diff --git a/docs/colony-spec.md b/docs/colony-spec.md
index 8192bc8..8d82e27 100644
--- a/docs/colony-spec.md
+++ b/docs/colony-spec.md
@@ -214,7 +214,16 @@ signs the launcher itself - see `docs/release-signing.md` and the embedded
 public key in `src/signing.rs`). An invalid signature aborts the install.
 
 An asset without a `.sig` sibling installs as before (legacy unsigned app) -
-signing is adopted per-app, no flag day. Sign with:
+signing is adopted per-app, no flag day - **unless** the manifest declares:
+
+```json
+{ "signed": true }
+```
+
+With `"signed": true`, a missing signature ABORTS the install: this closes the
+remaining hole where a compromised repository could simply omit signatures.
+Declare it once every release of the app ships `.sig` assets (all Project-
+Colony apps have signed releases as of 2026-07-20). Sign with:
 
 ```sh
 COLONY_SIGNING_KEY=/path/to/colony-release.pem ./scripts/sign-release.sh <asset>
diff --git a/src/download.rs b/src/download.rs
index 84ff913..7dd16f7 100644
--- a/src/download.rs
+++ b/src/download.rs
@@ -319,6 +319,10 @@ pub struct AssetInstall {
     /// persisted next to the binary so `installed_app_path` can find the
     /// install again.
     pub record_asset: bool,
+    /// True when the manifest declares `"signed": true`: a missing `.sig`
+    /// then ABORTS the install instead of being treated as a legacy unsigned
+    /// app - closing the "compromised repo simply omits signatures" hole.
+    pub require_signature: bool,
 }
 
 /// Download a release asset to `<colony_apps_dir>/<repo_name>/<filename>`,
@@ -336,6 +340,7 @@ pub async fn download_release_asset(
         binary_name,
         expected_sha256,
         record_asset,
+        require_signature,
     } = install;
     // The manifest-supplied filename becomes a local path — guard it against
     // traversal (`../`, absolute paths) before joining, mirroring the archive
@@ -370,6 +375,12 @@ pub async fn download_release_asset(
                 anyhow::bail!("Could not check for a release signature of {filename}: {e}");
             }
         };
+    if require_signature && signature.is_none() {
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&temp_path);
+        anyhow::bail!(
+            "The manifest requires signed releases, but no {filename}.sig was published - refusing to install"
+        );
+    }
 
     // Integrity check, archive extraction and the atomic promotion are
     // CPU/IO-bound — run them on a blocking thread. Any failure removes the
@@ -564,7 +575,10 @@ pub fn apply_launcher_update(new_binary: &std::path::Path) -> Result<PathBuf> {
     if staged_next.exists() {
         let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&staged_next);
     }
-    std::fs::copy(new_binary, &staged_next)
+    // Write the byte buffer that was just VERIFIED - copying the file again
+    // would re-read from disk and install bytes the signature check never saw
+    // (a swap between read and copy would slip through).
+    std::fs::write(&staged_next, &staged_bytes)
         .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("Failed to stage new binary: {e}"))?;
     #[cfg(unix)]
     {
diff --git a/src/github.rs b/src/github.rs
index 57635ac..d7a9593 100644
--- a/src/github.rs
+++ b/src/github.rs
@@ -250,6 +250,11 @@ pub struct ColonyManifest {
     /// at the repo root, then falls back to the tinted category hexagon.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub icon: Option<String>,
+    /// When true, every release asset MUST ship a valid `<asset>.sig`
+    /// (ed25519, Project-Colony org key): a missing signature aborts the
+    /// install instead of falling back to the legacy unsigned path.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub signed: bool,
 }
 
 /// Metadata for a Colony-compatible repository (has colony.json).
@@ -1187,6 +1192,16 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn manifest_signed_flag_parses_and_defaults_off() {
+        let json = r#"{ "name": "App", "category": "Utility", "signed": true }"#;
+        let m: ColonyManifest = serde_json::from_str(json).unwrap();
+        assert!(m.signed);
+        let json = r#"{ "name": "App", "category": "Utility" }"#;
+        let m: ColonyManifest = serde_json::from_str(json).unwrap();
+        assert!(!m.signed, "signed must default to false (legacy manifests)");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn find_asset_by_pattern_glob_with_exclusion_resolves_electron_builder_layout() {
         // SphereCord's real release layout: electron-builder publishes both
diff --git a/src/signing.rs b/src/signing.rs
index d7cff71..3c3277e 100644
--- a/src/signing.rs
+++ b/src/signing.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 use anyhow::Result;
 use base64::Engine;
-use ed25519_dalek::{Signature, Verifier, VerifyingKey};
+use ed25519_dalek::{Signature, VerifyingKey};
 
 /// Colony release signing public key (ed25519, raw 32 bytes).
 ///
@@ -38,7 +38,11 @@ fn verify_with_key(pubkey: &[u8; 32], data: &[u8], signature_bytes: &[u8]) -> Re
     let sig = parse_signature(signature_bytes)?;
     let vk = VerifyingKey::from_bytes(pubkey)
         .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("invalid release public key: {e}"))?;
-    vk.verify(data, &sig)
+    // verify_strict: rejects malleable/non-canonical signatures and small-
+    // order key components - the recommended verifier for update/security
+    // contexts (plain verify() accepts signatures strict verification would
+    // refuse).
+    vk.verify_strict(data, &sig)
         .map_err(|_| anyhow::anyhow!("signature verification failed (untrusted or corrupt update)"))
 }
 
diff --git a/src/update.rs b/src/update.rs
index b39dd58..6276c1c 100644
--- a/src/update.rs
+++ b/src/update.rs
@@ -468,7 +468,12 @@ impl App {
                         let file_pattern = entry.file_pattern.clone();
                         let binary = entry.binary.clone();
                         let expected_sha256 = entry.sha256.clone();
+                        let require_signature = repo.manifest.signed;
                         let repo_name = repo.name.clone();
+                        // API calls (release resolution) use the token for
+                        // rate limits; the asset download itself is a public
+                        // endpoint and gets NO token - no reason to present
+                        // credentials where none are needed.
                         let token = self.github_token();
                         let display_name = file
                             .as_deref()
@@ -525,7 +530,7 @@ impl App {
                                 // mid-install detached the blocking task and
                                 // left an installed binary with no metadata.
                                 let path = github::download_release_asset(
-                                    token,
+                                    None,
                                     crate::download::AssetInstall {
                                         repo_name: repo_name.clone(),
                                         tag: resolved_tag.clone(),
@@ -533,6 +538,7 @@ impl App {
                                         binary_name: binary,
                                         expected_sha256,
                                         record_asset: file_pattern.is_some(),
+                                        require_signature,
                                     },
                                     Some(progress_tx),
                                 )
@@ -1522,6 +1528,7 @@ mod tests {
                 platforms: vec!["linux".into()],
                 release_files,
                 icon: None,
+                signed: false,
             },
         }
     }