diff --git a/.github/actions/coverage/steps/update-pr-coverage/action.mjs b/.github/actions/coverage/steps/update-pr-coverage/action.mjs
index 977e07da..a2b4348d 100644
--- a/.github/actions/coverage/steps/update-pr-coverage/action.mjs
+++ b/.github/actions/coverage/steps/update-pr-coverage/action.mjs
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ import { getInput, getEventPayload, floorToFixed } from "../../../common/common/
 
 const START = "<!-- coverage-start -->";
 const END = "<!-- coverage-end -->";
+// Leading marker of update-pr-changelog's Co-authored-by trailer block. When the badge is first
+// appended, it must land ABOVE this marker: GitHub only credits co-author trailers that sit in the
+// commit message's final paragraph, so the trailer block has to stay last in the PR body.
+const COAUTHOR_MARKER = "<!-- co-authors -->";
 
 // Legacy marker pair from the original implementation. Strip any stray
 // `coverage-badge-*` block from in-flight PR bodies on first run after
@@ -98,9 +102,17 @@ try {
 		const after = currentBody.slice(currentBody.indexOf(END) + END.length);
 		newBody = before + block + after;
 	} else {
-		// Append the block, separated by a horizontal rule when the body is non-empty.
-		const separator = currentBody.trimEnd().length > 0 ? "\n\n---\n\n" : "";
-		newBody = currentBody + separator + block;
+		const coAuthorAt = currentBody.indexOf(COAUTHOR_MARKER);
+		if (coAuthorAt !== -1) {
+			// Insert ABOVE the Co-authored-by trailer block so it stays the final paragraph.
+			const head = currentBody.slice(0, coAuthorAt).replace(/\s+$/, "");
+			const tail = currentBody.slice(coAuthorAt);
+			newBody = `${head ? `${head}\n\n---\n\n` : ""}${block}\n\n${tail}`;
+		} else {
+			// Append the block, separated by a horizontal rule when the body is non-empty.
+			const separator = currentBody.trimEnd().length > 0 ? "\n\n---\n\n" : "";
+			newBody = currentBody + separator + block;
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (newBody === currentBody) {
diff --git a/.github/actions/git/steps/generate-comprehensive-changelog/action.mjs b/.github/actions/git/steps/generate-comprehensive-changelog/action.mjs
index 55014418..0c22b9ad 100644
--- a/.github/actions/git/steps/generate-comprehensive-changelog/action.mjs
+++ b/.github/actions/git/steps/generate-comprehensive-changelog/action.mjs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { appendFileSync, readFileSync, existsSync, realpathSync } from "fs";
 import path from "node:path";
 import { gitCommand } from "../../utilities/git-utils.mjs";
-import { getHumanContributors } from "../../../common/utilities/bot-detection.mjs";
+import { getHumanContributors, isBotAuthor } from "../../../common/utilities/bot-detection.mjs";
 import { categorizeCommits } from "../get-commit-range/action.mjs";
 import { filterBotCommits, isDependencyUpdate } from "../../../common/utilities/bot-detection.mjs";
 import { api } from "../../../github/api/_api/core.mjs";
@@ -885,6 +885,45 @@ async function buildContributorMentionsDetails(commits, token, enablePullRequest
 	return `\n\n<details>\n<summary>👥 Contributors</summary>\n\n${mentionLines}\n\n</details>`;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Stash for the release commit's `Co-authored-by:` trailer block. Set at each site that builds the
+ * contributor @mention details (same commits, same execution path), then emitted by `main()` as the
+ * `co-authors` output so `update-pr-changelog` can place it dead-last in the PR body.
+ * @type {string}
+ */
+let coAuthorsBlock = "";
+
+/**
+ * Build the release commit's `Co-authored-by:` trailer block for the human contributors — a markdown
+ * @mention gives no contributor-graph credit, only a trailer does. Returned with a leading
+ * `<!-- co-authors -->` marker line and the trailers as the final paragraph; the marker is a separate
+ * preceding paragraph (blank line between), so it lets other body editors (e.g. update-pr-coverage)
+ * find and stay ABOVE this block without breaking GitHub's rule that co-author trailers must be the
+ * commit message's last paragraph. Deduped by email; bots and the caller's own signing bot excluded.
+ * @param {Array<{author?: string, email?: string, body?: string}>} commits - Release-range commits.
+ * @param {{name?: string, email?: string}} [knownBot] - Caller's signing-bot identity, excluded.
+ * @returns {string} The `<!-- co-authors -->` block, or "" when there are no human contributors.
+ */
+function buildCoAuthorTrailers(commits, knownBot) {
+	const byEmail = new Map();
+	const add = (author, email) => {
+		const name = (author || "").trim();
+		const mail = (email || "").trim();
+		if (!name || !mail) return;
+		if (isBotAuthor(name, mail, knownBot)) return;
+		const key = mail.toLowerCase();
+		if (!byEmail.has(key)) byEmail.set(key, `Co-authored-by: ${name} <${mail}>`);
+	};
+	// Commit authors (getHumanContributors already drops bots + internal placeholders) plus any
+	// Co-authored-by trailers carried in the commit bodies, deduped by email.
+	for (const c of getHumanContributors(commits || [], knownBot)) add(c.author, c.email);
+	for (const c of commits || []) {
+		for (const co of extractCoAuthorIdentitiesFromBody(c?.body || "")) add(co.author, co.email);
+	}
+	const lines = Array.from(byEmail.values()).sort((a, b) => a.localeCompare(b));
+	return lines.length ? `<!-- co-authors -->\n\n${lines.join("\n")}` : "";
+}
+
 /**
  * Look up GitHub username from email address using GitHub API
  * @param {string} email - Email address to look up
@@ -1043,6 +1082,7 @@ async function generateComprehensiveChangelog(
 
 				const syntheticCommit = [{ subject, body: body || "", author: "", email: "" }];
 				const contributorDetails = await buildContributorMentionsDetails(syntheticCommit, token, true, KNOWN_BOT);
+				coAuthorsBlock = buildCoAuthorTrailers(syntheticCommit, KNOWN_BOT);
 				if (contributorDetails) {
 					releaseNotes += contributorDetails;
 				}
@@ -1094,6 +1134,7 @@ async function generateComprehensiveChangelog(
 		singleCommitChangelog = stripInternalContributorLines(singleCommitChangelog);
 		singleCommitChangelog = neutralizeJsdocTagMentions(singleCommitChangelog);
 		const contributorDetails = await buildContributorMentionsDetails(commits, token, true, KNOWN_BOT);
+		coAuthorsBlock = buildCoAuthorTrailers(commits, KNOWN_BOT);
 		if (contributorDetails) {
 			singleCommitChangelog += contributorDetails;
 		}
@@ -1252,6 +1293,7 @@ async function generateComprehensiveChangelog(
 	}
 
 	const contributorDetails = await buildContributorMentionsDetails(commits, token, false, KNOWN_BOT);
+	coAuthorsBlock = buildCoAuthorTrailers(commits, KNOWN_BOT);
 	if (contributorDetails) {
 		changelog += contributorDetails + "\n";
 	}
@@ -1290,6 +1332,12 @@ if (import.meta.url === `file://${process.argv[1]}`) {
 		// Output the changelog content using a unique delimiter
 		const delimiter = `EOF_${Date.now()}_${Math.random().toString(36).substr(2, 9)}`;
 		appendFileSync(process.env.GITHUB_OUTPUT, `changelog-content<<${delimiter}\n${changelog}\n${delimiter}\n`);
+
+		// Output the Co-authored-by trailer block separately (set by generateComprehensiveChangelog
+		// alongside the contributor @mentions). update-pr-changelog places it dead-last in the PR body,
+		// below the sticky (coverage) blocks, so GitHub credits the contributors on the release commit.
+		const coDelimiter = `EOF_${Date.now()}_${Math.random().toString(36).substr(2, 9)}`;
+		appendFileSync(process.env.GITHUB_OUTPUT, `co-authors<<${coDelimiter}\n${coAuthorsBlock}\n${coDelimiter}\n`);
 	}
 
 	// Run the main function
@@ -1300,4 +1348,4 @@ if (import.meta.url === `file://${process.argv[1]}`) {
 }
 
 // Export functions for testing
-export { generateComprehensiveChangelog, readVersionChangelogFile };
+export { generateComprehensiveChangelog, readVersionChangelogFile, buildCoAuthorTrailers };
diff --git a/.github/actions/git/steps/generate-comprehensive-changelog/action.yml b/.github/actions/git/steps/generate-comprehensive-changelog/action.yml
index 6f2be50c..f235415a 100644
--- a/.github/actions/git/steps/generate-comprehensive-changelog/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/git/steps/generate-comprehensive-changelog/action.yml
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ outputs:
   changelog-content:
     description: "Generated changelog content in markdown format"
     value: ${{ steps.changelog.outputs.changelog-content }}
+  co-authors:
+    description: "Co-authored-by: trailer block (leading `<!-- co-authors -->` marker + trailers) for the release-range human contributors, or empty. Placed dead-last in the release-PR body by update-pr-changelog so GitHub credits contributors on the squashed release commit."
+    value: ${{ steps.changelog.outputs.co-authors }}
 
 runs:
   using: "composite"
diff --git a/.github/actions/git/steps/generate-comprehensive-changelog/test.mjs b/.github/actions/git/steps/generate-comprehensive-changelog/test.mjs
index 18001ae1..01d47573 100644
--- a/.github/actions/git/steps/generate-comprehensive-changelog/test.mjs
+++ b/.github/actions/git/steps/generate-comprehensive-changelog/test.mjs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 import fs from "node:fs";
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
-import { readVersionChangelogFile } from "./action.mjs";
+import { readVersionChangelogFile, buildCoAuthorTrailers } from "./action.mjs";
 
 let failures = 0;
 function eq(actual, expected, label) {
@@ -114,6 +114,28 @@ console.log("\nreadVersionChangelogFile — log sanitization (no CR/LF / workflo
 	);
 }
 
+// --- buildCoAuthorTrailers: release-commit Co-authored-by trailer block ---
+{
+	console.log("\nbuildCoAuthorTrailers — release-commit contributor credit:");
+	const commits = [
+		{ author: "Alice", email: "alice@example.com", body: "" },
+		{ author: "Alice", email: "alice@example.com", body: "" }, // repeat → deduped
+		{ author: "cldmv-bot", email: "bot@cldmv.net", body: "" }, // caller's signing bot (knownBot)
+		{ author: "dependabot[bot]", email: "49699333+dependabot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com", body: "" }, // static-pattern bot
+		{ author: "Bob", email: "bob@example.com", body: "Co-authored-by: Carol <carol@example.com>" } // Carol via body trailer
+	];
+	const out = buildCoAuthorTrailers(commits, { name: "cldmv-bot", email: "bot@cldmv.net" });
+	ok(out.startsWith("<!-- co-authors -->\n\n"), "leads with the <!-- co-authors --> marker");
+	ok(/\n\nCo-authored-by:[^\n]+(\nCo-authored-by:[^\n]+)*$/.test(out), "trailers are the final paragraph (GitHub-creditable)");
+	ok(out.includes("Co-authored-by: Alice <alice@example.com>"), "credits a commit author");
+	ok(out.includes("Co-authored-by: Bob <bob@example.com>"), "credits a commit author (Bob)");
+	ok(out.includes("Co-authored-by: Carol <carol@example.com>"), "credits a body Co-authored-by contributor");
+	ok((out.match(/alice@example\.com/g) || []).length === 1, "dedupes a repeated contributor");
+	ok(!out.includes("bot@cldmv.net"), "excludes the caller's signing bot (knownBot)");
+	ok(!out.toLowerCase().includes("dependabot"), "excludes a static-pattern bot (dependabot)");
+	eq(buildCoAuthorTrailers([], undefined), "", "empty when there are no human contributors");
+}
+
 fs.rmSync(scratch, { recursive: true, force: true });
 
 if (failures > 0) {
diff --git a/.github/actions/github/jobs/update-release-pr/action.yml b/.github/actions/github/jobs/update-release-pr/action.yml
index 29380326..6c19fbf8 100644
--- a/.github/actions/github/jobs/update-release-pr/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/github/jobs/update-release-pr/action.yml
@@ -246,6 +246,7 @@ runs:
         new-version: ${{ steps.display-version.outputs.version }}
         title-suffix: ${{ steps.release-check.outputs.title-suffix }}
         changelog-content: ${{ steps.changelog.outputs.changelog-content }}
+        co-authors: ${{ steps.changelog.outputs.co-authors }}
 
     # Extract the set of conventional-commit types present in the PR range so a
     # mixed PR (e.g. feat: + fix:) gets BOTH type: feature + type: bug
diff --git a/.github/actions/github/steps/update-pr-changelog/action.mjs b/.github/actions/github/steps/update-pr-changelog/action.mjs
index 9316faf1..1cd8c024 100644
--- a/.github/actions/github/steps/update-pr-changelog/action.mjs
+++ b/.github/actions/github/steps/update-pr-changelog/action.mjs
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ try {
 	const newVersion = getInput("new-version", { required: true });
 	const titleSuffix = (getInput("title-suffix") || "").trim();
 	const changelog = getInput("changelog-content");
+	const coAuthors = (getInput("co-authors") || "").trim();
 	const { owner, repo } = parseRepo(process.env.GITHUB_REPOSITORY);
 
 	console.log(`📝 Updating PR #${prNumber} title and description...`);
@@ -91,7 +92,14 @@ try {
 	}
 	const stickyBlocks = extractStickyBlocks(currentBody);
 
-	const composedBody = stickyBlocks.length ? `${changelogBody}\n\n---\n\n${stickyBlocks.join("\n\n")}` : changelogBody;
+	let composedBody = stickyBlocks.length ? `${changelogBody}\n\n---\n\n${stickyBlocks.join("\n\n")}` : changelogBody;
+
+	// Co-authored-by trailers (from generate-comprehensive-changelog's `co-authors` output) must be
+	// the FINAL paragraph of the body — GitHub only credits co-author trailers that sit in the commit
+	// message's last paragraph. Append them AFTER the sticky (coverage) blocks. The block carries a
+	// leading `<!-- co-authors -->` marker (its own paragraph) so update-pr-coverage can insert its
+	// badge ABOVE this block on a first add without displacing the trailers from last position.
+	if (coAuthors) composedBody = `${composedBody.replace(/\s+$/, "")}\n\n${coAuthors}`;
 
 	const title = titleSuffix ? `release: v${newVersion} - ${titleSuffix}` : `release: v${newVersion}`;
 	console.log(`📝 Updating PR title to: ${title}`);
diff --git a/.github/actions/github/steps/update-pr-changelog/action.yml b/.github/actions/github/steps/update-pr-changelog/action.yml
index ccc18c75..594a31a3 100644
--- a/.github/actions/github/steps/update-pr-changelog/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/github/steps/update-pr-changelog/action.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ inputs:
     description: "Generated changelog markdown for the PR body"
     required: false
     default: ""
+  co-authors:
+    description: "Co-authored-by: trailer block (from generate-comprehensive-changelog's co-authors output) appended as the final paragraph of the PR body, below the sticky (coverage) blocks, so GitHub credits contributors on the squashed release commit. Empty = none."
+    required: false
+    default: ""
 
 runs:
   using: "node24"