diff --git a/.github/scripts/releasing/check-no-copied-release-commits.sh b/.github/scripts/releasing/check-no-copied-release-commits.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..abffea876b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/releasing/check-no-copied-release-commits.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Exit the script as soon as an error occurs.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# This script fails if the commits in <base>..<head> copy commits from a release or staging branch
+# (e.g. by rebasing or cherry-picking them) instead of merging that branch, see RELEASING.md.
+# Commits are compared by patch-id,
+# and only against release and staging commits that <head> does not already contain.
+# Usage: .github/scripts/releasing/check-no-copied-release-commits.sh <base> <head>
+
+if [ "$#" -ne 2 ]; then
+    echo "Usage: $0 <base> <head>"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+BASE=$1
+HEAD=$2
+
+patch_ids() {
+    git log --no-merges --patch --no-color --no-ext-diff "$@" | git patch-id --stable | sort
+}
+
+mapfile -t BRANCHES < <(git for-each-ref --format='%(refname)' 'refs/remotes/*/release/*' 'refs/remotes/*/staging/*')
+if [ "${#BRANCHES[@]}" -eq 0 ]; then
+    echo "Error: No release or staging branches found."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Each line is "<patch-id> <commit>".
+RELEASE_PATCHES=$(patch_ids "${BRANCHES[@]}" --not "${HEAD}")
+PR_PATCHES=$(patch_ids "${BASE}..${HEAD}")
+
+# Each line is "<patch-id> <release commit> <PR commit>".
+COPIES=$(join <(echo "${RELEASE_PATCHES}") <(echo "${PR_PATCHES}"))
+if [ -z "${COPIES}" ]; then
+    echo "No copied release commits found."
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+echo "These commits copy release commits instead of merging them:"
+while read -r _ RELEASE_COMMIT PR_COMMIT; do
+    echo "  $(git log -1 --format='%h %s' "${PR_COMMIT}") (copies ${RELEASE_COMMIT:0:10})"
+done <<<"${COPIES}"
+echo
+echo "Merge the release tag (or branch) instead, see RELEASING.md."
+exit 1
diff --git a/.github/scripts/releasing/check-releases-merged.sh b/.github/scripts/releasing/check-releases-merged.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..75751a8e3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/releasing/check-releases-merged.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Exit the script as soon as an error occurs.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# This script fails if a final release (a tag like 3.4.0) on a release branch
+# is not merged back into <develop> within a few days, see RELEASING.md.
+# Usage: .github/scripts/releasing/check-releases-merged.sh <develop>
+
+if [ "$#" -ne 1 ]; then
+    echo "Usage: $0 <develop>"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+DEVELOP=$1
+GRACE_DAYS=3
+
+mapfile -t MERGED_ARGS < <(git for-each-ref --format='--merged=%(refname)' 'refs/remotes/*/release/*')
+if [ "${#MERGED_ARGS[@]}" -eq 0 ]; then
+    echo "Error: No release branches found."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Tags on a release branch that <develop> does not contain.
+TAGS=$(git for-each-ref --format='%(refname:short) %(creatordate:unix)' \
+    "${MERGED_ARGS[@]}" --no-merged="${DEVELOP}" 'refs/tags/[0-9]*')
+
+MISSING=0
+while read -r TAG CREATED; do
+    if ! [[ "${TAG}" =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+        continue
+    fi
+    if (($(date +%s) - CREATED < GRACE_DAYS * 86400)); then
+        echo "${TAG}: not merged yet, still within the ${GRACE_DAYS}-day grace period."
+    else
+        echo "${TAG}: not merged into develop."
+        MISSING=1
+    fi
+done <<<"${TAGS}"
+
+if [ "${MISSING}" -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo
+    echo "Merge the missing releases back into develop, see RELEASING.md."
+    exit 1
+fi
+echo "No releases past the grace period are missing from develop."
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-pr-description.yml b/.github/workflows/check-pr-description.yml
index f8e7b6cdc4..1ffc50c0ba 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-pr-description.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-pr-description.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ on:
       - ready_for_review
     branches:
       - develop
-      - "release-*"
       - "release/*"
       - "staging/*"
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-pr-title.yml b/.github/workflows/check-pr-title.yml
index cc80982440..d033f9df69 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-pr-title.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-pr-title.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ on:
       - ready_for_review
     branches:
       - develop
-      - "release-*"
       - "release/*"
       - "staging/*"
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-releases-merged.yml b/.github/workflows/check-releases-merged.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0b65d9761f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-releases-merged.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+# This workflow checks that every final release on a release branch
+# has been merged back into develop, see RELEASING.md.
+name: Check releases merged
+
+on:
+  schedule:
+    # 06:47 UTC every Monday.
+    - cron: "47 6 * * 1"
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - "develop"
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+defaults:
+  run:
+    shell: bash
+
+env:
+  OUTPUT_FILE: /tmp/releases-merged.txt
+  ISSUE_FILE: /tmp/releases-merged-issue.md
+
+jobs:
+  releases-merged:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      # Needed to open an issue on scheduled failures.
+      issues: write
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          # The check needs the full history of develop, the release branches and tags.
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Check releases are merged into develop
+        run: |
+          set -o pipefail
+          .github/scripts/releasing/check-releases-merged.sh origin/develop | tee "${OUTPUT_FILE}"
+
+      - name: Prepare issue body
+        if: ${{ failure() && github.event_name == 'schedule' && github.repository == 'XRPLF/rippled' }}
+        run: |
+          {
+              echo '```'
+              cat "${OUTPUT_FILE}"
+              echo '```'
+          } >"${ISSUE_FILE}"
+
+      - name: Create issue
+        if: ${{ failure() && github.event_name == 'schedule' && github.repository == 'XRPLF/rippled' }}
+        uses: XRPLF/actions/create-issue@2b8bc36af85b88bca0dd7bfac2e2dc05f94ad712
+        with:
+          title: "Releases not merged back into develop"
+          body_file: ${{ env.ISSUE_FILE }}
+          labels: "Bug"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/on-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/on-pr.yml
index 62a995d864..7457ca32cd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/on-pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/on-pr.yml
@@ -150,6 +150,27 @@ jobs:
     if: ${{ needs.should-run.outputs.go == 'true' }}
     uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable-check-rename.yml
 
+  # Runs regardless of the changed files.
+  # PRs into staging branches are skipped, since fixes may be cherry-picked between release lines.
+  check-release-commits:
+    needs: should-run
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.ref == 'develop' || github.event.merge_group.base_ref == 'refs/heads/develop' }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          # The check needs the full history of the release and staging branches.
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - name: Check for copied release commits
+        env:
+          BASE: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha || github.event.merge_group.base_sha }}
+          HEAD: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.event.merge_group.head_sha }}
+        run: .github/scripts/releasing/check-no-copied-release-commits.sh "${BASE}" "${HEAD}"
+
   clang-tidy:
     needs: should-run
     if: ${{ needs.should-run.outputs.go == 'true' }}
@@ -230,6 +251,7 @@ jobs:
       - check-autogen
       - check-levelization
       - check-rename
+      - check-release-commits
       - clang-tidy
       - build-test
       - rust