diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02a6d24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+version: 2
+updates:
+  # Workflow actions are pinned to commit SHAs; this keeps the pins current
+  # (new releases, runtime moves such as Node 20 -> 24) in one PR a month.
+  - package-ecosystem: github-actions
+    directory: /
+    schedule:
+      interval: monthly
+    groups:
+      actions:
+        patterns: ["*"]
+    commit-message:
+      prefix: ci
diff --git a/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yml b/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yml
index 37fa5f9..7bf56bb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yml
@@ -40,8 +40,15 @@ jobs:
             exit 0
           fi
 
+          # CI finishing does not mean every required check has: Code Quality,
+          # Security and CodeQL may still be running. Merge now if the branch
+          # rules allow it, otherwise let GitHub merge once they pass.
           echo "Merging PR #$PR_NUMBER"
           gh pr merge "$PR_NUMBER" \
             --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" \
             --merge \
-            --delete-branch=false
+            --delete-branch=false \
+          || gh pr merge "$PR_NUMBER" \
+            --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" \
+            --merge \
+            --auto