diff --git a/.github/actions/publish-release/action.yml b/.github/actions/publish-release/action.yml
index 1561db07f9..8ab2104016 100644
--- a/.github/actions/publish-release/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/publish-release/action.yml
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ inputs:
     description: 'The working directory to run the steps in.'
     required: false
     default: '.'
+  force-skip-tests:
+    description: 'Skip tests and validation'
+    required: false
+    default: false
 
 runs:
   using: 'composite'
@@ -107,7 +111,7 @@ runs:
         npm publish \
           --dry-run="${{ inputs.dry-run }}" \
           --workspace="@google/gemini-cli-core" \
-          --tag="${{ inputs.npm-tag }}"
+          --no-tag
 
     - name: '🔗 Install latest core package'
       working-directory: '${{ inputs.working-directory }}'
@@ -127,7 +131,31 @@ runs:
         npm publish \
           --dry-run="${{ inputs.dry-run }}" \
           --workspace="@google/gemini-cli" \
-          --tag="${{ inputs.npm-tag }}"
+          --no-tag
+
+    - name: '🔬 Verify NPM release by version'
+      uses: './.github/actions/verify-release'
+      if: "${{ inputs.dry-run == 'false' && inputs.force-skip-tests == 'false' }}"
+      with:
+        npm-package: '@google/gemini-cli@${{ inputs.release-version }}'
+        expected-version: '${{ inputs.release-version }}'
+        ref: '${{ steps.release_branch.outputs.BRANCH_NAME }}'
+
+    - name: '🏷️ Tag release'
+      uses: './.github/actions/tag-npm-release'
+      if: "${{ inputs.dry-run == 'false' }}"
+      with:
+        channel: '${{ inputs.npm-tag }}'
+        version: '${{ inputs.release-version }}'
+        dry-run: '${{ inputs.dry-run }}'
+        wombat-token-core: '${{ inputs.wombat-token-core }}'
+        wombat-token-cli: '${{ inputs.wombat-token-cli }}'
+
+    - name: 'Install deps'
+      working-directory: '${{ inputs.working-directory }}'
+      shell: 'bash'
+      run: |
+        npm install
 
     - name: '🎁 Bundle'
       working-directory: '${{ inputs.working-directory }}'
@@ -137,7 +165,7 @@ runs:
 
     - name: '🎉 Create GitHub Release'
       working-directory: '${{ inputs.working-directory }}'
-      if: "${{ inputs.dry-run == 'false' && inputs.skip-github-release == 'false' }}"
+      if: "${{ inputs.dry-run == 'false' && inputs.skip-github-release == 'false' && inputs.npm-tag != 'dev' }}"
       env:
         GITHUB_TOKEN: '${{ inputs.github-token }}'
       shell: 'bash'
diff --git a/.github/actions/tag-npm-release/action.yml b/.github/actions/tag-npm-release/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cbc49d3d8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/tag-npm-release/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+name: 'Tag an NPM release'
+description: 'Tags a specific npm version to a specific channel.'
+
+inputs:
+  channel:
+    description: 'NPM Channel tag'
+    required: true
+  version:
+    description: 'version'
+    required: true
+  dry-run:
+    description: 'Whether to run in dry-run mode.'
+    required: true
+  wombat-token-core:
+    description: 'The npm token for the wombat @google/gemini-cli-core'
+    required: true
+  wombat-token-cli:
+    description: 'The npm token for wombat @google/gemini-cli'
+
+runs:
+  using: 'composite'
+  steps:
+    - name: 'Setup Node.js'
+      uses: 'actions/setup-node@49933ea5288caeca8642d1e84afbd3f7d6820020'
+      with:
+        node-version-file: '.nvmrc'
+        registry-url: 'https://wombat-dressing-room.appspot.com'
+        scope: '@google'
+
+    - name: 'Change tag for @google/gemini-cli-core'
+      if: |-
+        ${{ inputs.dry-run == 'false' }}
+      env:
+        NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: '${{ inputs.wombat-token-core }}'
+      shell: 'bash'
+      run: |
+        npm dist-tag add @google/gemini-cli-core@${{ inputs.version }} ${{ inputs.channel }}
+
+    - name: 'Change tag for @google/gemini-cli'
+      if: |-
+        ${{ inputs.dry-run == 'false' }}
+      env:
+        NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: '${{ inputs.wombat-token-cli }}'
+      shell: 'bash'
+      run: |
+        npm dist-tag add @google/gemini-cli@${{ inputs.version }} ${{ inputs.channel }}
+
+    - name: 'Log dry run'
+      if: |-
+        ${{ inputs.dry-run == 'true' }}
+      shell: 'bash'
+      run: |
+        echo "Dry run: Would have added tag '${{ inputs.channel }}' to version '${{ inputs.version }}' for @google/gemini-cli and @google/gemini-cli-core."
diff --git a/.github/actions/verify-release/action.yml b/.github/actions/verify-release/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..36f0eff6ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/verify-release/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+name: 'Verify an NPM release'
+description: 'Fetches a package from NPM and does some basic smoke tests'
+
+inputs:
+  npm-package:
+    description: 'NPM Package'
+    required: true
+    default: '@google/gemini-cli@latest'
+  expected-version:
+    description: 'Expected version'
+    required: true
+  ref:
+    description: 'The branch, tag, or SHA to release from.'
+    required: false
+    type: 'string'
+    default: 'main'
+
+runs:
+  using: 'composite'
+  steps:
+    - name: '📝 Print Inputs'
+      shell: 'bash'
+      run: |
+        echo "${{ toJSON(inputs) }}"
+    - name: 'Checkout'
+      uses: 'actions/checkout@08eba0b27e820071cde6df949e0beb9ba4906955' # ratchet:actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        ref: '${{ github.event.inputs.ref }}'
+        fetch-depth: 0
+
+    - name: 'Install from NPM'
+      uses: 'nick-fields/retry@ce71cc2ab81d554ebbe88c79ab5975992d79ba08' # ratchet:nick-fields/retry@v3
+      with:
+        timeout_seconds: 900
+        retry_wait_seconds: 30
+        max_attempts: 10
+        command: |-
+          npm install --prefer-online --no-cache -g ${{ inputs.npm-package }}
+
+    # This provides a very basic smoke test for Gemini CLI
+    - name: 'Run Gemini CLI'
+      id: 'gemini_cli'
+      shell: 'bash'
+      run: |-
+        echo "gemini_version=$(gemini --version)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+    # Force a failure if it doesn't match
+    - name: 'Fail workflow if version does not match'
+      if: '${{ steps.gemini_cli.outputs.gemini_version != inputs.expected-version }}'
+      shell: 'bash'
+      run: |-
+        echo '❌ Got ${{ steps.gemini_cli.outputs.gemini_version }} from ${{ inputs.npm-package }}'
+        echo '❌ Expected Version ${{ inputs.expected-version }}'
+
+        exit 1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-change-tags.yml b/.github/workflows/release-change-tags.yml
index 88d0f9912f..50c2fd6c02 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-change-tags.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-change-tags.yml
@@ -46,24 +46,11 @@ jobs:
           registry-url: 'https://wombat-dressing-room.appspot.com'
           scope: '@google'
 
-      - name: 'Change tag for @google/gemini-cli-core'
-        if: |-
-          ${{ github.event.inputs.dry-run == 'false' }}
-        env:
-          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: '${{ secrets.WOMBAT_TOKEN_CORE }}'
-        run: |
-          npm dist-tag add @google/gemini-cli-core@${{ github.event.inputs.version }} ${{ github.event.inputs.channel }}
-
-      - name: 'Change tag for @google/gemini-cli'
-        if: |-
-          ${{ github.event.inputs.dry-run == 'false' }}
-        env:
-          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: '${{ secrets.WOMBAT_TOKEN_CLI }}'
-        run: |
-          npm dist-tag add @google/gemini-cli@${{ github.event.inputs.version }} ${{ github.event.inputs.channel }}
-
-      - name: 'Log dry run'
-        if: |-
-          ${{ github.event.inputs.dry-run == 'true' }}
-        run: |
-          echo "Dry run: Would have added tag '${{ github.event.inputs.channel }}' to version '${{ github.event.inputs.version }}' for @google/gemini-cli and @google/gemini-cli-core."
+      - name: 'Change tag'
+        uses: './.github/actions/tag-npm-release'
+        with:
+          channel: '${{ github.event.inputs.channel }}'
+          version: '${{ github.event.inputs.version }}'
+          dry-run: '${{ github.event.inputs.dry-run }}'
+          wombat-token-core: '${{ secrets.WOMBAT_TOKEN_CORE }}'
+          wombat-token-cli: '${{ secrets.WOMBAT_TOKEN_CLI }}'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-manual.yml b/.github/workflows/release-manual.yml
index 56e0f8c919..6056e562cb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-manual.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-manual.yml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ on:
 
 jobs:
   release:
-    runs-on: 'ubuntu-latest'
+    runs-on: 'self-hosted'
     permissions:
       contents: 'write'
       packages: 'write'
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: 'Publish Release'
         uses: './.github/actions/publish-release'
         with:
+          force-skip-tests: '${{ github.event.inputs.force_skip_tests }}'
           release-version: '${{ steps.release_info.outputs.RELEASE_VERSION }}'
           release-tag: '${{ github.event.inputs.version }}'
           npm-tag: '${{ github.event.inputs.npm_channel }}'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/verify-release.yml b/.github/workflows/verify-release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0ebacd0d3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/verify-release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+name: 'Verify NPM release tag'
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        description: 'The expected Gemini binary version that should be released (e.g., 0.5.0-preview-2).'
+        required: true
+        type: 'string'
+      npm-package:
+        description: 'NPM package to verify'
+        required: true
+        type: 'string'
+        default: '@google/gemini-cli@latest'
+      ref:
+        description: 'The branch, tag, or SHA to release from.'
+        required: false
+        type: 'string'
+        default: 'main'
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    runs-on: 'ubuntu-latest'
+    steps:
+      - uses: 'actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8'
+      - name: 'Verify release'
+        uses: './.github/actions/verify-release'
+        with:
+          npm-package: '${github.event.inputs.npm-package}'
+          expected-version: '${github.event.inputs.version}'
+          ref: '${github.event.inputs.ref}'