diff --git a/.github/workflows/on-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/on-pr.yml
index 25bbaa2cc9..62a995d864 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/on-pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/on-pr.yml
@@ -190,6 +190,12 @@ jobs:
     # matrix (i.e. not yet labeled "Ready to merge" or "Full CI build").
     if: ${{ needs.should-run.outputs.go == 'true' && (github.event_name != 'pull_request' || contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'Ready to merge') || contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'Full CI build')) }}
     uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable-package.yml
+    with:
+      # A pull request builds packages to prove they still build, and publishes
+      # nothing. Stated rather than left to the input's default, so that changing
+      # that default cannot start publishing from pull requests. No secrets are
+      # passed either, which is the second reason a publish here cannot succeed.
+      publish: false
 
   upload-recipe:
     needs:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/reusable-package.yml b/.github/workflows/reusable-package.yml
index ddbb04c47c..700ec9180b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/reusable-package.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/reusable-package.yml
@@ -198,7 +198,10 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix: ${{ fromJson(needs.generate-matrix.outputs.matrix) }}
-    name: "publish ${{ matrix.xrpld_artifact_name }}"
+    # The name says which of the two this is, because the job runs either way:
+    # with publish false it passes --dry-run and uploads nothing, and a job
+    # called "publish ..." succeeding on a pull request reads like a release.
+    name: "publish ${{ matrix.xrpld_artifact_name }}${{ !inputs.publish && ' (dry run)' || '' }}"
     permissions:
       contents: read
     runs-on: ["self-hosted", "Linux", "X64", "heavy"]