes.
+          skip-github-pull-request: true
 
   release-context:
     name: Resolve release context
@@ -343,3 +345,44 @@ jobs:
           RELEASE_ROOT: ${{ github.workspace }}
           RELEASE_TAG: ${{ needs.release-context.outputs.tag_name }}
         run: bun run .release-orchestration/cli/scripts/publish-release.ts publish-github
+
+  release-pull-request:
+    name: Prepare next release PR
+    needs: [release-context, release-artifacts]
+    if: >-
+      !cancelled() &&
+      needs.release-context.result == 'success' &&
+      (needs.release-artifacts.result == 'success' ||
+      needs.release-context.outputs.should_release != 'true')
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+      pull-requests: write
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Check release baseline tag
+        id: baseline
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+
+          version="$(gh api "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/contents/.release-please-manifest.json?ref=main" \
+            --jq '.content | @base64d | fromjson | .["."]')"
+          tag_exists="$(gh api "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/git/matching-refs/tags/v${version}" \
+            --jq "any(.[]; .ref == \"refs/tags/v${version}\")")"
+          if [[ "${tag_exists}" != "true" ]]; then
+            echo "::warning::Release v${version} has no Git tag yet; complete release publication before preparing the next PR"
+            exit 0
+          fi
+          echo "ready=true" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+
+      - name: Prepare release PR
+        if: steps.baseline.outputs.ready == 'true'
+        uses: googleapis/release-please-action@45996ed1f6d02564a971a2fa1b5860e934307cf7 # v5.0.0
+        with:
+          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          config-file: release-please-config.json
+          manifest-file: .release-please-manifest.json
+          skip-github-release: true
diff --git a/cli/scripts/release.test.ts b/cli/scripts/release.test.ts
index 96dd89b..faa5693 100644
--- a/cli/scripts/release.test.ts
+++ b/cli/scripts/release.test.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ const repositoryRoot = join(import.meta.dir, '../..');
 
 type WorkflowStep = {
   env?: Record<string, unknown>;
+  if?: string;
   name?: string;
   run?: string;
   uses?: string;
@@ -736,6 +737,93 @@ describe('release infrastructure wiring', () => {
     }
   });
 
+  test('prepares release PRs only after publication has supplied a baseline tag', async () => {
+    const workflow = await readWorkflow('release-please.yml');
+    const preparation = workflow.jobs['release-please'] ?? {};
+    const pullRequest = workflow.jobs['release-pull-request'] ?? {};
+    const releaseAction = preparation.steps?.find(step => step.uses);
+    const pullRequestAction = pullRequest.steps?.find(step => step.uses);
+
+    expect(releaseAction?.with?.['skip-github-pull-request']).toBe(true);
+    expect(workflowNeeds(pullRequest)).toEqual([
+      'release-context',
+      'release-artifacts',
+    ]);
+    expect(pullRequest.if).toContain('!cancelled()');
+    expect(pullRequest.if).toContain(
+      "needs.release-context.result == 'success'"
+    );
+    expect(pullRequest.if).toContain(
+      "needs.release-artifacts.result == 'success' ||"
+    );
+    expect(pullRequest.if).toContain(
+      "needs.release-context.outputs.should_release != 'true'"
+    );
+    expect(pullRequestAction?.if).toBe(
+      "steps.baseline.outputs.ready == 'true'"
+    );
+    expect(pullRequestAction?.with?.['skip-github-release']).toBe(true);
+    expect(pullRequestAction?.uses).toBe(releaseAction?.uses);
+    expect(
+      workflowStepIndex(pullRequest, 'Check release baseline tag')
+    ).toBeLessThan(workflowStepIndex(pullRequest, 'Prepare release PR'));
+  });
+
+  test.each([
+    { tagExists: true, apiFails: '', ready: true, exitCode: 0 },
+    { tagExists: false, apiFails: '', ready: false, exitCode: 0 },
+    { tagExists: true, apiFails: 'manifest', ready: false, exitCode: 1 },
+    { tagExists: true, apiFails: 'tags', ready: false, exitCode: 1 },
+  ])(
+    'checks the live manifest baseline before generating a PR: %j',
+    async scenario => {
+      const workflow = await readWorkflow('release-please.yml');
+      const script = workflow.jobs['release-pull-request']?.steps?.find(
+        step => step.name === 'Check release baseline tag'
+      )?.run;
+      if (!script) throw new Error('Missing release baseline check');
+      const directory = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'release-baseline-'));
+      temporaryDirectories.push(directory);
+      const outputPath = join(directory, 'output');
+      await Bun.write(outputPath, '');
+      // Only GitHub is mocked; execute the workflow's actual shell script.
+      const githubStub = `
+      gh() {
+        case "$2" in
+          'repos/example/repository/contents/.release-please-manifest.json?ref=main')
+            if [[ "$API_FAILS" == 'manifest' ]]; then return 1; fi
+            echo '1.13.0'
+            ;;
+          'repos/example/repository/git/matching-refs/tags/v1.13.0')
+            if [[ "$API_FAILS" == 'tags' ]]; then return 1; fi
+            echo "$TAG_EXISTS"
+            ;;
+          *) return 99 ;;
+        esac
+      }
+    `;
+      const process = Bun.spawn(['bash', '-c', githubStub + script], {
+        env: {
+          ...Bun.env,
+          GITHUB_REPOSITORY: 'example/repository',
+          GITHUB_OUTPUT: outputPath,
+          API_FAILS: scenario.apiFails,
+          TAG_EXISTS: String(scenario.tagExists),
+        },
+        stdout: 'pipe',
+        stderr: 'pipe',
+      });
+      const stdout = await new Response(process.stdout).text();
+      expect(await process.exited).toBe(scenario.exitCode);
+      expect(await readFile(outputPath, 'utf8')).toBe(
+        scenario.ready ? 'ready=true\n' : ''
+      );
+      if (!scenario.tagExists) {
+        expect(stdout).toContain('complete release publication');
+      }
+    }
+  );
+
   test('builds release publication from only the orchestration checkout', async () => {
     const workflow = await readWorkflow('release-please.yml');
     const checkout = workflow.jobs['release-artifacts']?.steps?.find(