diff --git a/.mokogitea/workflows/pre-release.yml b/.mokogitea/workflows/pre-release.yml
index 1ec5d77..623bb57 100644
--- a/.mokogitea/workflows/pre-release.yml
+++ b/.mokogitea/workflows/pre-release.yml
@@ -336,23 +336,26 @@ jobs:
         if: steps.platform.outputs.platform == 'joomla'
         run: |
           CURRENT_BRANCH="${{ github.ref_name }}"
-          git config --local user.email "gitea-actions[bot]@mokoconsulting.tech"
-          git config --local user.name "gitea-actions[bot]"
+          TOKEN="${{ secrets.GA_TOKEN }}"
+          API="${GITEA_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITEA_ORG}/${GITEA_REPO}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.meta.outputs.version }}"
 
-          # Sync updates.xml to main and dev (whichever isn't current)
+          # Sync updates.xml to main and dev via API (avoids git checkout conflicts)
           for BRANCH in main dev; do
             [ "$BRANCH" = "$CURRENT_BRANCH" ] && continue
 
-            echo "Syncing updates.xml → ${BRANCH}"
-            git fetch origin "${BRANCH}" 2>/dev/null || continue
-            git checkout "origin/${BRANCH}" -- . 2>/dev/null || continue
-            git checkout "${CURRENT_BRANCH}" -- updates.xml
-            if ! git diff --quiet updates.xml 2>/dev/null; then
-              git add updates.xml
-              git commit -m "chore: sync updates.xml from ${CURRENT_BRANCH} [skip ci]"
-              git push origin HEAD:refs/heads/${BRANCH} 2>&1 || echo "WARNING: push to ${BRANCH} failed"
+            echo "Syncing updates.xml -> ${BRANCH}"
+
+            FILE_SHA=$(curl -sf -H "Authorization: token ${TOKEN}"               "${API}/contents/updates.xml?ref=${BRANCH}" | jq -r '.sha // empty' 2>/dev/null || true)
+
+            if [ -z "$FILE_SHA" ]; then
+              echo "  WARNING: could not get updates.xml SHA from ${BRANCH}"
+              continue
             fi
-            git checkout "${CURRENT_BRANCH}" 2>/dev/null
+
+            CONTENT=$(base64 -w0 updates.xml)
+            curl -sf -X PUT -H "Authorization: token ${TOKEN}"               -H "Content-Type: application/json"               "${API}/contents/updates.xml"               -d "$(jq -n                 --arg content \"$CONTENT\"                 --arg sha \"$FILE_SHA\"                 --arg msg \"chore: sync updates.xml ${VERSION} from ${CURRENT_BRANCH} [skip ci]\"                 --arg branch \"$BRANCH\"                 '{content: $content, sha: $sha, message: $msg, branch: $branch}'
+              )" > /dev/null 2>&1               && echo "  Synced to ${BRANCH}"               || echo "  WARNING: push to ${BRANCH} failed"
           done
 
       - name: "Delete lesser pre-release channels (cascade)"