diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 6b4a285..4e0efb2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 name: CI
 
 on:
-  push:
-    branches: [main]
   pull_request:
   workflow_dispatch:
+  workflow_call:
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-gate.yml b/.github/workflows/release-gate.yml
index 7c00d57..41a71c8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-gate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-gate.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: false
 
 jobs:
+  ci:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/ci.yml
+
   plan:
     name: plan · mutation shards
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -33,7 +36,6 @@ jobs:
   mutation:
     name: mutation · ${{ matrix.package }}
     needs: [plan]
-    if: ${{ needs.plan.outputs.packages != '[]' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 75
     strategy:
@@ -68,8 +70,8 @@ jobs:
 
   deploy:
     name: deploy · production
-    needs: [plan, mutation]
-    if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.plan.result == 'success' && (needs.mutation.result == 'success' || needs.mutation.result == 'skipped') && !github.event.repository.is_template }}
+    needs: [ci, plan, mutation]
+    if: ${{ !github.event.repository.is_template }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 45
     env:
diff --git a/scripts/mutation-shards.test.ts b/scripts/mutation-shards.test.ts
index bf97051..3770ecf 100644
--- a/scripts/mutation-shards.test.ts
+++ b/scripts/mutation-shards.test.ts
@@ -68,12 +68,16 @@ Deno.test('a mutation script without declared mutate globs is refused', async ()
   })
 })
 
-Deno.test('a workspace without a single *.workflow.ts file has no decisions to mutate', async () => {
+Deno.test('a workspace without a single *.workflow.ts file is refused as an empty set', async () => {
   const root = await workspaceOf([
     { name: 'site', mutate: ['src/**/*.workflow.ts'], files: ['src/page.tsx'] },
     { name: 'tools', mutation: false, files: ['src/cli.ts'] },
   ])
-  assertEquals(await planMutationShards(root), { packages: [], refusals: [], decisions: 0 })
+  assertEquals(await planMutationShards(root), {
+    packages: [],
+    refusals: ['no workspace package has a *.workflow.ts file; the release gate refuses an empty set'],
+    decisions: 0,
+  })
 })
 
 Deno.test('decisions that no package mutates are refused as an empty set', async () => {
diff --git a/scripts/mutation-shards.ts b/scripts/mutation-shards.ts
index bda3043..a3531ac 100755
--- a/scripts/mutation-shards.ts
+++ b/scripts/mutation-shards.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,13 @@ export const planMutationShards = async (root: string): Promise<ShardPlan> => {
       }
     }
   }
-  if (decisions === 0) return { packages: [], refusals: [], decisions }
+  if (decisions === 0) {
+    return {
+      packages: [],
+      refusals: ['no workspace package has a *.workflow.ts file; the release gate refuses an empty set'],
+      decisions,
+    }
+  }
   if (packages.length === 0 && refusals.length === 0) {
     refusals.push(
       `${decisions} *.workflow.ts file(s) but no workspace package declares a \`mutation\` script; the release gate refuses an empty set`,
@@ -58,9 +64,6 @@ if (import.meta.main) {
     for (const refusal of plan.refusals) console.error(`mutation-shards: ${refusal}`)
     Deno.exit(1)
   }
-  if (plan.decisions === 0) {
-    console.log('::notice title=Release gate::No decisions to mutate: no workspace package has a *.workflow.ts file.')
-  }
   const line = `packages=${JSON.stringify(plan.packages)}`
   console.error(`mutation-shards: ${line}`)
   if (output) await Deno.writeTextFile(output, `${line}\n`, { append: true })