diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 8827876b3829f..ec5ec6b15a6ba 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -48,9 +48,11 @@ jobs:
   # triggering commit. Manual stable releases build the commit of the latest
   # published nightly, so stable only ever ships a build that nightly users
   # have already run. Scheduled runs also decide here whether a nightly is due.
+  # The PAUSE_NIGHTLY repository variable skips scheduled runs only; every later
+  # job needs this one, so a skip here skips the whole run.
   resolve_commit:
     name: Resolve release commit
-    if: github.repository == 'pingdotgg/t3code'
+    if: github.repository == 'pingdotgg/t3code' && (github.event_name != 'schedule' || vars.PAUSE_NIGHTLY != 'true')
     runs-on: blacksmith-8vcpu-ubuntu-2404
     timeout-minutes: 5
     outputs:
diff --git a/docs/operations/release.md b/docs/operations/release.md
index be74b2ad2982e..bd7365d141357 100644
--- a/docs/operations/release.md
+++ b/docs/operations/release.md
@@ -414,6 +414,7 @@ One-time Vercel dashboard setup:
   - scheduled check every 30 minutes
   - manual `workflow_dispatch` with `channel=nightly`
 - Automatic nightlies require new commits and at least six hours since the last nightly was published, including manual nightlies.
+- To pause automatic nightlies, run `gh variable set PAUSE_NIGHTLY -b true -R pingdotgg/t3code`. Scheduled runs then skip. Stable, preview, and manual nightly runs are unaffected. Resume with `gh variable delete PAUSE_NIGHTLY -R pingdotgg/t3code`.
 - Manual nightlies bypass the time and change checks. Nightly runs remain serialized. Scheduled runs wait for an active nightly to finish, then check the publication gap before building.
 - Runs the same desktop quality gates and artifact matrix as the tagged release flow.
 - Publishes a GitHub prerelease only: