diff --git a/.github/workflows/node-release-cut.yml b/.github/workflows/node-release-cut.yml
index 6d8b8d0..ef3e8a4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/node-release-cut.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/node-release-cut.yml
@@ -109,11 +109,35 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
 
-          existing_ref="$(
-            gh api "repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/git/ref/tags/$RELEASE_TAG" \
-              --jq '[.object.type, .object.sha] | @tsv' 2>/dev/null || true
+          query_status=0
+          tag_response="$(
+            gh api --include \
+              "repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/git/ref/tags/$RELEASE_TAG" 2>/dev/null
+          )" || query_status=$?
+
+          IFS=' ' read -r _ response_status _ <<< "$tag_response" || true
+          response_body="$(
+            awk 'body { print } /^\r?$/ { body = 1 }' <<< "$tag_response"
           )"
 
+          if [[ "$query_status" == 0 && "$response_status" =~ ^2[0-9]{2}$ ]]; then
+            if ! existing_ref="$(
+              jq -er '[.object.type, .object.sha] | @tsv' <<< "$response_body"
+            )"; then
+              echo "Unable to query release tag $RELEASE_TAG." >&2
+              exit 1
+            fi
+          elif [[ "$query_status" != 0 && "$response_status" == 404 &&
+                  "$(
+                    jq -r '.status // empty' <<< "$response_body" \
+                      2>/dev/null || true
+                  )" == 404 ]]; then
+            existing_ref=""
+          else
+            echo "Unable to query release tag $RELEASE_TAG." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
           if [[ -n "$existing_ref" ]]; then
             IFS=$'\t' read -r tag_type tag_object <<< "$existing_ref"
             if [[ ! "$tag_object" =~ ^[0-9a-f]{40}$ ]]; then
diff --git a/sdk/typescript/tests-ts/release-automation.test.ts b/sdk/typescript/tests-ts/release-automation.test.ts
index 9261914..96d5237 100644
--- a/sdk/typescript/tests-ts/release-automation.test.ts
+++ b/sdk/typescript/tests-ts/release-automation.test.ts
@@ -1566,6 +1566,83 @@ describe("GitHub release workflow safeguards", () => {
     },
   );
 
+  test.each([
+    {
+      kind: "missing tag with GitHub's 404 error body",
+      lookupResponse: JSON.stringify({ message: "Not Found", status: "404" }),
+      lookupHttpStatus: "404",
+      status: 0,
+    },
+    {
+      kind: "forbidden tag lookup",
+      lookupResponse: JSON.stringify({ message: "Forbidden", status: "403" }),
+      lookupHttpStatus: "403",
+      status: 1,
+    },
+    {
+      kind: "malformed missing-tag response",
+      lookupResponse: "not JSON",
+      lookupHttpStatus: "404",
+      status: 1,
+    },
+    {
+      kind: "unavailable tag lookup",
+      lookupResponse: "",
+      lookupHttpStatus: "",
+      status: 1,
+    },
+  ])(
+    "handles $kind safely before cutting a release",
+    ({ lookupResponse, lookupHttpStatus, status }) => {
+      const script = workflowStepShell(
+        releaseCutWorkflow,
+        "Create the exact merged release tag",
+      );
+      const mock = [
+        "gh() {",
+        '  if [[ "$1" != "api" ]]; then return 64; fi',
+        "  shift",
+        '  if [[ "$1" == "--include" &&',
+        '        "$2" == "repos/test/codex-security/git/ref/tags/npm-v0.1.2" ]]; then',
+        '    if [[ -n "$MOCK_LOOKUP_HTTP_STATUS" ]]; then',
+        "      printf 'HTTP/2.0 %s Mock\\nContent-Type: application/json\\n\\n%s\\n' \\",
+        '        "$MOCK_LOOKUP_HTTP_STATUS" "$MOCK_LOOKUP_RESPONSE"',
+        "    fi",
+        "    return 1",
+        "  fi",
+        '  if [[ "$1" != "--method" || "$2" != "POST" ||',
+        '        "$3" != "repos/test/codex-security/git/refs" ||',
+        '        "$4" != "-f" || "$5" != "ref=refs/tags/npm-v0.1.2" ||',
+        '        "$6" != "-f" || "$7" != "sha=$GITHUB_SHA" ||',
+        '        "$8" != "--silent" ]]; then return 65; fi',
+        "  printf 'created exact release tag\\n'",
+        "}",
+      ].join("\n");
+      const result = spawnSync("bash", ["-c", `${mock}\n${script}`], {
+        encoding: "utf8",
+        env: {
+          ...process.env,
+          GITHUB_REPOSITORY: "test/codex-security",
+          GITHUB_SHA: releaseCommit,
+          MOCK_LOOKUP_HTTP_STATUS: lookupHttpStatus,
+          MOCK_LOOKUP_RESPONSE: lookupResponse,
+          RELEASE_TAG: "npm-v0.1.2",
+        },
+        timeout: 10_000,
+      });
+
+      expect(result.status).toBe(status);
+      if (status === 0) {
+        expect(result.stdout).toContain("created exact release tag");
+      } else {
+        expect(result.stderr).toContain(
+          "Unable to query release tag npm-v0.1.2.",
+        );
+        expect(result.stdout).not.toContain("created exact release tag");
+      }
+    },
+  );
+
   test.each([
     {
       kind: "existing lightweight tag",
@@ -1599,10 +1676,17 @@ describe("GitHub release workflow safeguards", () => {
         "gh() {",
         '  if [[ "$1" != "api" ]]; then return 64; fi',
         "  shift",
+        '  if [[ "$1" == "--include" ]]; then',
+        "    shift",
+        '    if [[ "$1" != "repos/test/codex-security/git/ref/tags/npm-v0.1.2" ]]; then',
+        "      return 65",
+        "    fi",
+        "    printf 'HTTP/2.0 200 OK\\nContent-Type: application/json\\n\\n'",
+        '    printf \'{"object":{"type":"%s","sha":"%s"}}\\n\' \\',
+        '      "$MOCK_TAG_TYPE" "$MOCK_TAG_OBJECT"',
+        "    return 0",
+        "  fi",
         '  case "$1" in',
-        '    "repos/test/codex-security/git/ref/tags/npm-v0.1.2")',
-        '      printf \'%s\\t%s\\n\' "$MOCK_TAG_TYPE" "$MOCK_TAG_OBJECT"',
-        "      ;;",
         "    repos/test/codex-security/git/tags/*)",
         "      printf '%s\\n' \"$MOCK_PEELED_COMMIT\"",
         "      ;;",