diff --git a/.github/workflows/cultmesh-portability.yml b/.github/workflows/cultmesh-portability.yml
index 22619240..b5787fd4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cultmesh-portability.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cultmesh-portability.yml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        # The forge runner (label `docker`) is Linux-only: Windows legs run on workflow_dispatch (GitHub or a Windows runner), Ubuntu gates push and PR.
+        # The forge runner (label `docker`) is Linux-only and no Windows runner exists: the Windows leg runs on workflow_dispatch only (GitHub or a Windows runner), the docker leg gates push and PR. Windows push/PR triggers return in the PR that registers a Windows runner.
         os: ${{ fromJSON(github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && '["windows-latest", "docker"]' || '["docker"]') }}
 
     steps:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cultnet-interop.yml b/.github/workflows/cultnet-interop.yml
index 118b496f..8f85506e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cultnet-interop.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cultnet-interop.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name: CultNet cross-runtime interop
 
 # workflow_dispatch only: this job is Windows-only (pwsh Kotlin build, setup steps), and the forge
-# runner is Ubuntu-only, so a push or pull_request trigger would queue a job that can never run.
+# runner is Ubuntu-only (no Windows runner exists; push and pull_request return in the PR that registers one), so a push or pull_request trigger would queue a job that can never run.
 # Run it from GitHub or any Windows runner.
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/quic-native.yml b/.github/workflows/quic-native.yml
index 574db198..7d4dd2be 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/quic-native.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/quic-native.yml
@@ -49,11 +49,12 @@ jobs:
 
   # workflow_dispatch and a cultmesh-quic-native-v* tag run the two builds.
   # A dry (workflow_dispatch) run uploads artifacts and creates no release.
+  # No Windows runner is registered on the forge, so this job is workflow_dispatch only
+  # (run it on GitHub or a Windows runner). The tag trigger returns in the PR that registers one.
+  # Until then a tag push skips the release job, which needs this build.
   build-win32-x64:
     name: Build win32-x64
-    if: >-
-      github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' ||
-      (github.event_name == 'push' && startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/cultmesh-quic-native-v'))
+    if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
     runs-on: windows-latest
     timeout-minutes: 20
     steps: