diff --git a/.github/workflows/sync-marketplace-versions.yml b/.github/workflows/sync-marketplace-versions.yml
index 469ede2..78e1dce 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/sync-marketplace-versions.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/sync-marketplace-versions.yml
@@ -39,9 +39,28 @@ jobs:
       contents: write
       pull-requests: write
     steps:
+      # Open the eventual drift PR as the dispatcher App, not GITHUB_TOKEN: a
+      # GITHUB_TOKEN-authored PR doesn't trigger ci.yml (anti-recursion), so
+      # it can't satisfy main's required checks and would sit open. Skipped on
+      # pull_request (validation-only, no push) and when App creds are absent
+      # (falls back to GITHUB_TOKEN -- PR opens, lands via human review).
+      - name: Mint plugins-dispatcher app token
+        id: app-token
+        if: vars.PLUGINS_DISPATCH_CLIENT_ID != '' && github.event_name != 'pull_request'
+        continue-on-error: true
+        uses: actions/create-github-app-token@bcd2ba49218906704ab6c1aa796996da409d3eb1  # v3.2.0
+        with:
+          client-id: ${{ vars.PLUGINS_DISPATCH_CLIENT_ID }}
+          private-key: ${{ secrets.PLUGINS_DISPATCH_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
+          owner: TracineHQ
+          repositories: plugins
+          permission-contents: write
+          permission-pull-requests: write
+
       - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd  # v6.0.2
         with:
-          persist-credentials: false
+          token: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token || github.token }}
+          persist-credentials: true
 
       - name: Run sync script
         id: sync
@@ -89,7 +108,8 @@ jobs:
           && inputs.dry_run != 'true'
           && github.event_name != 'pull_request'
         env:
-          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token || github.token }}
+          APP_SLUG: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.app-slug }}
         run: |
           set -eu
           title="chore: sync marketplace.json versions to latest releases"
@@ -105,16 +125,30 @@ jobs:
           # Run-ID suffix avoids same-day branch collisions across cron +
           # manual dispatch overlap.
           branch="bot/sync-marketplace-versions-$(date -u +%Y%m%d)-${GITHUB_RUN_ID}"
-          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
-          git config user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
-          # checkout step ran with persist-credentials:false; wire gh's token
-          # into git so the push below authenticates.
-          gh auth setup-git
+          # Commit as the App when its token was minted (a non-GITHUB_TOKEN
+          # author is what makes ci.yml run on the PR); fall back to
+          # github-actions[bot] otherwise. checkout persisted the same token,
+          # so the push below authenticates without `gh auth setup-git`.
+          if [ -n "${APP_SLUG:-}" ]; then
+            app_user_id=$(gh api "/users/${APP_SLUG}[bot]" --jq .id)
+            git config user.name "${APP_SLUG}[bot]"
+            git config user.email "${app_user_id}+${APP_SLUG}[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          else
+            git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+            git config user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          fi
 
           git checkout -b "$branch"
           git add .claude-plugin/marketplace.json
           git commit -m "$title"
           git push -u origin "$branch"
-          gh pr create \
+          pr_url=$(gh pr create \
             --title "$title" \
-            --body "Daily auto-sync from the source repos' latest GitHub release tags. See workflow run logs for the specific bumps."
+            --body "Daily auto-sync from the source repos' latest GitHub release tags. See workflow run logs for the specific bumps.")
+
+          echo "Opened $pr_url"
+          # Land automatically once main's required checks pass. Non-fatal if
+          # auto-merge can't be enabled (App creds absent -> GITHUB_TOKEN PR ->
+          # no CI reports) -- a human can still merge.
+          gh pr merge "$pr_url" --auto --squash || \
+            echo "WARN: could not enable auto-merge on $pr_url (continuing)"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/sync-on-release.yml b/.github/workflows/sync-on-release.yml
index c58048a..aafe345 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/sync-on-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/sync-on-release.yml
@@ -54,8 +54,29 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
+      # Open the PR as the dispatcher App, not GITHUB_TOKEN. Events made with
+      # GITHUB_TOKEN don't trigger workflows (GitHub anti-recursion), so a
+      # GITHUB_TOKEN-opened PR never runs ci.yml and can never satisfy main's
+      # required checks -- it just sits open. Minting an App token makes the
+      # push + PR a real actor, so CI fires and auto-merge can land it.
+      # Falls back to GITHUB_TOKEN when the App creds are absent: the PR still
+      # opens (no CI, no auto-merge), exactly the prior behavior.
+      - name: Mint plugins-dispatcher app token
+        id: app-token
+        if: vars.PLUGINS_DISPATCH_CLIENT_ID != ''
+        continue-on-error: true
+        uses: actions/create-github-app-token@bcd2ba49218906704ab6c1aa796996da409d3eb1  # v3.2.0
+        with:
+          client-id: ${{ vars.PLUGINS_DISPATCH_CLIENT_ID }}
+          private-key: ${{ secrets.PLUGINS_DISPATCH_APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
+          owner: TracineHQ
+          repositories: plugins
+          permission-contents: write
+          permission-pull-requests: write
+
       - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd  # v6.0.2
         with:
+          token: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token || github.token }}
           persist-credentials: true
 
       - name: Bump plugin version in marketplace.json
@@ -128,7 +149,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Open auto-merge PR
         if: steps.bump.outputs.changed == 'true'
         env:
-          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token || github.token }}
+          APP_SLUG: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.app-slug }}
           PLUGIN: ${{ github.event.client_payload.plugin }}
           VERSION: ${{ github.event.client_payload.version }}
         shell: bash
@@ -145,8 +167,17 @@ jobs:
             exit 0
           fi
 
-          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
-          git config user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          # Commit as the App when its token was minted (a non-GITHUB_TOKEN
+          # author is what makes ci.yml run on the PR); fall back to
+          # github-actions[bot] otherwise.
+          if [ -n "${APP_SLUG:-}" ]; then
+            app_user_id=$(gh api "/users/${APP_SLUG}[bot]" --jq .id)
+            git config user.name "${APP_SLUG}[bot]"
+            git config user.email "${app_user_id}+${APP_SLUG}[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          else
+            git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+            git config user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          fi
 
           git checkout -b "$branch"
           git add .claude-plugin/marketplace.json