diff --git a/.changes/pr-pipeline/fix-upstream-apply-changelog-route-4d1e9a73.md b/.changes/pr-pipeline/fix-upstream-apply-changelog-route-4d1e9a73.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c45d7823a1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/pr-pipeline/fix-upstream-apply-changelog-route-4d1e9a73.md
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+bump: patch
+---
+
+### Fixed
+
+- The `upstream-apply-changelog` model job resolves its model, effort and turns from a new
+  `apply-changelog` skill slot of its lane (route `code-fix`), in place of `model-route:
+  resolve-issue`, which resolve-config refuses as no run route, so every release run failed before
+  the model.
+- The lane's runs wait in line (`queue: max`) instead of a newer run cancelling a pending one, so
+  two dispatches in quick succession both run.
diff --git a/.github/actions/resolve-config/callers.test.mjs b/.github/actions/resolve-config/callers.test.mjs
index 72c838918c8..8148186f118 100644
--- a/.github/actions/resolve-config/callers.test.mjs
+++ b/.github/actions/resolve-config/callers.test.mjs
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import { generate as generateCarrierKey } from "../open-lane-output/keygen.mjs";
 import { decide } from "../report-check-run/decide.mjs";
 import { main as reportCheckRun } from "../report-check-run/report-check-run.mjs";
 import { tempDir } from "../../../lib/test-tmp.mjs";
+import { main as resolveConfig } from "./resolve-config.mjs";
 
 // The leak-scan step reads the real os.tmpdir(); every scratch dir it makes lands inside this one.
 process.env.TMPDIR = tempDir("callers-tmp-");
@@ -268,6 +269,51 @@ test("intake-triage.yml: intake runs only with claude-args resolved from triage-
   assert.equal(killSwitch.outputs.proceed, "${{ steps.kill.outputs.proceed }}");
 });
 
+// Each resolve-config step of upstream-apply-changelog.yml, run through the
+// action's own entry point over this tree on the lane's two events, with no
+// network: a mode or route the resolver refuses fails here, not on a release.
+test("upstream-apply-changelog.yml: every resolve-config step resolves on schedule and dispatch, and the model step yields a model", async () => {
+  const root = fileURLToPath(new URL("../../../", import.meta.url));
+  const dir = tempDir("upstream-resolve-");
+  const eventPath = join(dir, "event.json");
+  writeFileSync(eventPath, "{}");
+  const steps = Object.values(workflow("upstream-apply-changelog.yml").jobs).flatMap((job) =>
+    (job.steps ?? []).filter((step) => step.uses?.startsWith(RESOLVE)),
+  );
+  assert.ok(steps.some((step) => step.id === "models"));
+  const github = async (method, path) => {
+    throw new Error(`unexpected API call ${method} ${path}`);
+  };
+  for (const step of steps) {
+    for (const eventName of ["schedule", "workflow_dispatch"]) {
+      const env = {
+        OUTPUT_PATH: join(dir, "resolved.json"),
+        GITHUB_OUTPUT: join(dir, `out-${step.id}-${eventName}`),
+        EVENT_NAME: eventName,
+        EVENT_PATH: eventPath,
+      };
+      for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(step.with)) {
+        if (key === "base-path") env.BASE_PATH = root;
+        else if (key !== "output-path") {
+          assert.doesNotMatch(String(value), /\$\{\{/, `${step.id} ${key} is an expression this test cannot evaluate`);
+          env[key.toUpperCase().replaceAll("-", "_")] = String(value);
+        }
+      }
+      writeFileSync(env.GITHUB_OUTPUT, "");
+      assert.equal(await resolveConfig({ env, github }), 0, `${step.id} on ${eventName}`);
+      const outputs = Object.fromEntries(
+        [...readFileSync(env.GITHUB_OUTPUT, "utf8").matchAll(/^([\w-]+)<<(\S+)\n([\s\S]*?)\n\2$/gm)].map((m) => [m[1], m[3]]),
+      );
+      assert.equal(outputs.applies, "true", `${step.id} on ${eventName}`);
+      if (step.id === "models") {
+        assert.match(outputs.model, /^(haiku|sonnet|opus)$/);
+        assert.match(outputs["max-turns"], /^[1-9][0-9]*$/);
+        assert.match(outputs.effort, /^(|low|medium|high|xhigh|max)$/);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+});
+
 test("intake-triage.yml: the kill switch stops the born-triaged check and the floor label", () => {
   const { jobs } = workflow("intake-triage.yml");
   const gate = jobs["born-triaged"];
diff --git a/.github/actions/resolve-config/lane-grants.json b/.github/actions/resolve-config/lane-grants.json
index 0479e466e1a..4fdb28d475b 100644
--- a/.github/actions/resolve-config/lane-grants.json
+++ b/.github/actions/resolve-config/lane-grants.json
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
       "pr-merge": { "merge-pr": "merge", "enable-auto-merge": "merge" },
       "work-unblock": { "label-unblocked": "mutate-tracker" },
       "intake-triage": { "apply-verdict": "mutate-tracker", "apply-refinement": "mutate-tracker" },
-      "upstream-apply-changelog": { "apply-changelog-branches": "mutate-branch", "publish-changelog-intake": "publish-artifact" },
+      "upstream-apply-changelog": { "apply-changelog": "read", "apply-changelog-branches": "mutate-branch", "publish-changelog-intake": "publish-artifact" },
       "maintenance-tidy-code-upkeep": { "apply-upkeep-branches": "mutate-branch", "publish-upkeep-prs": "publish-artifact" }
     },
     "trusted-actors": [],
diff --git a/.github/workflows/upstream-apply-changelog.yml b/.github/workflows/upstream-apply-changelog.yml
index 5e14cef7eb9..de79ec23252 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/upstream-apply-changelog.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/upstream-apply-changelog.yml
@@ -44,10 +44,14 @@ on:
 
 permissions: {}
 
-# One run at a time; a later run waits and is never cancelled.
+# One run at a time; later runs wait in line and are never cancelled
+# (`queue: max`). The default keeps one waiting run and cancels it when a
+# newer one queues, which would drop a dispatch. GitHub keeps at most 100
+# waiting and cancels any more; a waiting schedule tick costs one gate.
 concurrency:
   group: upstream-apply-changelog
   cancel-in-progress: false
+  queue: max
 
 defaults:
   run:
@@ -215,8 +219,8 @@ jobs:
           value: ${{ vars.CLAUDE_LANES_DISABLED }}
           repo-value: ${{ vars.CLAUDE_LANES_REPO_DISABLED }}
 
-      # An existing route: the broker's pinned resolver refuses a config that
-      # names a route outside its fixed set.
+      # The lane's apply-changelog slot: its route's model, effort and turns.
+      # model-route takes only run routes, never a skill activity's route.
       - name: Resolve the model
         id: models
         if: steps.kill.outputs.proceed == 'true'
@@ -224,14 +228,15 @@ jobs:
           API_BUDGET_TOKEN: github-token
         uses: ./.base/.github/actions/resolve-config # zizmor: ignore[self-repository]
         with:
-          model-route: resolve-issue
+          lane: upstream-apply-changelog
+          activity: apply-changelog
           base-path: .base
           output-path: ${{ runner.temp }}/upstream-apply-changelog-models.json
 
       # The plugins the skill and its stage skills load, copied out of main
       # before the root checkout replaces .base.
       - name: Stage the base plugins
-        if: steps.models.outcome == 'success'
+        if: steps.models.outcome == 'success' && steps.models.outputs.applies == 'true'
         env:
           STAGE: ${{ runner.temp }}/upstream-apply-changelog-stage
         run: |
@@ -243,18 +248,18 @@ jobs:
           [ -z "$(find "$STAGE" -type l -print -quit)" ] || { echo "::error::a staged plugin holds a symbolic link"; exit 1; }
 
       - name: Apply the Claude managed settings
-        if: steps.models.outcome == 'success'
+        if: steps.models.outcome == 'success' && steps.models.outputs.applies == 'true'
         uses: melodic-software/ci-workflows/.github/actions/apply-claude-managed-settings@2476d5dde8979eab34374150b7e4b0a2b99f4e88 # 2476d5d 2026-10-29
 
       - name: Isolate the runner
-        if: steps.models.outcome == 'success'
+        if: steps.models.outcome == 'success' && steps.models.outputs.applies == 'true'
         uses: ./.base/.github/actions/setup-runner-isolation # zizmor: ignore[self-repository]
         with:
           install-subprocess-isolation: "true"
 
       # The skill branches from here. Nothing after this step runs from .base.
       - name: Check out main with history
-        if: steps.models.outcome == 'success'
+        if: steps.models.outcome == 'success' && steps.models.outputs.applies == 'true'
         uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
         with:
           ref: ${{ needs.gate.outputs.base-sha }}
@@ -264,13 +269,13 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Prepare the working tree
         id: prepare
-        if: steps.models.outcome == 'success'
+        if: steps.models.outcome == 'success' && steps.models.outputs.applies == 'true'
         env:
           STAGE: ${{ runner.temp }}/upstream-apply-changelog-stage
           RELEASE: ${{ needs.gate.outputs.release }}
           MODEL: ${{ steps.models.outputs.model }}
         run: |
-          [ -n "$MODEL" ] || { echo "::error::the resolve-issue route's model is default, which run-claude-cli cannot pass"; exit 1; }
+          [ -n "$MODEL" ] || { echo "::error::the apply-changelog slot resolved no model, which run-claude-cli cannot pass"; exit 1; }
           git config user.name "upstream-apply-changelog"
           git config user.email "upstream-apply-changelog@users.noreply.github.com"
           printf '.lane/\n' >>.git/info/exclude
diff --git a/docs/conventions/pr-pipeline.yaml b/docs/conventions/pr-pipeline.yaml
index fcc42e10c28..f91b51c3ab1 100644
--- a/docs/conventions/pr-pipeline.yaml
+++ b/docs/conventions/pr-pipeline.yaml
@@ -650,6 +650,18 @@ activities:
     # sub-issue never splits again, and the issue's body is never edited.
     # Admission waits on an issue while a sub-issue is open.
     inputs: [issue]
+  apply-changelog:
+    # Runs `/harness-ops:changelog apply --ci <release>` in the
+    # upstream-apply-changelog model job, which commits one local branch per
+    # owner plugin and writes ci-plan.json; apply-changelog-branches and
+    # publish-changelog-intake act on what it leaves. The job holds no write
+    # token, so no broker mint names it.
+    skill: harness-ops:changelog
+    args: apply --ci
+    effect: read
+    gating: advisory
+    # Reads the Claude Code changelog, written outside the org.
+    reads-untrusted: true
   apply-changelog-branches:
     # Recreates each changelog/<plugin>/v<release> branch the
     # upstream-apply-changelog model job's `/harness-ops:changelog apply --ci`
@@ -780,14 +792,16 @@ lanes:
       - activity: apply-verdict
       - activity: apply-refinement
         needs: [apply-verdict]
-  # Started daily and by a listed human's dispatch naming one Claude Code
+  # Started every ten minutes and by a listed human's dispatch naming one Claude Code
   # release (.github/workflows/upstream-apply-changelog.yml). Push and pull request
   # open are separate jobs: the broker refuses contents and pull-requests
   # write in one mint.
   upstream-apply-changelog:
     stage: upstream
     slots:
+      - activity: apply-changelog
       - activity: apply-changelog-branches
+        needs: [apply-changelog]
       - activity: publish-changelog-intake
         needs: [apply-changelog-branches]
   # Started daily and by a listed human's dispatch
@@ -873,6 +887,8 @@ models:
     summarize-reuse: summary
     # An issue's code change, on run-claude-cli, which needs a model alias.
     resolve-issue: code-fix
+    # A release's plugin edits, on run-claude-cli, as resolve-issue's.
+    apply-changelog: code-fix
     # pr-unblock's read-only judge of a finding address-feedback disputed: at
     # least the review lanes' model, so a weaker model never overrules the
     # reviewer.