diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 1447c77..ab5b9d2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -223,26 +223,24 @@ jobs:
           #   workspace deps).
           # - hyperdb-api-core: depends on hyperdb-api-salesforce
           #   (optional, via salesforce-auth feature).
-          # - hyperdb-api: depends on hyperdb-api-core AND
-          #   hyperdb-api-derive (=X.Y.Z strict pin → derive must be
-          #   on the index when hyperdb-api builds).
-          # - hyperdb-compile-check: depends on hyperdb-api; outside the
-          #   workspace (avoids dep cycle) but published in lockstep.
-          #   Must come BEFORE hyperdb-api-derive (which optionally
-          #   depends on it — cargo verifies the dep on crates.io during
-          #   packaging). Uses --manifest-path since it's not a workspace
-          #   member.
-          # - hyperdb-api-derive: optional dep on hyperdb-compile-check;
-          #   must come after both hyperdb-api and hyperdb-compile-check.
-          # - hyperdb-mcp, hyperdb-bootstrap, sea-query-hyperdb: depend
-          #   on hyperdb-api / hyperdb-api-core; publish last.
+          # Publish order (strict dependency chain):
+          #   hyperdb-api-salesforce: no sibling runtime deps
+          #   hyperdb-api-core: optional runtime dep on hyperdb-api-salesforce
+          #   hyperdb-api-derive: optional runtime dep on hyperdb-compile-check
+          #     (path-only dev-dep on hyperdb-api — no crates.io check needed)
+          #   hyperdb-api: runtime dep on hyperdb-api-core
+          #     (path-only dev-dep on hyperdb-api-derive — no crates.io check)
+          #   hyperdb-compile-check: runtime dep on hyperdb-api; outside the
+          #     workspace (avoids dep cycle) — uses --manifest-path.
+          #     Must come AFTER hyperdb-api-derive (which it optionally
+          #     depends on) and AFTER hyperdb-api (which it depends on).
+          #   hyperdb-mcp, hyperdb-bootstrap, sea-query-hyperdb: last.
           publish hyperdb-api-salesforce
           publish hyperdb-api-core
+          publish hyperdb-api-derive
           publish hyperdb-api
-          # hyperdb-compile-check depends on hyperdb-api; publish before
-          # hyperdb-api-derive (which optionally depends on it — cargo
-          # verifies the dep exists on crates.io during packaging).
-          # Outside the workspace; publish via manifest path.
+          # hyperdb-compile-check depends on hyperdb-api (runtime) and is outside
+          # the workspace; publish via manifest path after hyperdb-api is indexed.
           echo "::group::Publishing hyperdb-compile-check"
           if ! cargo publish --manifest-path hyperdb-compile-check/Cargo.toml 2>&1 | tee /tmp/publish_out; then
             if grep -q "already exists on" /tmp/publish_out; then
@@ -254,7 +252,6 @@ jobs:
           fi
           echo "::endgroup::"
           sleep 45
-          publish hyperdb-api-derive
           publish hyperdb-mcp
           publish hyperdb-bootstrap
           publish sea-query-hyperdb
diff --git a/hyperdb-api-derive/Cargo.toml b/hyperdb-api-derive/Cargo.toml
index 1857c3a..b7ac80d 100644
--- a/hyperdb-api-derive/Cargo.toml
+++ b/hyperdb-api-derive/Cargo.toml
@@ -31,9 +31,10 @@ hyperdb-compile-check = { path = "../hyperdb-compile-check", version = "=0.4.0",
 # x-release-please-end
 
 [dev-dependencies]
-# x-release-please-start-version
-hyperdb-api = { path = "../hyperdb-api", version = "=0.4.0" }
-# x-release-please-end
+# path-only: no version pin so cargo doesn't try to resolve hyperdb-api against
+# crates.io during `cargo publish` (circular: hyperdb-api dev-depends on
+# hyperdb-api-derive which dev-depends on hyperdb-api).
+hyperdb-api = { path = "../hyperdb-api" }
 trybuild = { version = "1", features = ["diff"] }
 
 [lints]
diff --git a/hyperdb-api/Cargo.toml b/hyperdb-api/Cargo.toml
index 4be319c..f6ca1d5 100644
--- a/hyperdb-api/Cargo.toml
+++ b/hyperdb-api/Cargo.toml
@@ -48,9 +48,10 @@ serde_json = { workspace = true }
 workspace = true
 
 [dev-dependencies]
-# x-release-please-start-version
-hyperdb-api-derive = { path = "../hyperdb-api-derive", version = "=0.4.0" }
-# x-release-please-end
+# path-only: no version pin so cargo doesn't try to resolve hyperdb-api-derive
+# against crates.io during `cargo publish` (that would create a circular
+# publish dependency since hyperdb-api-derive dev-depends on hyperdb-api).
+hyperdb-api-derive = { path = "../hyperdb-api-derive" }
 tempfile = { workspace = true }
 libc = "0.2"
 tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.3", features = ["env-filter"] }