diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f436d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+name: Release (artifacts + signing)
+# Builds release artifacts and signs them when a `v*` tag is pushed.
+#
+# The tag itself is cut by scripts/release.sh: it builds the React UI, makes a
+# DETACHED commit embedding internal/ui/dist, tags it, and pushes ONLY the tag
+# (main stays source-only). This workflow runs on that tag push and owns
+# release ARTIFACTS + SIGNING — GoReleaser builds the cross-platform binaries,
+# emits checksums + SBOMs, and cosign keyless-signs the checksums file so a
+# .sig + .pem pair attaches to the release. That satisfies Scorecard's
+# Packaging (a publishing workflow is detected) and Signed-Releases checks.
+#
+# release.sh embeds internal/ui/dist into the detached tagged commit, but this
+# workflow rebuilds the UI (npm ci && npm run build) BEFORE invoking goreleaser
+# anyway: `go build` only recompiles Go (never runs vite), so rebuilding here
+# guarantees the embedded dist is present and current regardless of how the tag
+# was produced.
+#
+# All third-party actions are SHA-pinned per Scorecard Pinned-Dependencies;
+# pins are reused verbatim from security.yml / scorecard.yml where they overlap.
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - 'v*'
+
+# Workflow-level default: minimum needed for actions/checkout. The release job
+# escalates to contents: write (create/append the GitHub release + upload
+# assets) and id-token: write (cosign keyless OIDC).
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  goreleaser:
+    name: GoReleaser (build · sbom · sign)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+      id-token: write
+    steps:
+      - name: Harden runner egress
+        # step-security/harden-runner v2.19.0
+        uses: step-security/harden-runner@8d3c67de8e2fe68ef647c8db1e6a09f647780f40
+        with:
+          egress-policy: audit
+
+      - name: Checkout tag
+        # actions/checkout v4.2.2
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd
+        with:
+          # Full history so goreleaser's changelog/version detection works.
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          persist-credentials: false
+
+      - name: Set up Go
+        # actions/setup-go v6.2.0
+        uses: actions/setup-go@7a3fe6cf4cb3a834922a1244abfce67bcef6a0c5
+        with:
+          go-version-file: go.mod
+          cache: true
+
+      - name: Set up Node
+        # actions/setup-node v6.4.0
+        uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e
+        with:
+          node-version: '24'
+
+      - name: Build UI (embedded into the binary)
+        # The Go binary embeds internal/ui/dist via //go:embed; build it before
+        # goreleaser compiles. `npm run build` emits into internal/ui/dist.
+        run: |
+          cd ui
+          npm ci
+          npm run build
+          test -f ../internal/ui/dist/index.html
+
+      - name: Install cosign
+        # sigstore/cosign-installer v3.9.2 — provides `cosign` for the keyless
+        # signing step in .goreleaser.yaml (signs: cmd: cosign).
+        uses: sigstore/cosign-installer@d58896d6a1865668819e1d91763c7751a165e159
+
+      - name: Run GoReleaser
+        # goreleaser/goreleaser-action v6.2.1
+        uses: goreleaser/goreleaser-action@90a3faa9d0182683851fbfa97ca1a2cb983bfca3
+        with:
+          version: '~> v2'
+          args: release --clean
+        env:
+          # Pure-Go SQLite driver → cgo off (matches .goreleaser.yaml builds.env).
+          CGO_ENABLED: '0'
+          # Default token: goreleaser uses it to create/append the release.
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          # cosign keyless reads the OIDC token from these (set by id-token: write).
+          COSIGN_EXPERIMENTAL: '1'
diff --git a/.goreleaser.yaml b/.goreleaser.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e170d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.goreleaser.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+# GoReleaser config — release ARTIFACTS + signing for OtelContext.
+# Triggered by the `release.yml` workflow on a `v*` tag push (the tag is cut by
+# scripts/release.sh, which also builds + embeds the React UI into the tagged
+# commit). See CLAUDE.md "Security & Supply Chain" for the split of duties.
+#
+# OSS-only (cost $0): GoReleaser OSS v2, cosign (keyless OIDC), syft for SBOMs.
+# No Pro-only keys are used. Validate locally with `goreleaser check`.
+version: 2
+
+project_name: otelcontext
+
+# The UI must already be built into internal/ui/dist before this runs — the
+# binary embeds it via `//go:embed all:dist`. release.yml runs `npm ci &&
+# npm run build` in ui/ before invoking goreleaser; this hook just fails loudly
+# if that step was skipped (e.g. a local `goreleaser release` without the UI).
+before:
+  hooks:
+    - sh -c 'test -f internal/ui/dist/index.html || { echo "internal/ui/dist not built — run (cd ui && npm ci && npm run build) first" >&2; exit 1; }'
+
+builds:
+  - id: otelcontext
+    binary: otelcontext
+    main: .
+    # Pure-Go SQLite driver → no cgo; required for cross-compilation here.
+    env:
+      - CGO_ENABLED=0
+    goos:
+      - linux
+      - darwin
+    goarch:
+      - amd64
+      - arm64
+    flags:
+      - -trimpath
+    ldflags:
+      - -s -w
+
+archives:
+  - id: otelcontext
+    formats: [tar.gz]
+    name_template: >-
+      {{ .ProjectName }}_{{ .Version }}_{{ .Os }}_{{ .Arch }}
+    files:
+      - LICENSE.md
+      - README.md
+
+checksum:
+  name_template: "checksums.txt"
+  algorithm: sha256
+
+sboms:
+  - id: archive-sbom
+    artifacts: archive
+
+# Sign the checksums file with cosign keyless (Sigstore OIDC). Signing the
+# checksums file transitively covers every archive listed in it, so a single
+# .sig + .pem pair attaches to the release and Scorecard's Signed-Releases
+# check is satisfied. id-token: write must be granted to the release job.
+signs:
+  - cmd: cosign
+    certificate: "${artifact}.pem"
+    args:
+      - sign-blob
+      - --yes
+      - --output-signature
+      - "${signature}"
+      - --output-certificate
+      - "${certificate}"
+      - "${artifact}"
+    artifacts: checksum
+    output: true
+
+release:
+  # scripts/release.sh --release may already have created the GitHub release for
+  # this tag (with notes, no artifacts). `append` adds goreleaser's artifacts to
+  # that existing release instead of failing on "release already exists". If the
+  # release does not yet exist, goreleaser creates it.
+  mode: append
+
+changelog:
+  # release.sh owns the human-facing release notes; keep goreleaser's autogenerated
+  # changelog out of the way so the two don't fight over the release body.
+  disable: true
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 6d649be..7a58b81 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -292,6 +292,14 @@ All actions are SHA-pinned per Scorecard `Pinned-Dependencies`. Top-level `permi
 - **Baseline:** to be measured after first push to `main`. Track via the Scorecard dashboard linked from the README badge.
 - **Stretch target:** ≥ 8.0/10. Best-effort — Scorecard does **not** gate merge per the board ruling. The `passing` Best Practices badge is the only hard supply-chain gate.
 
+### Release artifacts & signing (`.github/workflows/release.yml` + `.goreleaser.yaml`)
+
+Triggered by a `v*` tag push (the tag is cut by `scripts/release.sh`). GoReleaser OSS v2 builds cross-platform binaries (linux/darwin × amd64/arm64, `CGO_ENABLED=0` for the pure-Go SQLite driver, `-trimpath -s -w`), emits `tar.gz` archives (incl. LICENSE.md + README.md), a sha256 `checksums.txt`, and per-archive SBOMs via syft. **cosign keyless** (Sigstore OIDC; the release job grants `id-token: write`) signs the checksums file, attaching `checksums.txt.sig` + `checksums.txt.pem` to the release. This is what makes Scorecard's **Packaging** (a publishing workflow is detected) and **Signed-Releases** checks score.
+
+Division of labour: `scripts/release.sh` builds the UI + pushes the tag (and, with `--release`, creates the GitHub release shell with notes but **no artifacts**); `release.yml` then runs GoReleaser with `release.mode: append`, which adds the signed artifacts to that same release without racing on "release already exists". All third-party actions are SHA-pinned per Scorecard `Pinned-Dependencies` (pins reused from `security.yml`/`scorecard.yml` where they overlap). $0/OSS-only: GoReleaser OSS, cosign (Apache-2.0), syft (Apache-2.0) — no Pro-only config keys.
+
+> Caveat: Packaging/Signed-Releases only **score** after the next `v*` tag-push actually runs `release.yml` and produces a signed release.
+
 ### Vulnerability reporting
 
 See [`SECURITY.md`](SECURITY.md). Preferred channel: GitHub Security Advisories at `https://github.com/RandomCodeSpace/otelcontext/security/advisories/new`. Email fallback: `ak.nitrr13@gmail.com` with subject prefix `[otelcontext security]`.
diff --git a/scripts/release.sh b/scripts/release.sh
index 169beda..d89e6f7 100755
--- a/scripts/release.sh
+++ b/scripts/release.sh
@@ -15,9 +15,23 @@
 # the release commit is reachable solely through the tag, so no build artifact
 # ever lands on the branch.
 #
+# Division of labour with .github/workflows/release.yml
+# -----------------------------------------------------
+# Pushing the tag (below) triggers release.yml, which owns release ARTIFACTS +
+# SIGNING: GoReleaser builds the cross-platform binaries, emits checksums +
+# SBOMs, and cosign keyless-signs the checksums file (.sig + .pem). This script
+# only builds the UI and pushes the tag; it does NOT upload any binaries.
+#
+# `--release` here creates the GitHub release shell EARLY (title + install
+# notes, NO artifacts) so humans see notes immediately. GoReleaser is configured
+# with `release.mode: append` (.goreleaser.yaml), so when its run finishes it
+# ADDS its signed artifacts to this same release rather than failing on
+# "release already exists" — no race. Omit `--release` and GoReleaser creates
+# the release itself from scratch.
+#
 # Usage:
-#   scripts/release.sh vX.Y.Z[-pre]            # build + push tag
-#   scripts/release.sh vX.Y.Z[-pre] --release  # also create a GitHub pre-release
+#   scripts/release.sh vX.Y.Z[-pre]            # build + push tag (release.yml does the rest)
+#   scripts/release.sh vX.Y.Z[-pre] --release  # also create the GitHub release shell (notes only)
 #
 set -euo pipefail
 
@@ -69,7 +83,10 @@ echo "✓ pushed tag $VER -> $(git rev-parse --short "$VER")"
 
 # (the EXIT trap now restores main to the source-only state)
 
-# --- Optional GitHub pre-release --------------------------------------------
+# --- Optional GitHub pre-release (shell only; release.yml appends artifacts) -
+# Creates the release with title + notes and NO artifacts. The tag push above
+# triggers .github/workflows/release.yml, whose GoReleaser run (release.mode:
+# append) attaches the signed binaries, checksums, and SBOMs to this release.
 if [ "$MAKE_RELEASE" = "--release" ]; then
   prev="$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 "${VER}^" 2>/dev/null || true)"
   range="${prev:+${prev}..}${VER}"