diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index a165701..583aa3d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -117,20 +117,33 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
+  # develop is a protected branch (required checks, no admin bypass), so a
+  # direct push of a fresh merge commit is rejected. When main only ever
+  # fast-forwards to green develop SHAs (see RELEASE_STRATEGY.md) develop
+  # already contains main and this job is a no-op. If main diverged anyway,
+  # open a back-merge PR instead of pushing.
   back-merge-develop:
     needs: create-release
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      pull-requests: write
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
-      - name: Merge Main to Develop
+      - name: Back-merge main into develop (PR if diverged)
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
         run: |
-          git config user.name "GitHub Actions"
-          git config user.email "actions@github.com"
-          git checkout develop
-          git merge origin/main
-          git push origin develop
+          git fetch origin develop main
+          if git merge-base --is-ancestor origin/main origin/develop; then
+            echo "develop already contains main — nothing to back-merge"
+          else
+            gh pr create --base develop --head main \
+              --title "Back-merge main into develop after release" \
+              --body "Automated post-release back-merge. If required checks did not start (GITHUB_TOKEN-created PRs do not trigger workflows), close and reopen this PR." \
+              || echo "back-merge PR already exists"
+          fi
diff --git a/docs/RELEASE_STRATEGY.md b/docs/RELEASE_STRATEGY.md
index 4148aae..6d1c468 100644
--- a/docs/RELEASE_STRATEGY.md
+++ b/docs/RELEASE_STRATEGY.md
@@ -47,20 +47,30 @@ Automated pipelines run on every push to `main` or `develop`.
 
 ### Automated Release (Main-only)
 
-Official releases are triggered ONLY from the `main` branch. 
+Official releases are triggered ONLY from the `main` branch.
 
-1. **Tagging**: Push a semantic version tag to `main`:
+Both `main` and `develop` are protected: the required checks are the *real* CI
+jobs (`docker-validation`, `zephyr-validation`, `sbom-tools`) with no admin
+bypass. Because a freshly created merge commit has no check results, release
+promotion works by **fast-forwarding `main` to a develop SHA whose checks are
+already green** — never by merging with a new commit. This keeps `main` an
+exact subset of `develop`, so no back-merge is needed.
+
+1. **Promote + tag**: Fast-forward `main` to the green `develop` SHA and tag it:
    ```bash
-   git checkout main && git pull
-   git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release version 1.0.0"
+   git fetch origin
+   git push origin origin/develop:main   # fast-forward; rejected if main diverged
+   git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release version 1.0.0" origin/develop
    git push origin v1.0.0
    ```
 
 2. **Workflow**: The GitHub Action automatically:
    - Builds with **Code Coverage**.
    - Generates **Automated Release Notes**.
-   - Packages binaries and creates a GitHub Release.
-   - **Back-merges `main` to `develop`**.
+   - Packages binaries, **SBOMs (CycloneDX + SPDX)**, and creates a GitHub Release.
+   - **Back-merge safety net**: if `main` somehow diverged from `develop`, the
+     workflow opens a back-merge PR (it cannot push to the protected branch
+     directly). In the normal fast-forward flow this is a no-op.
 
 ### Release Candidates (RC)