diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index e59d64364..bfc23a3ea 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -130,7 +130,9 @@ jobs:
           pattern: release-asset-*
           path: ${{ runner.temp }}/assets
           merge-multiple: true
-        continue-on-error: true
+
+      - name: verify required release asset
+        run: test -s "$RUNNER_TEMP/assets/OdrCoreObjC.xcframework.zip"
 
       # Whatever the release has to record about itself is written into the tree
       # here; `stamp` commits all of it as one commit.
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index d444d1f47..1f48a5586 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -224,8 +224,8 @@ Both run by hand, and `--dry-run` mutates nothing.
 - To patch an older line, branch off the tag (`git branch release/v6.1.X
   v6.1.0`) and dispatch against that. A `feat:` there bumps the minor to a
   number main may have shipped, so `release.py version` refuses a version that
-  is already tagged. Pass `--version` when you mean it. That changelog is not
-  merged back.
+  is already tagged, including an explicit override. Use `--version` to select
+  an unused version. That changelog is not merged back.
 - A human publishes the draft. GitHub creates the tag at publish. A release
   created by `GITHUB_TOKEN` raises no `release: published` event, and that
   event starts the conan, maven and android workflows.
@@ -238,7 +238,8 @@ Both run by hand, and `--dry-run` mutates nothing.
   `release-asset-*`.
 - `release_status.yml` waits for the publish workflows and fails if one failed
   or never started. `EXPECTED` in `scripts/release_status.py` lists the
-  destinations.
+  destinations. Status matches the release tag and commit; use GitHub's rerun
+  action to retry a failed publish run. Manual dispatches are not status evidence.
 
 ## Specs
 
diff --git a/scripts/release.py b/scripts/release.py
index 8f61a6d55..76e852a6b 100755
--- a/scripts/release.py
+++ b/scripts/release.py
@@ -89,8 +89,13 @@ def cliff(*arguments: str, capture: bool = False) -> str:
 def release_version(value: str) -> str:
     """A version tag safe to embed in package metadata and workflow outputs."""
     suffix = r"[0-9A-Za-z-]+(?:\.[0-9A-Za-z-]+)*"
-    pattern = rf"v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(?:-{suffix})?(?:\+{suffix})?"
-    if not re.fullmatch(pattern, value):
+    number = r"(?:0|[1-9][0-9]*)"
+    pattern = rf"v{number}\.{number}\.{number}(?:-(?P<pre>{suffix}))?(?:\+{suffix})?"
+    match = re.fullmatch(pattern, value)
+    if not match or any(
+        part.isdigit() and len(part) > 1 and part.startswith("0")
+        for part in (match.group("pre") or "").split(".")
+    ):
         raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError(
             "expected vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH with optional prerelease/build suffixes"
         )
@@ -111,11 +116,9 @@ def command_version(arguments: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
         cwd=REPO_ROOT,
         capture_output=True,
     ).returncode == 0
-    if tagged and not arguments.version:
+    if tagged:
         raise SystemExit(
-            f"the commits say {version}, but {version} is already tagged — a "
-            f"maintenance line has bumped into a version the mainline used. "
-            f"Re-run with an explicit --version."
+            f"{version} is already tagged — select an unused --version"
         )
 
     print(version)
diff --git a/scripts/release_status.py b/scripts/release_status.py
index 7d02b4a54..a526b0778 100755
--- a/scripts/release_status.py
+++ b/scripts/release_status.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import subprocess
 import sys
 import time
+from urllib.parse import quote
 
 # workflow `name:` -> what publishing it means; not listed is not watched
 EXPECTED = {
@@ -57,19 +58,21 @@ def repository() -> str:
 
 
 def release_commit(tag: str) -> str:
-    return gh("api", f"repos/{repository()}/git/ref/tags/{tag}", "--jq",
-              ".object.sha")
+    ref = quote(f"tags/{tag}", safe="")
+    return gh("api", f"repos/{repository()}/commits/{ref}", "--jq", ".sha")
 
 
-def runs_for(commit: str, self_run_id: str | None) -> dict[str, dict]:
+def runs_for(commit: str, self_run_id: str | None, tag: str) -> dict[str, dict]:
     """Latest release-triggered run per workflow — a re-run replaces the failure."""
-    payload = json.loads(gh(
-        "api", "-X", "GET", f"repos/{repository()}/actions/runs",
+    pages = json.loads(gh(
+        "api", "--paginate", "--slurp", "-X", "GET", f"repos/{repository()}/actions/runs",
         "-f", "event=release", "-f", f"head_sha={commit}", "-f", "per_page=100",
     ))
 
     latest: dict[str, dict] = {}
-    for run in payload.get("workflow_runs", []):
+    for run in (run for page in pages for run in page.get("workflow_runs", [])):
+        if run["head_branch"] != tag:
+            continue
         if self_run_id and str(run["id"]) == str(self_run_id):
             continue
         name = run["name"]
@@ -106,7 +109,7 @@ def report(tag: str, runs: dict[str, dict]) -> tuple[str, bool]:
 
 def amend_release_notes(tag: str, block: str, *, dry_run: bool) -> None:
     """Replace the status block in the release body, or append one."""
-    body = gh("api", f"repos/{repository()}/releases/tags/{tag}", "--jq", ".body")
+    body = gh("api", f"repos/{repository()}/releases/tags/{quote(tag, safe='')}", "--jq", ".body")
 
     if BEGIN in body and END in body:
         head, _, rest = body.partition(BEGIN)
@@ -144,7 +147,7 @@ def main() -> None:
 
     deadline = time.monotonic() + arguments.timeout_minutes * 60
     while True:
-        runs = runs_for(commit, arguments.self_run_id)
+        runs = runs_for(commit, arguments.self_run_id, arguments.tag)
         pending = [
             name for name in EXPECTED
             if name in runs and runs[name]["status"] != "completed"
diff --git a/scripts/tests/test_release.py b/scripts/tests/test_release.py
index 664cb693c..e7206c475 100644
--- a/scripts/tests/test_release.py
+++ b/scripts/tests/test_release.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import argparse
 import sys
 import unittest
+from unittest import mock
 from pathlib import Path
 
 sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]))
@@ -9,15 +10,21 @@
 
 class ReleaseVersionTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_package_versions_are_preserved(self):
-        for value in ("v7.4.1", "v8.0.0-rc.1", "v8.0.0-rc.1+build.2"):
+        for value in ("v7.4.1", "v8.0.0-rc.1", "v8.0.0-rc.1+build.2", "v0.0.0-0+001", "v1.2.3-01a"):
             with self.subTest(value=value):
                 self.assertEqual(release.release_version(value), value)
 
     def test_invalid_versions_cannot_reach_metadata_or_workflow_outputs(self):
         for value in (
-            "", "7.4.1", "v7.4", "v7.4.1-.", "v7.4.1\nversion=v0.0.0",
+            "", "7.4.1", "v7.4", "v7.4.1-.", "v07.4.1", "v7.04.1",
+            "v7.4.01", "v7.4.1-01", "v7.4.1-rc.01", "v7.4.1\nversion=v0.0.0",
             "v7.4.1 --asset x", "v7.4.1$(touch marker)",
         ):
             with self.subTest(value=value):
                 with self.assertRaises(argparse.ArgumentTypeError):
                     release.release_version(value)
+
+    def test_explicit_version_cannot_reuse_an_existing_tag(self):
+        with mock.patch.object(release.subprocess, "run", return_value=argparse.Namespace(returncode=0)):
+            with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
+                release.command_version(argparse.Namespace(version="v7.4.1"))
diff --git a/scripts/tests/test_release_status.py b/scripts/tests/test_release_status.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7a5e97a1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/tests/test_release_status.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import json
+import sys
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest import mock
+
+sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]))
+import release_status
+
+
+class ReleaseStatusTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_tag_resolves_to_commit_not_annotated_tag_object(self):
+        def gh(*args):
+            return "commit" if "/commits/tags%2F" in args[1] else "tag-object"
+        with mock.patch.object(release_status, "repository", return_value="owner/repo"), \
+             mock.patch.object(release_status, "gh", side_effect=gh):
+            self.assertEqual(release_status.release_commit("v1.2.3"), "commit")
+
+    def test_runs_are_paginated_and_scoped_to_the_release_tag(self):
+        def run(number, tag="v1.2.3", name="python"):
+            return {"id": number, "run_number": number, "name": name,
+                    "head_branch": tag, "event": "release", "head_sha": "commit"}
+        pages = [{"workflow_runs": [run(100, "v1.2.4"), run(3), run(4)]},
+                 {"workflow_runs": [run(1), run(2, name="conan")]}]
+        def gh(*args):
+            return json.dumps(pages if "--slurp" in args else pages[0])
+        with mock.patch.object(release_status, "repository", return_value="owner/repo"), \
+             mock.patch.object(release_status, "gh", side_effect=gh) as call:
+            runs = release_status.runs_for("commit", "4", "v1.2.3")
+        self.assertEqual({name: run["id"] for name, run in runs.items()},
+                         {"python": 3, "conan": 2})
+        self.assertIn("--paginate", call.call_args.args)