diff --git a/.github/scripts/release-samples.sh b/.github/scripts/release-samples.sh
index db787279..27591c38 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/release-samples.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/release-samples.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 # ------------------------------------------------------------
 
-set -xe
+set -xeo pipefail
 
 VERSION_NUMBER=$1 # (e.g. 0.1.0)
 REPOSITORY="samples"
@@ -26,6 +26,14 @@ if [[ -z "$VERSION_NUMBER" ]]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
+# The release commit is created through the GitHub API in GITHUB_REPOSITORY (owner/name) using GH_TOKEN,
+# which must be a GitHub App installation token. BOT_NAME and BOT_EMAIL identify the App's bot user for
+# the DCO sign-off.
+if [[ -z "${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}" || -z "${BOT_NAME}" || -z "${BOT_EMAIL}" ]]; then
+  echo "Error: GITHUB_REPOSITORY, BOT_NAME, and BOT_EMAIL must be set."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # CHANNEL is the major and minor version of the VERSION_NUMBER (e.g. 0.1)
 CHANNEL="$(echo $VERSION_NUMBER | cut -d '.' -f 1,2)"
 
@@ -40,7 +48,8 @@ echo "Creating release branch for ${REPOSITORY}..."
 
 pushd $REPOSITORY
 
-git checkout -B "${CHANNEL_VERSION}"
+# The release branch starts from the checked-out commit
+BASE_SHA="$(git rev-parse HEAD)"
 
 # Update bicepconfig.json br:biceptypes.azurecr.io/radius with the CHANNEL
 BICEPCONFIG_RADIUS_STRING_REPLACEMENT="br:biceptypes.azurecr.io/radius:${CHANNEL}"
@@ -54,11 +63,71 @@ mv bicepconfig_updated.json bicepconfig.json
 echo "View updated bicepconfig..."
 cat bicepconfig.json
 
-# Push changes to GitHub
 echo "Running git diff..."
 git diff
 git add --all
-git commit --signoff --message "Update samples for ${CHANNEL_VERSION}"
-git push origin "${CHANNEL_VERSION}"
+
+if git diff --cached --quiet; then
+  echo "Error: No changes to commit for ${CHANNEL_VERSION}."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# Create the release commit with the GitHub API instead of pushing a local commit. GitHub signs commits that a
+# GitHub App creates this way when the request has no custom author, committer, or signature:
+# https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/managing-commit-signature-verification/about-commit-signature-verification#signature-verification-for-bots
+echo "Uploading changed files..."
+TREE_ENTRIES=""
+while IFS= read -r -d '' CHANGE && IFS= read -r -d '' CHANGED_PATH; do
+  read -r OLD_MODE NEW_MODE _ NEW_SHA CHANGE_TYPE <<<"${CHANGE#:}"
+  case "${CHANGE_TYPE}" in
+  A | M | T)
+    BLOB_SHA="$(git cat-file blob "${NEW_SHA}" | base64 --wrap=0 |
+      jq --raw-input --slurp '{content: ., encoding: "base64"}' |
+      gh api --method POST "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/git/blobs" --input - --jq '.sha')"
+    TREE_ENTRIES+="$(jq --null-input --compact-output --arg path "${CHANGED_PATH}" --arg mode "${NEW_MODE}" \
+      --arg sha "${BLOB_SHA}" '{path: $path, mode: $mode, type: "blob", sha: $sha}')"$'\n'
+    ;;
+  D)
+    TREE_ENTRIES+="$(jq --null-input --compact-output --arg path "${CHANGED_PATH}" --arg mode "${OLD_MODE}" \
+      '{path: $path, mode: $mode, type: "blob", sha: null}')"$'\n'
+    ;;
+  *)
+    echo "Error: Unsupported change type ${CHANGE_TYPE} for ${CHANGED_PATH}."
+    exit 1
+    ;;
+  esac
+done < <(git diff-index --cached --no-renames -z HEAD)
+
+TREE_SHA="$(jq --slurp --arg base_tree "$(git rev-parse 'HEAD^{tree}')" '{base_tree: $base_tree, tree: .}' <<<"${TREE_ENTRIES}" |
+  gh api --method POST "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/git/trees" --input - --jq '.sha')"
+
+# The commit must contain exactly the staged changes, like a local `git commit`
+if [[ "${TREE_SHA}" != "$(git write-tree)" ]]; then
+  echo "Error: GitHub tree ${TREE_SHA} does not match the local changes."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "Creating commit..."
+COMMIT="$(jq --null-input \
+  --arg message "$(printf 'Update samples for %s\n\nSigned-off-by: %s <%s>' "${CHANNEL_VERSION}" "${BOT_NAME}" "${BOT_EMAIL}")" \
+  --arg tree "${TREE_SHA}" \
+  --arg parent "${BASE_SHA}" \
+  '{message: $message, tree: $tree, parents: [$parent]}' |
+  gh api --method POST "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/git/commits" --input -)"
+COMMIT_SHA="$(jq --raw-output '.sha' <<<"${COMMIT}")"
+
+# Nothing has been published yet, so stop here if GitHub did not sign the commit
+if [[ "$(jq --raw-output '.verification.verified' <<<"${COMMIT}")" != "true" ]]; then
+  echo "Error: GitHub did not verify commit ${COMMIT_SHA} ($(jq --raw-output '.verification.reason' <<<"${COMMIT}")). GH_TOKEN must be a GitHub App installation token."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# Publish the commit. An existing release branch is only fast-forwarded, like `git push`.
+echo "Pushing ${COMMIT_SHA} to ${CHANNEL_VERSION}..."
+if gh api "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/git/ref/heads/${CHANNEL_VERSION}" --silent 2>/dev/null; then
+  gh api --method PATCH "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/git/refs/heads/${CHANNEL_VERSION}" -f sha="${COMMIT_SHA}" -F force=false --silent
+else
+  gh api --method POST "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/git/refs" -f ref="refs/heads/${CHANNEL_VERSION}" -f sha="${COMMIT_SHA}" --silent
+fi
 
 popd
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 142bee80..91f7b4ed 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ jobs:
           repositories: samples
 
       # Resolve the bot's GitHub-formatted name and email dynamically from the app slug
-      # so commits are attributed to the bot identity rather than hardcoded values.
+      # so the release commit's DCO sign-off matches the bot that authors it.
       - name: Get bot details
         id: bot-details
         uses: raven-actions/bot-details@ee8966a9ff6e7e42cbfc4a56b4ddb60a9d1b40a6 # v1.2.0
@@ -47,15 +47,7 @@ jobs:
           token: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token }}
           ref: edge
           path: samples
-          persist-credentials: true
-
-      - name: Configure git
-        run: |
-          git config --global user.name "${GIT_USER_NAME}"
-          git config --global user.email "${GIT_USER_EMAIL}"
-        env:
-          GIT_USER_NAME: ${{ steps.bot-details.outputs.name }}
-          GIT_USER_EMAIL: ${{ steps.bot-details.outputs.email }}
+          persist-credentials: false
 
       - name: Ensure inputs.version is valid semver
         run: |
@@ -68,9 +60,15 @@ jobs:
           CHANNEL="$(echo ${{ inputs.version }} | cut -d '.' -f 1,2)"
           echo "channel=$CHANNEL" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
 
+      # The script creates the release commit through the GitHub API with the App token,
+      # so GitHub signs it and marks it as verified.
       - name: Release samples
         run: |
           ./samples/.github/scripts/release-samples.sh ${{ inputs.version }}
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token }}
+          BOT_NAME: ${{ steps.bot-details.outputs.name }}
+          BOT_EMAIL: ${{ steps.bot-details.outputs.email }}
 
       - name: Change the default branch
         run: |