diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index a05d747..764f0d1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -20,14 +20,14 @@ jobs:
     name: bun
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
       - uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@v2
         with:
           bun-version: latest
       # `npm ci` rather than `bun install`, deliberately: one lockfile decides
       # the toolchain version on every runtime, so a Bun-only resolution can
       # never be the reason this job disagrees with the Node ones.
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v7
         with:
           node-version: 24
       - run: npm ci
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ jobs:
         # 2026-04-30 and is deliberately not here.
         node: [22, 24]
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v7
         with:
           node-version: ${{ matrix.node }}
       - run: npm ci
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index a46e371..1b88128 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ jobs:
       contents: read
       id-token: write
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v7
         with:
           node-version: 24
           registry-url: https://registry.npmjs.org
diff --git a/RELEASING.md b/RELEASING.md
index 7aa91bb..8d8e8d6 100644
--- a/RELEASING.md
+++ b/RELEASING.md
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ publishes for real.
 | --- | --- | --- |
 | `the-coded` organisation on npmjs.com, owning the `@the-coded` scope | npmjs.com | done |
 | First version published by hand (npm only allows a trusted publisher on a package that already exists) | local, logged in with 2FA | done: `0.1.0`, 2026-10-19 |
-| Trusted publisher: GitHub Actions, organisation `the-coded`, repository `llm-adapters`, workflow `publish.yml`, environment `npm`, with direct `npm publish` allowed | npmjs.com → package → Settings | done 2026-10-19; **pending validation**: npm needs one publish from the workflow before 2026-10-21 23:20 UTC |
+| Trusted publisher: GitHub Actions, organisation `the-coded`, repository `llm-adapters`, workflow `publish.yml`, environment `npm`, with direct `npm publish` allowed | npmjs.com → package → Settings | done 2026-10-19; **valid** since the first workflow publish (`0.1.1-beta.0`, 2026-10-19) |
 | GitHub environment named `npm` | GitHub → repository → Settings → Environments | done 2026-10-19 |
 | Tag and GitHub Release `v0.1.0` on the commit that was published (`5d7edf8`) | GitHub | done 2026-10-19 (the publish run it triggered was cancelled; see below) |
 
@@ -102,6 +102,18 @@ always runs the workflow, and for a version already on npm it would fail at
 Release after the fact (as done for `v0.1.0`), publish it and cancel the
 `publish` run it triggers: `gh run cancel <run id>`.
 
+**The `0.0.0-stage` placeholder.** When a package that does not exist yet is
+staged with `npm stage publish`, npm publishes a public placeholder version,
+`0.0.0-stage` (see npm's
+[staged publishing docs](https://docs.npmjs.com/staged-publishing/)); on the
+package page its README reads "Temporary Holding Version". This package got one
+on its first publish. To remove it, with npm 11.15 or newer (`npm stage` does
+not exist before; [command reference](https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v11/commands/npm-stage/)):
+`npm stage list @the-coded/llm-adapters` and `npm stage reject <stage-id>` for
+anything still pending, then `npm unpublish @the-coded/llm-adapters@0.0.0-stage`, ideally within 72 hours
+of the package's creation ([unpublish policy](https://docs.npmjs.com/policies/unpublish/)).
+Unpublishing one version does not block later publishes.
+
 ## When something goes wrong
 
 | Symptom | Cause | Fix |