diff --git a/.github/workflows/workflow.yaml b/.github/workflows/workflow.yaml
index e4f24f0..9e2c67f 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/workflow.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/workflow.yaml
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ on:
       version:
         description: 'Version already committed in js/package.json (e.g. 2.8.0)'
         required: true
+      verify_only:
+        description: 'Verify an already-published version without publishing again'
+        type: boolean
+        default: false
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
@@ -55,18 +59,23 @@ jobs:
       # npm 11.21 supports private dist-tag reads through trusted publishing.
       - run: npm install --global npm@11.21.0
       - name: Check npm publishing access
-        run: npm dist-tag ls @dev.smartpricing/traceflow-sdk --json
+        run: npm dist-tag ls @dev.smartpricing/traceflow-sdk
         env:
           NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN || secrets.NO_TWOFA_NPM_TOKEN }}
 
       # Kafka is needed only for its declarations; do not build its native addon.
       - run: npm ci --ignore-scripts
+        if: inputs.verify_only != true
       - run: npm run typecheck:errors && npm run test:release && npm test -- --run
+        if: inputs.verify_only != true
       - run: npm run build
+        if: inputs.verify_only != true
       - name: Verify the npm archive
+        if: inputs.verify_only != true
         run: npm run test:package -- "$RUNNER_TEMP/traceflow-sdk.tgz"
 
       - name: Publish to npm
+        if: inputs.verify_only != true
         run: npm publish "$RUNNER_TEMP/traceflow-sdk.tgz" --tag latest
         env:
           NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN || secrets.NO_TWOFA_NPM_TOKEN }}
@@ -80,10 +89,11 @@ jobs:
           import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
           import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';
           import { appendFileSync, readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+          import { readLatestVersion } from './scripts/release-version.mjs';
           const pkg = JSON.parse(readFileSync('package.json', 'utf8'));
-          const tags = JSON.parse(execFileSync('npm', ['dist-tag', 'ls', pkg.name, '--json'], { encoding: 'utf8' }));
-          assert.equal(tags.latest, pkg.version);
-          const message = `Published ${pkg.name}@${pkg.version}; npm latest verified. The published archive passed export, CJS/ESM import, and frontend bundle checks.`;
+          const tags = execFileSync('npm', ['dist-tag', 'ls', pkg.name], { encoding: 'utf8' });
+          assert.equal(readLatestVersion(tags), pkg.version);
+          const message = `Verified npm latest: ${pkg.name}@${pkg.version}.`;
           console.log(message);
           appendFileSync(process.env.GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY, message + '\n');
           NODE
diff --git a/js/README.md b/js/README.md
index e3030d2..5989b2f 100644
--- a/js/README.md
+++ b/js/README.md
@@ -203,6 +203,13 @@ For recovery after a failed publish, run the workflow with the committed version
 gh workflow run workflow.yaml --ref main -f version=2.8.0
 ```
 
+If publishing succeeded and only the final check failed, verify the existing
+release without attempting to publish the same version again:
+
+```sh
+gh workflow run workflow.yaml --ref main -f version=2.8.0 -f verify_only=true
+```
+
 The workflow tests and builds every entry point, installs and verifies the npm
 archive, then publishes that same archive. It verifies npm's `latest` tag after
 publishing. The existing `release/X.Y.Z` flow is also supported: commit version
diff --git a/js/scripts/release-version.check.mjs b/js/scripts/release-version.check.mjs
index fee9bd1..f442851 100644
--- a/js/scripts/release-version.check.mjs
+++ b/js/scripts/release-version.check.mjs
@@ -1,6 +1,20 @@
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import { test } from "node:test";
-import { shouldRelease } from "./release-version.mjs";
+import { readLatestVersion, shouldRelease } from "./release-version.mjs";
+
+test("read the plain-text output returned by npm dist-tag ls", () => {
+  assert.equal(readLatestVersion("latest: 2.8.0\n"), "2.8.0");
+});
+
+test("select latest when the registry also contains other tags", () => {
+  assert.equal(readLatestVersion("beta: 3.0.0-beta.1\nlatest: 2.8.0\nnext: 2.9.0\n"), "2.8.0");
+});
+
+test("reject missing or invalid latest tags", () => {
+  for (const output of ["", "next: 2.8.0\n", "latest: \nnext: 2.8.0\n", "latest: invalid\n"]) {
+    assert.throws(() => readLatestVersion(output));
+  }
+});
 
 const main = { event: "push", branch: "main", version: "2.8.0", previous: "2.8.0" };
 
diff --git a/js/scripts/release-version.mjs b/js/scripts/release-version.mjs
index ba6b953..85ae29e 100644
--- a/js/scripts/release-version.mjs
+++ b/js/scripts/release-version.mjs
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@ import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 
 const stableVersion = /^(0|[1-9]\d*)\.(0|[1-9]\d*)\.(0|[1-9]\d*)$/;
 
+export function readLatestVersion(output) {
+  // npm dist-tag ls emits text even when passed --json.
+  const match = output.match(/^latest:[ \t]+(\S+)[ \t]*$/m);
+  assert(match, "npm did not return a latest tag");
+  assert.match(match[1], stableVersion, "npm latest must be a stable version");
+  return match[1];
+}
+
 export function shouldRelease({ event, branch, requested, version, previous }) {
   assert.match(version, stableVersion, "Releases must use a stable X.Y.Z version");
   if (event === "workflow_dispatch") {