diff --git a/.github/manifest.yaml b/.github/manifest.yaml
index 669f29df..0191fee9 100644
--- a/.github/manifest.yaml
+++ b/.github/manifest.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ci:
   config:
     trunk_branch: main
+    state_token: ${{ secrets.CASCADE_STATE_TOKEN }}
     triggers:
       - cmd/**
       - internal/**
diff --git a/.github/workflows/orchestrate.yaml b/.github/workflows/orchestrate.yaml
index 206090c4..f98d18fb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/orchestrate.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/orchestrate.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # AUTO-GENERATED by cascade - DO NOT EDIT MANUALLY
-# Regenerate with: cascade generate-workflow --config .github/manifest.yaml
+# Regenerate with: cascade generate-workflow --config /Users/joshua.temple/go/src/github.com/stablekernel/cascade/.worktrees/activate/.github/manifest.yaml
 
 name: Orchestrate CI/CD
 
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ jobs:
   setup:
     name: Setup
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     outputs:
       run_build_cli: ${{ steps.setup.outputs.run_build_cli }}
       head_sha: ${{ steps.setup.outputs.head_sha }}
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: [setup, validate, build-cli]
     if: always() && needs.setup.result == 'success'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     outputs:
       cli_result: ${{ needs.build-cli.outputs.result }}
       validate_result: ${{ needs.validate.outputs.result }}
@@ -148,6 +150,7 @@ jobs:
           token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
       - name: Update Manifest
         env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CASCADE_STATE_TOKEN }}
           HEAD_SHA: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.head_sha }}
           VERSION: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.version }}
         run: |
@@ -171,6 +174,33 @@ jobs:
             yq eval -i ".$MANIFEST_KEY.state.prerelease.committed_by = \"${{ github.actor }}\"" "$MANIFEST_FILE"
           }
           
+          if [[ "$GITHUB_SERVER_URL" != "https://github.com" ]]; then
+            # act/gitea e2e: no GitHub API, and the trunk is neither protected nor
+            # signature-checked, so push the state commit directly with retries.
+            for attempt in 1 2 3 4 5; do
+              git fetch origin "$BRANCH"
+              git reset --hard "origin/$BRANCH"
+              apply_state_edits
+              if git diff --quiet "$MANIFEST_FILE"; then
+                echo "No state changes"
+                exit 0
+              fi
+              git add "$MANIFEST_FILE"
+              git commit -m "chore: update state [skip ci]"
+              if git push origin "HEAD:$BRANCH"; then
+                echo "Pushed state on attempt $attempt"
+                exit 0
+              fi
+              echo "Push attempt $attempt rejected (likely concurrent run); retrying..." >&2
+              sleep $((RANDOM % 5 + 2))
+            done
+            echo "::error::Failed to push state after 5 attempts" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          
+          # Real GitHub: write state through the Contents REST API. API commits are
+          # signed by GitHub (Verified) and, with a bypass-capable token, update the
+          # trunk even when a required status check protects it.
           for attempt in 1 2 3 4 5; do
             git fetch origin "$BRANCH"
             git reset --hard "origin/$BRANCH"
@@ -179,19 +209,26 @@ jobs:
               echo "No state changes"
               exit 0
             fi
-            git add "$MANIFEST_FILE"
-            git commit -m "chore: update state [skip ci]"
-            if git push origin "HEAD:$BRANCH"; then
-              echo "Pushed state on attempt $attempt"
+            CONTENT_B64=$(base64 -w0 "$MANIFEST_FILE" 2>/dev/null || base64 "$MANIFEST_FILE" | tr -d '\n')
+            CURRENT_SHA=$(gh api "repos/${{ github.repository }}/contents/$MANIFEST_FILE?ref=$BRANCH" --jq '.sha' 2>/dev/null || true)
+            API_ARGS=("repos/${{ github.repository }}/contents/$MANIFEST_FILE" -X PUT
+              -f "message=chore: update state [skip ci]"
+              -f "content=$CONTENT_B64"
+              -f "branch=$BRANCH")
+            if [[ -n "$CURRENT_SHA" ]]; then
+              API_ARGS+=(-f "sha=$CURRENT_SHA")
+            fi
+            if gh api "${API_ARGS[@]}" >/dev/null; then
+              echo "Pushed state via API on attempt $attempt"
               exit 0
             fi
-            echo "Push attempt $attempt rejected (likely concurrent run); retrying..." >&2
+            echo "State write attempt $attempt failed (likely concurrent run); retrying..." >&2
             sleep $((RANDOM % 5 + 2))
           done
-          echo "::error::Failed to push state after 5 attempts" >&2
+          echo "::error::Failed to write state via API after 5 attempts" >&2
           exit 1
       - name: Check for Failures
-        if: needs.validate.result == 'failure' || needs.build-cli.result == 'failure'
+        if: contains(fromJSON('["failure", "cancelled"]'), needs.validate.result) || contains(fromJSON('["failure", "cancelled"]'), needs.build-cli.result)
         run: |
-          echo "One or more critical callbacks failed"
+          echo "One or more critical callbacks failed or were cancelled"
           exit 1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/promote.yaml b/.github/workflows/promote.yaml
index 47b3f4ee..9d814256 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/promote.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/promote.yaml
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ permissions:
   contents: write
   actions: write
 
+concurrency:
+  group: "${{ github.workflow }}"
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
 jobs:
   preflight:
     name: Pre-flight Check
@@ -269,6 +273,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Finalize Promotion
         if: ${{ github.event.inputs.dry_run != 'true' }}
         env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CASCADE_STATE_TOKEN }}
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           PROMOTION_RESULT: ${{ needs.preflight.outputs.promotion_result }}
         run: |