diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-candidate.yml b/.github/workflows/release-candidate.yml
index 5b598ee14..9ab00c0bd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-candidate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-candidate.yml
@@ -123,7 +123,16 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 20
     permissions:
-      contents: write # push rc tag + marker
+      # The default GITHUB_TOKEN cannot be granted `workflows: write`, so
+      # tag pushes that reach a commit which modified `.github/workflows/**`
+      # are rejected with: "refusing to allow a GitHub App to create or
+      # update workflow ... without `workflows` permission". We pass a
+      # fine-grained PAT (RELEASE_PUSH_TOKEN, scoped to this repo with
+      # Contents: write + Workflows: write) to `actions/checkout` so that
+      # the subsequent `git push --atomic` of the v-tag and rc marker
+      # carries the PAT's identity. Job-level GITHUB_TOKEN keeps its
+      # scoped permissions for everything else (npm provenance, etc.).
+      contents: write # push rc tag + marker (via PAT)
       id-token: write # npm provenance
     outputs:
       vtag: ${{ steps.reltag.outputs.vtag }}
@@ -132,6 +141,11 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
           fetch-tags: true
+          # Use the PAT so `origin` is preauthed for `git push`. Without
+          # this the default GITHUB_TOKEN is wired into the remote, and a
+          # workflows-touching tag push is rejected — see the permissions
+          # block above.
+          token: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_PUSH_TOKEN }}
 
       - uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
         with: