diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index a481f70..3112f52 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ name: CI
 
 on:
   pull_request:
+  # `build-site` is a required status check. PRs opened by GITHUB_TOKEN
+  # (notably release-please's) do not fire `pull_request`, so the check never
+  # reports and those PRs stay permanently BLOCKED. workflow_dispatch lets the
+  # run be started against the PR's branch so the required context can report.
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 permissions:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate-packages.yml b/.github/workflows/validate-packages.yml
index ea09e50..1acd2c0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate-packages.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate-packages.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ on:
   pull_request:
   push:
     branches: ["main"]
+  # `validate` is a required status check. PRs opened by GITHUB_TOKEN (notably
+  # release-please's) do not fire `pull_request`, so the check never reports and
+  # those PRs stay permanently BLOCKED. workflow_dispatch lets the run be
+  # started against the PR's branch so the required context can report.
+  workflow_dispatch:
 
 permissions:
   contents: read