diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-upload.yml b/.github/workflows/release-upload.yml
index 5ddb376b44..9ae7732acd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-upload.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-upload.yml
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@ name: Release Upload
 # Pipeline to download binaries from Hydra builds and create GitHub
 # releases out of them (or attaching the binaries to an already existing release).
 #
-# This pipeline is divided in three jobs:
+# This pipeline is divided in four jobs:
 #
 # 1. The "wait_for_hydra" job looks up the status of the Hydra build corresponding to
 #    the tag for which we want to release. If the status is success, the pipeline
 #    continues. If the status cannot be determined or is a failure, the pipeline stops.
+#    If the tag is annotated (signed tags are), this job first pushes the tagged commit
+#    to a ci/ branch for this run, so that Hydra builds and reports on the commit itself.
 # 2. The "pull" job downloads the binaries from the Hydra build and uploads them as artifacts.
 #    This job uses a matrix to handle all supported platforms. Uploading as an artifact allows to
 #    do the last job without a matrix.
@@ -14,6 +16,9 @@ name: Release Upload
 #    This job uses `--builders "" --max-jobs 0` to ensure the assets are downloaded
 #    from the IOG cache.
 # 3. The "create_release" job downloads the artifacts and attaches them to the target release.
+# 4. The "delete_ci_branch" job deletes the ci/ branch from step 1, if this run pushed one.
+#    It also runs when an earlier job failed or the run was cancelled, so that the branch
+#    does not stay behind.
 #
 # This pipeline is triggered in one of the following 3 ways:
 #
@@ -46,6 +51,8 @@ on:
   push:
     tags:
       - '**'
+permissions:
+  contents: read
 env:
   GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
 
@@ -53,10 +60,13 @@ jobs:
   wait_for_hydra:
     name: "Wait for Hydra check-runs"
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: write # To push the ci/ branch
     outputs:
       TARGET_TAG: ${{ steps.store_vars.outputs.TARGET_TAG }}
       DRY_RUN:    ${{ steps.store_vars.outputs.DRY_RUN }}
       FLAKE_REF:  ${{ steps.store_vars.outputs.FLAKE_REF }}
+      CI_BRANCH:  ${{ steps.ci_branch.outputs.CI_BRANCH }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
@@ -95,11 +105,30 @@ jobs:
           echo "FLAKE_REF=$flake_ref" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
           echo "DRY_RUN=$dry_run" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+      - name: Make Hydra build the tagged commit
+        id: ci_branch
+        run: |
+          # Hydra builds an annotated tag under the ID of the tag object, not the ID of the commit.
+          # GitHub rejects Hydra's check-runs for that ID, so the next step would wait forever,
+          # and the binaries Hydra builds would not match the ones the "pull" job asks for.
+          # Hydra also builds ci/* branches, by commit ID, so push the tagged commit to one.
+          # The branch name includes the run ID, so that this run only ever touches its own branch.
+          if [[ "$(git cat-file -t "refs/tags/$TARGET_TAG" 2>/dev/null)" == "tag" ]]
+          then
+            commit=$(git rev-parse "refs/tags/$TARGET_TAG^{commit}")
+            branch="ci/$TARGET_TAG-run-$GITHUB_RUN_ID"
+            echo "$TARGET_TAG is an annotated tag: pushing $commit to $branch for Hydra"
+            git push --force origin "$commit:refs/heads/$branch"
+            # Tell the "delete_ci_branch" job what to delete
+            echo "CI_BRANCH=$branch" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
       - name: Get specific check run status
         timeout-minutes: 120
         run: |
           while true; do
-            conclusion=$(gh api "repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/commits/${{ env.TARGET_TAG }}/check-runs" --jq '.check_runs[] | select(.name | test("ci/hydra-build:.*\\.required")) | .conclusion')
+            # A check that has not finished has no conclusion (null). gh prints null as an empty line,
+            # and $(...) drops it when it comes last, so such a check would not be counted. Hence "pending".
+            conclusion=$(gh api "repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/commits/$TARGET_TAG/check-runs" --jq '.check_runs[] | select(.name | test("ci/hydra-build:.*\\.required")) | .conclusion // "pending"')
             # Here we are being careful, because we query the status of multiple jobs (once per line)
             # But the only thing we are sure is that "success" means a green job. There
             # could be unknown statuses, which is why we may retry when unsure (see 'sleep') below.
@@ -193,6 +222,8 @@ jobs:
     needs: [wait_for_hydra, pull]
     name: "Create Release"
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: write # To create the release and upload its files
     if: ${{ needs.wait_for_hydra.outputs.DRY_RUN == 'false' }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6 # We need the repo to execute extract-changelog.sh  below
@@ -242,3 +273,24 @@ jobs:
             ${{ needs.wait_for_hydra.outputs.TARGET_TAG }}-win64.zip
             ${{ needs.wait_for_hydra.outputs.TARGET_TAG }}-sha256sums.txt
           body_path: RELEASE_CHANGELOG.md
+
+  delete_ci_branch:
+    needs: [wait_for_hydra, pull, create_release]
+    name: "Delete the ci/ branch pushed for Hydra"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: write # To delete the ci/ branch
+    # always(): also after a failed or cancelled run, so that the branch does not stay behind
+    if: ${{ always() && needs.wait_for_hydra.outputs.CI_BRANCH != '' }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6 # So that git can push to origin below
+      - name: Delete the ci/ branch
+        env:
+          CI_BRANCH: ${{ needs.wait_for_hydra.outputs.CI_BRANCH }}
+        run: |
+          branch="refs/heads/$CI_BRANCH"
+          # An earlier attempt of this run may have deleted it already
+          if git ls-remote --exit-code origin "$branch" > /dev/null
+          then
+            git push origin --delete "$branch"
+          fi