diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 57b6d5b4..079a96f1 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -102,14 +102,7 @@ if [ -n "${SSH_PUBLIC_KEY:-}" ]; then
 fi
 
 if [ "${BUILD_CHANNEL}" = "release" ]; then
-    case "${CLAWDIE_REF}" in
-        v[0-9]*.[0-9]*.[0-9]*) ;;
-        *)
-            echo "ERROR: release builds must pin a Clawdie-AI tag with --clawdie-version X.Y.Z"
-            echo "       Current Clawdie ref: ${CLAWDIE_REF}"
-            exit 1
-            ;;
-    esac
+    check_release_gate
 fi
 
 # The ISO carries its own product version (ISO_VERSION in build.cfg). It does not
@@ -467,6 +460,69 @@ is_pinned_clawdie_ref() {
     printf '%s' "$_ref" | grep -Eq '^[0-9a-fA-F]{40}$|^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$'
 }
 
+# Release builds require clean, committed sources across the whole stack.
+# A release ISO must be a reproducible artifact — no uncommitted local patches.
+check_release_gate() {
+    case "${CLAWDIE_REF}" in
+        v[0-9]*.[0-9]*.[0-9]*) ;;
+        *)
+            echo "ERROR: release builds must pin a Clawdie-AI tag with --clawdie-version X.Y.Z"
+            echo "       Current Clawdie ref: ${CLAWDIE_REF}"
+            exit 1
+            ;;
+    esac
+
+    _release_errors=0
+
+    # Clawdie-AI local checkout
+    resolve_clawdie_ai_repo
+    if command -v git >/dev/null 2>&1 && git -C "${_resolved_clawdie_ai_repo}" rev-parse --git-dir >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        if ! git -C "${_resolved_clawdie_ai_repo}" diff --quiet 2>/dev/null || ! git -C "${_resolved_clawdie_ai_repo}" diff --cached --quiet 2>/dev/null; then
+            echo "ERROR: release builds require a clean clawdie-ai repo"
+            echo "       Uncommitted changes detected in: ${_resolved_clawdie_ai_repo}"
+            _release_errors=$((_release_errors + 1))
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    # ISO repo itself
+    if command -v git >/dev/null 2>&1 && git -C "${SCRIPT_DIR}" rev-parse --git-dir >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        if ! git -C "${SCRIPT_DIR}" diff --quiet 2>/dev/null || ! git -C "${SCRIPT_DIR}" diff --cached --quiet 2>/dev/null; then
+            echo "ERROR: release builds require a clean clawdie-iso repo"
+            echo "       Uncommitted changes detected in: ${SCRIPT_DIR}"
+            _release_errors=$((_release_errors + 1))
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    # Colibri
+    if [ "${FEATURE_COLIBRI:-NO}" = "YES" ]; then
+        resolve_colibri_paths
+        if command -v git >/dev/null 2>&1 && git -C "${_resolved_colibri_repo}" rev-parse --git-dir >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            if ! git -C "${_resolved_colibri_repo}" diff --quiet 2>/dev/null || ! git -C "${_resolved_colibri_repo}" diff --cached --quiet 2>/dev/null; then
+                echo "ERROR: release builds require a clean colibri repo"
+                echo "       Uncommitted changes detected in: ${_resolved_colibri_repo}"
+                _release_errors=$((_release_errors + 1))
+            fi
+        fi
+
+        # Zot (agent binary)
+        if [ "${COLIBRI_STAGE_AGENT:-YES}" = "YES" ]; then
+            resolve_zot_paths
+            if command -v git >/dev/null 2>&1 && git -C "${_resolved_zot_repo}" rev-parse --git-dir >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+                if ! git -C "${_resolved_zot_repo}" diff --quiet 2>/dev/null || ! git -C "${_resolved_zot_repo}" diff --cached --quiet 2>/dev/null; then
+                    echo "ERROR: release builds require a clean zot repo"
+                    echo "       Uncommitted changes detected in: ${_resolved_zot_repo}"
+                    _release_errors=$((_release_errors + 1))
+                fi
+            fi
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    if [ "${_release_errors}" -gt 0 ]; then
+        echo "ERROR: release build aborted — ${_release_errors} dirty repo(s). Use BUILD_CHANNEL=dev for iteration builds."
+        exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
 write_build_manifest() {
     _manifest_path="$1"
     _iso_repo_commit="unknown"
@@ -500,6 +556,19 @@ write_build_manifest() {
             fi
         fi
     fi
+    # Zot provenance (agent binary built from source — record if repo is dirty).
+    _zot_dirty="null"
+    if [ "${FEATURE_COLIBRI:-NO}" = "YES" ] && [ "${COLIBRI_STAGE_AGENT:-YES}" = "YES" ]; then
+        resolve_zot_paths
+        if command -v git >/dev/null 2>&1 && git -C "${_resolved_zot_repo}" rev-parse --git-dir >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            if git -C "${_resolved_zot_repo}" diff --quiet 2>/dev/null && \
+               git -C "${_resolved_zot_repo}" diff --cached --quiet 2>/dev/null; then
+                _zot_dirty="false"
+            else
+                _zot_dirty="true"
+            fi
+        fi
+    fi
     mkdir -p "$(dirname "$_manifest_path")"
     cat > "$_manifest_path" <<EOF
 {
@@ -507,6 +576,7 @@ write_build_manifest() {
   "version_scheme": "product",
   "zot_version": "$(json_escape "${ZOT_RESOLVED_VERSION:-${ZOT_VERSION}}")",
   "zot_commit": "$(json_escape "${ZOT_RESOLVED_COMMIT:-unknown}")",
+  "zot_dirty": ${_zot_dirty:-null},
   "colibri_commit": "$(json_escape "${_colibri_commit:-unknown}")",
   "colibri_dirty": ${_colibri_dirty:-null},
   "build_channel": "$(json_escape "${BUILD_CHANNEL}")",