diff --git a/.github/scripts/agents-guard.js b/.github/scripts/agents-guard.js
index 54a33548..b312b99b 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/agents-guard.js
+++ b/.github/scripts/agents-guard.js
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ const path = require('path');
 const DEFAULT_MARKER = '<!-- agents-guard-marker -->';
 
 const DEFAULT_PROTECTED_PATHS = ['.github/workflows/agents-*.yml'];
+const DEPENDENCY_UPDATE_BOT_LOGINS = new Set(['dependabot[bot]', 'renovate[bot]']);
+const TRUSTED_DEPENDENCY_AUTHOR_ASSOCIATIONS = new Set(['OWNER', 'MEMBER', 'COLLABORATOR']);
 const LEGACY_ALLOW_REMOVED_PATHS = [
   // Keepalive consolidation retired the standalone keepalive sweeps.
   '.github/workflows/agents-75-keepalive-on-gate.yml',
@@ -396,6 +398,83 @@ function extractLabelNames(labels) {
   );
 }
 
+function parseActionReferenceLine(line) {
+  const match = String(line || '').match(/^\s*(?:-\s*)?uses:\s*["']?([^@\s#'"]+)@([^\s#'"]+)["']?(?:\s*(?:#.*)?)?$/i);
+  if (!match) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  return {
+    action: match[1].toLowerCase(),
+    ref: match[2],
+  };
+}
+
+function sameActionSequence(left, right) {
+  if (left.length !== right.length) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  for (let index = 0; index < left.length; index += 1) {
+    if (left[index].action !== right[index].action) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+function sameActionRefSequence(left, right) {
+  if (left.length !== right.length) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  for (let index = 0; index < left.length; index += 1) {
+    if (left[index].action !== right[index].action || left[index].ref !== right[index].ref) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+function patchChangesOnlyActionReferences(patch) {
+  if (!patch || typeof patch !== 'string') {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  const removedRefs = [];
+  const addedRefs = [];
+  for (const rawLine of patch.split(/\r?\n/)) {
+    if (!rawLine || rawLine.startsWith('+++') || rawLine.startsWith('---')) {
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    const marker = rawLine[0];
+    if (marker !== '+' && marker !== '-') {
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    const parsed = parseActionReferenceLine(rawLine.slice(1));
+    if (!parsed) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    if (marker === '-') {
+      removedRefs.push(parsed);
+    } else {
+      addedRefs.push(parsed);
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (removedRefs.length === 0 || addedRefs.length === 0) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  return sameActionSequence(removedRefs, addedRefs) &&
+    !sameActionRefSequence(removedRefs, addedRefs);
+}
+
 function evaluateGuard({
   files = [],
   labels = [],
@@ -404,6 +483,7 @@ function evaluateGuard({
   protectedPaths = DEFAULT_PROTECTED_PATHS,
   labelName = 'agents:allow-change',
   authorLogin = '',
+  authorAssociation = '',
   marker = DEFAULT_MARKER,
   repository = process.env.GITHUB_REPOSITORY || '',
 } = {}) {
@@ -524,16 +604,37 @@ function evaluateGuard({
   }
 
   const normalizedAuthor = authorLogin ? String(authorLogin).toLowerCase() : '';
-  const authorIsCodeowner = normalizedAuthor && codeownerLogins.has(normalizedAuthor);
+  const normalizedAuthorAssociation = authorAssociation
+    ? String(authorAssociation).toUpperCase()
+    : '';
+  const authorIsCodeowner = Boolean(
+    normalizedAuthor && codeownerLogins.has(normalizedAuthor),
+  );
   const hasExternalApproval = [...codeownerLogins].some((login) => approvedLogins.has(login));
-  const hasCodeownerApproval = hasExternalApproval || authorIsCodeowner;
+  const hasCodeownerApproval = Boolean(hasExternalApproval || authorIsCodeowner);
 
   const hasProtectedChanges = modifiedProtectedPaths.size > 0;
-  // Security note: Allow `agents:allow-change` label to bypass CODEOWNER approval
-  // ONLY for automated dependency PRs from known bots (dependabot, renovate).
-  // Human PRs or other bot PRs still require CODEOWNER approval even with label.
-  const isAutomatedPR = normalizedAuthor && (normalizedAuthor === 'dependabot[bot]' || normalizedAuthor === 'renovate[bot]');
-  const needsApproval = hasProtectedChanges && !hasCodeownerApproval && !(hasAllowLabel && isAutomatedPR);
+  const protectedChangesAreDependencyOnly = hasProtectedChanges && relevantFiles
+    .filter((file) => file.status === 'modified' && matchProtectedPath(file.filename || ''))
+    .every((file) => patchChangesOnlyActionReferences(file.patch || ''));
+  const isDependencyUpdateBot = Boolean(
+    normalizedAuthor && DEPENDENCY_UPDATE_BOT_LOGINS.has(normalizedAuthor),
+  );
+  const authorCanUseDependencyBypass = Boolean(
+    isDependencyUpdateBot ||
+      (normalizedAuthorAssociation &&
+        TRUSTED_DEPENDENCY_AUTHOR_ASSOCIATIONS.has(normalizedAuthorAssociation)),
+  );
+  // Security note: the `agents:allow-change` label can bypass CODEOWNER approval
+  // only for protected workflow dependency reference updates. This keeps routine
+  // action version alignment moving while arbitrary workflow logic edits still
+  // require CODEOWNER review.
+  const hasDependencyUpgradeBypass = Boolean(
+    hasAllowLabel &&
+      authorCanUseDependencyBypass &&
+      protectedChangesAreDependencyOnly,
+  );
+  const needsApproval = hasProtectedChanges && !hasCodeownerApproval && !hasDependencyUpgradeBypass;
   const needsLabel = hasProtectedChanges && !hasAllowLabel && !hasCodeownerApproval;
 
   const failureReasons = [];
@@ -619,6 +720,10 @@ function evaluateGuard({
     authorIsCodeowner,
     needsLabel,
     needsApproval,
+    hasDependencyUpgradeBypass,
+    protectedChangesAreDependencyOnly,
+    isDependencyUpdateBot,
+    authorCanUseDependencyBypass,
     modifiedProtectedPaths: [...modifiedProtectedPaths],
     touchedProtectedPaths: [...touchedProtectedPaths],
     fatalViolations,
@@ -633,6 +738,7 @@ module.exports = {
   evaluateGuard,
   parseCodeowners,
   globToRegExp,
+  patchChangesOnlyActionReferences,
   validatePullRequestTargetSafety,
   detectPullRequestTargetViolations,
 };
diff --git a/.github/workflows/agents-guard.yml b/.github/workflows/agents-guard.yml
index 42ca4222..933f0e41 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/agents-guard.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/agents-guard.yml
@@ -208,6 +208,8 @@ jobs:
             const authorLogin =
               context.payload.pull_request.user &&
               context.payload.pull_request.user.login;
+            const authorAssociation =
+              context.payload.pull_request.author_association || '';
             const { owner, repo } = context.repo;
             const baseRef = context.payload.pull_request.base.sha;
             const labelName = 'agents:allow-change';
@@ -420,6 +422,7 @@ jobs:
               protectedPaths,
               labelName,
               authorLogin,
+              authorAssociation,
               marker,
             });
 
diff --git a/WORKFLOW_USER_GUIDE.md b/WORKFLOW_USER_GUIDE.md
index a934f186..b4ac0497 100644
--- a/WORKFLOW_USER_GUIDE.md
+++ b/WORKFLOW_USER_GUIDE.md
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ Issue: "Add user authentication"
 | `agent:needs-attention` | Human intervention required |
 | `agents:auto-pilot-pause` | Auto-pilot paused |
 | `agents:auto-pilot-failed` | Auto-pilot stopped due to errors |
-| `agents:allow-change` | Permission signal for `agents-guard`; bypasses CODEOWNER approval only for automated dependency PRs from Dependabot/Renovate. Auto-applied by `maint-auto-label-dep-prs.yml`; manual application does not bypass guard enforcement. |
+| `agents:allow-change` | Permission signal for `agents-guard`; bypasses guard-level CODEOWNER approval only for dependency-only `uses:` reference updates from Dependabot/Renovate or repository owner/member/collaborator PRs. Auto-applied to dependency-bot PRs by `maint-auto-label-dep-prs.yml`; arbitrary workflow logic edits still require review. |
 | `needs-human` | Escalated to human |
 | `follow-up` | Created as follow-up to another issue/PR |
 | `duplicate` | Potential duplicate detected |
@@ -850,7 +850,7 @@ The Workflows repository includes maintenance workflows that handle sync, update
 **Trigger:** When Dependabot or Renovate opens a PR
 
 **Labels Applied:**
-- `agents:allow-change` (so protected-workflow changes can be reviewed without manual label work)
+- `agents:allow-change` (so dependency-bot protected-workflow version updates can use the guarded dependency-update lane)
 
 **Use When:** Automatic, no action needed