diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e.yaml b/.github/workflows/e2e.yaml
index dc1df361688..14926a1dd63 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e.yaml
@@ -186,14 +186,11 @@ jobs:
         run: node --experimental-strip-types --no-warnings tools/e2e/dcode-base-image-contract.mts "${RUNNER_TEMP}/dcode-base-contract/contract.json"
 
   generate-matrix:
-    needs: base-image-publication
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 10
     outputs:
       cli_artifact_provenance: ${{ steps.record_cli_artifact.outputs.provenance }}
       e2e_credentials_allowed: ${{ steps.e2e_credentials.outputs.allowed }}
-      dcode_base_contract: ${{ needs.base-image-publication.outputs.dcode_base_contract }}
-      dcode_base_ref: ${{ needs.base-image-publication.outputs.dcode_base_ref }}
       matrix: ${{ steps.matrix.outputs.matrix }}
       test_matrix: ${{ steps.matrix.outputs.test_matrix }}
       hermes_selected: ${{ steps.matrix.outputs.hermes_selected }}
@@ -907,7 +904,7 @@ jobs:
             ${{ steps.workspace.outputs.work_dir }}/cleanup.json
 
   live:
-    needs: generate-matrix
+    needs: [base-image-publication, generate-matrix]
     if: ${{ needs.generate-matrix.outputs.matrix != '[]' }}
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.runner }}
     timeout-minutes: 45
@@ -917,7 +914,7 @@ jobs:
         include: ${{ fromJSON(needs.generate-matrix.outputs.matrix) }}
     env:
       E2E_ARTIFACT_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}/e2e-artifacts/live
-      NEMOCLAW_LANGCHAIN_DEEPAGENTS_CODE_SANDBOX_BASE_IMAGE_REF: ${{ needs.generate-matrix.outputs.dcode_base_ref }}
+      NEMOCLAW_LANGCHAIN_DEEPAGENTS_CODE_SANDBOX_BASE_IMAGE_REF: ${{ needs.base-image-publication.outputs.dcode_base_ref }}
       NEMOCLAW_CLI_BIN: ${{ github.workspace }}/bin/nemoclaw.js
       NEMOCLAW_RUN_LIVE_E2E: "1"
       NEMOCLAW_E2E_USE_HOSTED_INFERENCE: "1"
@@ -974,7 +971,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Record immutable Deep Agents Code base evidence
         if: ${{ matrix.id == 'ubuntu-repo-cloud-langchain-deepagents-code' }}
         env:
-          BASE_CONTRACT: ${{ needs.generate-matrix.outputs.dcode_base_contract }}
+          BASE_CONTRACT: ${{ needs.base-image-publication.outputs.dcode_base_contract }}
           CANDIDATE_SHA: ${{ inputs.checkout_sha || github.sha }}
           TARGET_ID: ${{ matrix.id }}
         shell: bash
diff --git a/test/e2e/support/base-image-publication-workflow-boundary.test.ts b/test/e2e/support/base-image-publication-workflow-boundary.test.ts
index f4ac0a5f98e..e62085704c4 100644
--- a/test/e2e/support/base-image-publication-workflow-boundary.test.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/support/base-image-publication-workflow-boundary.test.ts
@@ -93,6 +93,12 @@ function runClassifier(environment: {
 }
 
 describe("base-image publication workflow boundary (#7372)", () => {
+  it("keeps Launchable off the base-image publication critical path", () => {
+    const value = workflow();
+
+    expect(validate(value)).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
   // source-shape-contract: security -- Immutable base contracts must outlive the qualification interval so later E2E cannot fall back to a mutable alias.
   it("retains immutable base contracts for later qualification (#9049)", () => {
     const action = YAML.parse(
@@ -209,7 +215,19 @@ describe("base-image publication workflow boundary (#7372)", () => {
         (gateSteps(value)[5].run = "node tools/e2e/dcode-base-image-contract.mts contract.json"),
     ],
     ["step count", (value) => gateSteps(value).push({ name: "Unreviewed step", run: "true" })],
-    ["fanout dependency", (value) => (value.jobs["generate-matrix"].needs = [])],
+    [
+      "matrix publication dependency",
+      (value) => (value.jobs["generate-matrix"].needs = "base-image-publication"),
+    ],
+    ["live publication dependency", (value) => (value.jobs.live.needs = ["generate-matrix"])],
+    [
+      "Launchable publication dependency",
+      (value) =>
+        (value.jobs["staging-brev-launchable"].needs = [
+          "base-image-publication",
+          "generate-matrix",
+        ]),
+    ],
     [
       "matrix base output",
       (value) => {
diff --git a/tools/e2e/cli-artifact-workflow-boundary.mts b/tools/e2e/cli-artifact-workflow-boundary.mts
index 39ba4944b57..92390f44969 100644
--- a/tools/e2e/cli-artifact-workflow-boundary.mts
+++ b/tools/e2e/cli-artifact-workflow-boundary.mts
@@ -340,10 +340,12 @@ function validateConsumer(
   job: WorkflowRecord,
   jobSteps: WorkflowStep[],
 ): void {
-  const expectedNeeds =
-    jobName === "mcp-bridge-dev"
-      ? [CLI_ARTIFACT_PRODUCER_JOB, "openshell-dev-artifact"]
-      : CLI_ARTIFACT_PRODUCER_JOB;
+  let expectedNeeds: string | string[] = CLI_ARTIFACT_PRODUCER_JOB;
+  if (jobName === "mcp-bridge-dev") {
+    expectedNeeds = [CLI_ARTIFACT_PRODUCER_JOB, "openshell-dev-artifact"];
+  } else if (jobName === "live") {
+    expectedNeeds = ["base-image-publication", CLI_ARTIFACT_PRODUCER_JOB];
+  }
   if (!isDeepStrictEqual(job.needs, expectedNeeds)) {
     errors.push(`${jobName} must depend directly on the CLI artifact producer`);
   }
diff --git a/tools/e2e/operations-workflow-boundary.mts b/tools/e2e/operations-workflow-boundary.mts
index 2b6819f68f1..debe76a50fe 100644
--- a/tools/e2e/operations-workflow-boundary.mts
+++ b/tools/e2e/operations-workflow-boundary.mts
@@ -578,21 +578,21 @@ export function validateBaseImagePublicationGate(workflow: OperationsWorkflow):
       "base-image-publication job must preserve its exact trusted-mode classifier, minimal permissions, pinned checkout, and verifier boundary",
     );
   }
-  if (!needs(workflow.jobs["generate-matrix"] ?? {}).includes("base-image-publication")) {
-    errors.push("generate-matrix must wait for base-image-publication");
+  const matrix = workflow.jobs["generate-matrix"] ?? {};
+  if (needs(matrix).includes("base-image-publication")) {
+    errors.push("generate-matrix must not wait for base-image-publication");
   }
-  const matrixOutputs = workflow.jobs["generate-matrix"]?.outputs ?? {};
-  if (
-    matrixOutputs.dcode_base_contract !==
-      "${{ needs.base-image-publication.outputs.dcode_base_contract }}" ||
-    matrixOutputs.dcode_base_ref !== "${{ needs.base-image-publication.outputs.dcode_base_ref }}"
-  ) {
-    errors.push("generate-matrix must preserve the immutable Deep Agents Code base outputs");
+  const matrixOutputs = matrix.outputs ?? {};
+  if ("dcode_base_contract" in matrixOutputs || "dcode_base_ref" in matrixOutputs) {
+    errors.push("generate-matrix must not relay Deep Agents Code base outputs");
   }
   const live = workflow.jobs.live ?? {};
+  if (!sameMembers(needs(live), ["base-image-publication", "generate-matrix"])) {
+    errors.push("live E2E must wait for matrix generation and base-image publication");
+  }
   if (
     live.env?.NEMOCLAW_LANGCHAIN_DEEPAGENTS_CODE_SANDBOX_BASE_IMAGE_REF !==
-    "${{ needs.generate-matrix.outputs.dcode_base_ref }}"
+    "${{ needs.base-image-publication.outputs.dcode_base_ref }}"
   ) {
     errors.push("live DCode must use the selected immutable base reference");
   }
@@ -601,13 +601,17 @@ export function validateBaseImagePublicationGate(workflow: OperationsWorkflow):
   const liveSteps = live.steps ?? [];
   if (
     evidence.if !== "${{ matrix.id == 'ubuntu-repo-cloud-langchain-deepagents-code' }}" ||
-    evidence.env?.BASE_CONTRACT !== "${{ needs.generate-matrix.outputs.dcode_base_contract }}" ||
+    evidence.env?.BASE_CONTRACT !==
+      "${{ needs.base-image-publication.outputs.dcode_base_contract }}" ||
     !String(evidence.run ?? "").includes("dcode-base-image.json") ||
     liveSteps.indexOf(evidence) >= liveSteps.indexOf(findStep(live, "Run live E2E tests")) ||
     !String(upload.with?.path ?? "").includes("dcode-base-image.json")
   ) {
     errors.push("live DCode must record its immutable base contract before E2E execution");
   }
+  if (!sameMembers(needs(workflow.jobs["staging-brev-launchable"] ?? {}), ["generate-matrix"])) {
+    errors.push("staging-brev-launchable must wait only for generate-matrix");
+  }
   return errors;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/e2e/workflow-boundary.mts b/tools/e2e/workflow-boundary.mts
index 94c42183e18..bfbf8f8214b 100644
--- a/tools/e2e/workflow-boundary.mts
+++ b/tools/e2e/workflow-boundary.mts
@@ -2443,8 +2443,10 @@ export function validateE2eWorkflow(workflowValue: unknown): string[] {
   if (liveTargets["runs-on"] !== "${{ matrix.runner }}") {
     errors.push("live job must run on the matrix runner");
   }
-  if (liveTargets.needs !== "generate-matrix") {
-    errors.push("live job must depend on generate-matrix");
+  if (
+    !isDeepStrictEqual(liveTargets.needs, ["base-image-publication", "generate-matrix"])
+  ) {
+    errors.push("live job must depend on base-image-publication and generate-matrix");
   }
   if (liveTargets.if !== "${{ needs.generate-matrix.outputs.matrix != '[]' }}") {
     errors.push("live job must run whenever the trusted planner emits typed targets");