diff --git a/.github/act/release-published.json b/.github/act/release-published.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d46063432
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/act/release-published.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "action": "published",
+  "release": {
+    "tag_name": "v0.9.2",
+    "name": "Release v0.9.2",
+    "draft": false,
+    "prerelease": false,
+    "body": "## What's Changed\n\n* fix: example change for act dry-run simulation"
+  },
+  "ref": "refs/tags/v0.9.2"
+}
diff --git a/scripts/validate-workflows.sh b/scripts/validate-workflows.sh
index b6083ccf0..b0fd2391d 100644
--- a/scripts/validate-workflows.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate-workflows.sh
@@ -25,5 +25,11 @@ run_act() {
 }
 
 run_act act workflow_dispatch -W .github/workflows/release.yml -e .github/act/dry-run.json -n
-run_act act push -W .github/workflows/release.yml -e .github/act/push-feat.json -n
+# release.yml's main trigger is now `release: published` (release-please
+# emits this event when its release PR is merged). The earlier `push`
+# trigger on main was removed in PR #495 to gate PyPI uploads behind
+# the bot's release-PR pattern. Simulate the new trigger here so the
+# validation step exercises the same code path CI actually fires on.
+run_act act release -W .github/workflows/release.yml -e .github/act/release-published.json -n
+run_act act push -W .github/workflows/release-please.yml -e .github/act/push-feat.json -n
 run_act act workflow_dispatch -W .github/workflows/docker.yml -e .github/act/docker-version.json -n