diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yml b/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yml
index afdf2c9c76..7ee2b7d6e5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_and_test.yml
@@ -9,17 +9,18 @@ on:
   push:
     branches:
       - "main"
+      - "releases/v*"
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - "main"
-      - "release/**"
+      - "releases/**"
   merge_group:
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 concurrency:
   # This ensures after each commit the old jobs are cancelled and the new ones
   # run instead.
-  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }}
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.head_ref || github.ref }}
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
@@ -75,8 +76,12 @@ jobs:
         # latent violations in untouched files, including the tests/integration,
         # tests/partner_integration, and tests/end_to_end tiers, are caught before
         # merge instead of only on the post-merge run against main.
+        shell: bash
         run: |
           git fetch origin main
+          if [ -n "${GITHUB_BASE_REF:-}" ]; then
+            git fetch origin "$GITHUB_BASE_REF"
+          fi
           uv run pre-commit run --all-files
 
   # Main job runs only if pre-commit succeeded
diff --git a/.github/workflows/diff_cover.yml b/.github/workflows/diff_cover.yml
index 0c30e526e6..f65c3d4dbc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/diff_cover.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/diff_cover.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Single place for all coverage checks: overall threshold + diff coverage on PRs.
 # Runs once on Ubuntu/Python 3.12 instead of across the full OS x Python matrix.
+#
+# Release branches run on push only, for the overall coverage threshold. The diff-coverage
+# step is deliberately limited to pull requests targeting main, because it compares against
+# origin/main and a release branch differs from main by the entire release delta.
 
 name: coverage
 
@@ -7,14 +11,15 @@ on:
   push:
     branches:
       - "main"
+      - "releases/v*"
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - "main"
-      - "release/**"
   merge_group:
+  workflow_dispatch:
 
 concurrency:
-  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }}
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.head_ref || github.ref }}
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker_build.yml b/.github/workflows/docker_build.yml
index 739504ff42..f78befecd9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker_build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker_build.yml
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@ on:
   push:
     branches:
       - "main"
+      - "releases/v*"
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - "main"
-      - "release/**"
+      - "releases/**"
   merge_group:
   workflow_dispatch:
 
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 concurrency:
-  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }}
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.head_ref || github.ref }}
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/frontend_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/frontend_tests.yml
index 18696381b2..f7a715996c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/frontend_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/frontend_tests.yml
@@ -7,15 +7,16 @@ on:
   push:
     branches:
       - "main"
+      - "releases/v*"
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - "main"
-      - "release/**"
+      - "releases/**"
   merge_group:
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 concurrency:
-  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }}
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.head_ref || github.ref }}
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 env:
diff --git a/build_scripts/enforce_alembic_revision_immutability.py b/build_scripts/enforce_alembic_revision_immutability.py
index 9fa5e1122e..e7891e352c 100644
--- a/build_scripts/enforce_alembic_revision_immutability.py
+++ b/build_scripts/enforce_alembic_revision_immutability.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 Checks staged changes (local pre-commit), the full branch diff against origin/main (CI PRs),
 and the previous commit (CI merge-queue / push-to-main).
+
+The two history checks are skipped on release branches, which legitimately diverge from main.
 """
 
 import os
@@ -13,6 +15,7 @@
 import sys
 
 _VERSIONS_PATH = "pyrit/memory/alembic/versions/"
+_MERGE_QUEUE_REF_PREFIX = "refs/heads/gh-readonly-queue/"
 
 
 def _git(*args: str) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess[str]:
@@ -42,6 +45,29 @@ def _fail_ci(reason: str) -> bool:
     return False
 
 
+def _on_release_branch() -> bool:
+    """
+    Report whether the checks below are running against a release branch.
+
+    A release branch is cut from an earlier tag and carries cherry-picked commits, so it
+    legitimately differs from ``main`` in ways the history checks below would read as
+    edits to already-released revisions.
+    """
+    # push events; pull_request events set GITHUB_REF to refs/pull/<n>/merge instead,
+    # which carries no branch name, so the target branch has to come from GITHUB_BASE_REF.
+    github_ref = os.environ.get("GITHUB_REF", "")
+    base_ref = os.environ.get("GITHUB_BASE_REF", "")
+    if github_ref or base_ref:
+        # merge_group events run on a temporary queue branch named
+        # refs/heads/gh-readonly-queue/<target branch>/pr-<n>-<sha> and leave GITHUB_BASE_REF
+        # unset, so the target branch has to be read back out of the ref itself.
+        if github_ref.startswith(_MERGE_QUEUE_REF_PREFIX):
+            github_ref = f"refs/heads/{github_ref[len(_MERGE_QUEUE_REF_PREFIX) :]}"
+        return github_ref.startswith("refs/heads/releases/") or base_ref.startswith("releases/")
+    # Neither variable is set outside CI, so fall back to the checked-out branch.
+    return _git_stdout("rev-parse", "--abbrev-ref", "HEAD").startswith("releases/")
+
+
 def has_revision_violations() -> bool:
     # Local pre-commit: check staged changes
     violations = _get_violations(["--cached"])
@@ -49,17 +75,29 @@ def has_revision_violations() -> bool:
         _report(violations)
         return True
 
-    # CI (PR): diff branch against its merge-base with origin/main.
+    # A release branch carries cherry-picked fixes that amend already-released revisions on
+    # purpose, so comparing it against `main` reports intentional work as violations. A pull
+    # request is still comparable against its own base, so only the push and merge queue paths
+    # are skipped. `git cherry-pick` does not run pre-commit, so the staged check above rarely
+    # fires on those paths either: review is the remaining control there.
+    base_ref = os.environ.get("GITHUB_BASE_REF", "")
+    if _on_release_branch() and not base_ref:
+        return False
+
+    # CI (PR): diff branch against its merge-base with the branch it targets. A pull request
+    # into a release branch has to compare against that branch, because everything the release
+    # branch already carries is not part of the change under review.
     # The three-dot syntax (A...B) resolves to ``git diff $(merge-base A B) B``
     # automatically, so we don't need a separate merge-base call.  When
-    # origin/main is missing (shallow clone) git exits non-zero.
-    pr_diff = _git("diff", "--name-status", "origin/main...HEAD", "--", _VERSIONS_PATH)
+    # the base is missing (shallow clone) git exits non-zero.
+    base = f"origin/{base_ref}" if base_ref else "origin/main"
+    pr_diff = _git("diff", "--name-status", f"{base}...HEAD", "--", _VERSIONS_PATH)
     if pr_diff.returncode == 0:
         violations = [line for line in pr_diff.stdout.strip().splitlines() if line and not line.startswith("A")]
         if violations:
             _report(violations)
             return True
-    elif _fail_ci("origin/main is not available (shallow clone?)"):
+    elif _fail_ci(f"{base} is not available (shallow clone?)"):
         return True
 
     # CI (merge-queue / push-to-main): on main the branch *is* origin/main, so
diff --git a/doc/contributing/11_memory_models.md b/doc/contributing/11_memory_models.md
index 56db805e91..1e1c84b746 100644
--- a/doc/contributing/11_memory_models.md
+++ b/doc/contributing/11_memory_models.md
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ await initialize_pyrit_async("SQLite", skip_schema_migration=True)
 
 Once a migration revision is committed, it **must not be modified or deleted**. This is enforced by a pre-commit hook (`enforce_alembic_revision_immutability`). If you need to fix a migration, create a new revision instead.
 
+A release branch is the one exception. A patch release cherry-picks a fix onto a branch cut from an earlier tag, and that fix may legitimately amend a revision that has already shipped, so the hook does not compare history on a release branch. Review is the control there.
+
 ### Pre-commit hooks
 
 Two hooks run automatically when you touch memory-related files:
diff --git a/tests/unit/build_scripts/test_enforce_alembic_revision_immutability.py b/tests/unit/build_scripts/test_enforce_alembic_revision_immutability.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..752f31354a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/build_scripts/test_enforce_alembic_revision_immutability.py
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+# Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
+# Licensed under the MIT license.
+
+import os
+import subprocess
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+import pytest
+
+from build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability import (
+    _on_release_branch,
+    has_revision_violations,
+)
+
+MODIFIED_REVISION = "M\tpyrit/memory/alembic/versions/b2f4c6a8d1e3_add_conversations_table.py"
+
+
+def _completed(stdout: str = "", returncode: int = 0) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+    return subprocess.CompletedProcess(args=["git"], returncode=returncode, stdout=stdout, stderr="")
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "environment, expected",
+    [
+        ({"GITHUB_REF": "refs/heads/releases/v1.1.0"}, True),
+        ({"GITHUB_REF": "refs/heads/releases/v1.0.1"}, True),
+        ({"GITHUB_REF": "refs/heads/main"}, False),
+        ({"GITHUB_REF": "refs/heads/releases-notes"}, False),
+        ({"GITHUB_REF": "refs/tags/v1.1.0"}, False),
+        ({"GITHUB_REF": "refs/pull/42/merge", "GITHUB_BASE_REF": "releases/v1.1.0"}, True),
+        ({"GITHUB_REF": "refs/pull/42/merge", "GITHUB_BASE_REF": "main"}, False),
+        ({"GITHUB_REF": "refs/heads/gh-readonly-queue/releases/v1.1.0/pr-42-abc123"}, True),
+        ({"GITHUB_REF": "refs/heads/gh-readonly-queue/main/pr-42-abc123"}, False),
+        ({}, False),
+    ],
+)
+def test_on_release_branch_recognizes_release_refs(environment: dict[str, str], expected: bool) -> None:
+    """pull_request events carry the target branch in GITHUB_BASE_REF; merge_group embeds it in GITHUB_REF."""
+    with patch.dict("os.environ", environment, clear=True):
+        with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._git_stdout", return_value="main"):
+            assert _on_release_branch() is expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "checked_out_branch, expected",
+    [("releases/v1.1.0", True), ("main", False), ("HEAD", False)],
+)
+def test_on_release_branch_falls_back_to_checked_out_branch(checked_out_branch: str, expected: bool) -> None:
+    """Runs outside GitHub Actions have no ref variables, leaving the branch name as the only signal."""
+    with patch.dict("os.environ", {}, clear=True):
+        with patch(
+            "build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._git_stdout",
+            return_value=checked_out_branch,
+        ) as mock_git_stdout:
+            assert _on_release_branch() is expected
+
+    assert mock_git_stdout.call_args.args == ("rev-parse", "--abbrev-ref", "HEAD")
+
+
+def test_on_release_branch_ignores_branch_name_when_ci_refs_are_present() -> None:
+    """A PR from a release-named source branch into main must still be enforced."""
+    environment = {"GITHUB_REF": "refs/pull/42/merge", "GITHUB_BASE_REF": "main"}
+    with patch.dict("os.environ", environment, clear=True):
+        with patch(
+            "build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._git_stdout",
+            return_value="releases/v1.1.0",
+        ) as mock_git_stdout:
+            assert _on_release_branch() is False
+
+    mock_git_stdout.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_release_branch_push_skips_history_checks() -> None:
+    """A release branch push shares neither origin/main nor a comparable previous commit."""
+
+    def _fail_if_called(*args, **kwargs):
+        raise AssertionError(f"history check ran on a release branch push: {args}")
+
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {"GITHUB_BASE_REF": ""}, clear=False):
+        with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._on_release_branch", return_value=True):
+            with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._get_violations", return_value=[]):
+                with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._git", side_effect=_fail_if_called):
+                    assert has_revision_violations() is False
+
+
+def test_release_pull_request_compares_against_its_base() -> None:
+    """A pull request into a release branch is comparable against that branch."""
+    calls: list[tuple] = []
+
+    def _record(*args, **kwargs):
+        calls.append(args)
+        return SimpleNamespace(returncode=0, stdout="", stderr="")
+
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {"GITHUB_BASE_REF": "releases/v1.1.0"}, clear=False):
+        with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._on_release_branch", return_value=True):
+            with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._get_violations", return_value=[]):
+                with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._git", side_effect=_record):
+                    assert has_revision_violations() is False
+
+    assert any("origin/releases/v1.1.0...HEAD" in call for call in calls)
+    assert not any("origin/main...HEAD" in call for call in calls)
+
+
+def test_release_pull_request_reports_modified_revision() -> None:
+    """The base comparison still catches a revision the pull request itself edits."""
+
+    def _modified(*args, **kwargs):
+        if "diff" in args and any(arg == "origin/releases/v1.1.0...HEAD" for arg in args):
+            return SimpleNamespace(returncode=0, stdout=f"M\t{MODIFIED_REVISION}\n", stderr="")
+        return SimpleNamespace(returncode=0, stdout="", stderr="")
+
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {"GITHUB_BASE_REF": "releases/v1.1.0"}, clear=False):
+        with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._on_release_branch", return_value=True):
+            with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._get_violations", return_value=[]):
+                with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._git", side_effect=_modified):
+                    assert has_revision_violations() is True
+
+
+def test_release_branch_still_reports_staged_violations() -> None:
+    """Skipping the history checks must not stop the staged-change check."""
+    with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._on_release_branch", return_value=True):
+        with patch(
+            "build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._get_violations",
+            return_value=[MODIFIED_REVISION],
+        ):
+            assert has_revision_violations() is True
+
+
+def test_branch_comparison_still_runs_off_release_branches() -> None:
+    """Positive control: the origin/main comparison must keep catching violations everywhere else."""
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {"GITHUB_BASE_REF": ""}, clear=False):
+        with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._on_release_branch", return_value=False):
+            with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._get_violations", return_value=[]):
+                with patch(
+                    "build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._git",
+                    return_value=_completed(stdout=MODIFIED_REVISION),
+                ) as mock_git:
+                    assert has_revision_violations() is True
+
+    assert mock_git.call_args.args[:3] == ("diff", "--name-status", "origin/main...HEAD")
+
+
+def test_previous_commit_check_still_runs_off_release_branches() -> None:
+    """Positive control: the HEAD~1..HEAD check must keep catching violations everywhere else."""
+
+    def _violations_for(diff_spec: list[str]) -> list[str]:
+        return [MODIFIED_REVISION] if diff_spec == ["HEAD~1..HEAD"] else []
+
+    with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._on_release_branch", return_value=False):
+        with patch(
+            "build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._get_violations",
+            side_effect=_violations_for,
+        ):
+            with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._git", return_value=_completed()):
+                assert has_revision_violations() is True
+
+
+def test_clean_history_off_release_branches_passes() -> None:
+    with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._on_release_branch", return_value=False):
+        with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._get_violations", return_value=[]):
+            with patch("build_scripts.enforce_alembic_revision_immutability._git", return_value=_completed()):
+                assert has_revision_violations() is False