diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
index a305abd..27e95eb 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -542,16 +542,43 @@ jobs:
           cd infra/apps/overlays/dev
           kustomize edit set image ghcr.io/cartsnitch/auth=git.farh.net/cartsnitch/auth:${{ steps.auth_tag.outputs.tag }}
 
-      - name: Commit and push to infra
+      - name: Commit and push to infra (via PR)
+        env:
+          CI_GITEA_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CI_GITEA_TOKEN }}
         run: |
           cd infra
           git config user.name "cartsnitch-ci[bot]"
           git config user.email "cartsnitch-ci[bot]@users.noreply.git.farh.net"
           git add apps/overlays/dev/kustomization.yaml
           git diff --cached --quiet && echo "No image changes to deploy" && exit 0
+          BRANCH="ci/deploy-dev-${GITHUB_SHA}"
+          git checkout -b "$BRANCH"
           git commit -m "ci(dev): update cartsnitch, receiptwitness, api, and auth images"
-          git pull --rebase origin main
-          git push origin main
+          git push origin "$BRANCH"
+          PR_BODY=$(printf 'Auto-opened by deploy-dev (CAR-1195).\n\nBuild SHA: %s' "${GITHUB_SHA}")
+          PR_JSON=$(curl -sS -X POST \
+            -H "Authorization: token ${CI_GITEA_TOKEN}" \
+            -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+            -d "$(jq -n --arg head "cartsnitch:${BRANCH}" --arg base main --arg title "ci(dev): update overlay image tags (${GITHUB_SHA::12})" --arg body "$PR_BODY" '{head:$head,base:$base,title:$title,body:$body}')" \
+            "https://git.farh.net/api/v1/repos/cartsnitch/infra/pulls")
+          PR_NUM=$(echo "$PR_JSON" | jq -r '.number // empty')
+          if [ -z "$PR_NUM" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Failed to open PR against cartsnitch/infra: $PR_JSON"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "Opened cartsnitch/infra PR #${PR_NUM} (head=${BRANCH})"
+          MERGE_RESP=$(curl -sS -X POST \
+            -H "Authorization: token ${CI_GITEA_TOKEN}" \
+            -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+            -d '{"Do":"merge","delete_branch_after_merge":true}' \
+            "https://git.farh.net/api/v1/repos/cartsnitch/infra/pulls/${PR_NUM}/merge")
+          MERGED=$(echo "$MERGE_RESP" | jq -r '.merged // false')
+          if [ "$MERGED" != "true" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Auto-merge of cartsnitch/infra PR #${PR_NUM} failed: $MERGE_RESP"
+            echo "::error::Reassign to cs_savannah (authorized merger for cartsnitch/infra main) for backstop merge."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "PR #${PR_NUM} merged into cartsnitch/infra main"
 
   deploy-uat:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -641,13 +668,40 @@ jobs:
           cd infra/apps/overlays/uat
           kustomize edit set image ghcr.io/cartsnitch/auth=git.farh.net/cartsnitch/auth:${{ steps.auth_tag.outputs.tag }}
 
-      - name: Commit and push to infra
+      - name: Commit and push to infra (via PR)
+        env:
+          CI_GITEA_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CI_GITEA_TOKEN }}
         run: |
           cd infra
           git config user.name "cartsnitch-ci[bot]"
           git config user.email "cartsnitch-ci[bot]@users.noreply.git.farh.net"
           git add apps/overlays/uat/kustomization.yaml
           git diff --cached --quiet && echo "No image changes to deploy" && exit 0
+          BRANCH="ci/deploy-uat-${GITHUB_SHA}"
+          git checkout -b "$BRANCH"
           git commit -m "ci(uat): update cartsnitch, receiptwitness, api, and auth images"
-          git pull --rebase origin main
-          git push origin main
+          git push origin "$BRANCH"
+          PR_BODY=$(printf 'Auto-opened by deploy-uat (CAR-1195).\n\nBuild SHA: %s' "${GITHUB_SHA}")
+          PR_JSON=$(curl -sS -X POST \
+            -H "Authorization: token ${CI_GITEA_TOKEN}" \
+            -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+            -d "$(jq -n --arg head "cartsnitch:${BRANCH}" --arg base main --arg title "ci(uat): update overlay image tags (${GITHUB_SHA::12})" --arg body "$PR_BODY" '{head:$head,base:$base,title:$title,body:$body}')" \
+            "https://git.farh.net/api/v1/repos/cartsnitch/infra/pulls")
+          PR_NUM=$(echo "$PR_JSON" | jq -r '.number // empty')
+          if [ -z "$PR_NUM" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Failed to open PR against cartsnitch/infra: $PR_JSON"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "Opened cartsnitch/infra PR #${PR_NUM} (head=${BRANCH})"
+          MERGE_RESP=$(curl -sS -X POST \
+            -H "Authorization: token ${CI_GITEA_TOKEN}" \
+            -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+            -d '{"Do":"merge","delete_branch_after_merge":true}' \
+            "https://git.farh.net/api/v1/repos/cartsnitch/infra/pulls/${PR_NUM}/merge")
+          MERGED=$(echo "$MERGE_RESP" | jq -r '.merged // false')
+          if [ "$MERGED" != "true" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Auto-merge of cartsnitch/infra PR #${PR_NUM} failed: $MERGE_RESP"
+            echo "::error::Reassign to cs_savannah (authorized merger for cartsnitch/infra main) for backstop merge."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "PR #${PR_NUM} merged into cartsnitch/infra main"