diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index 5c48b15..49779a2 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -3,8 +3,15 @@ updates:
   # Application dependencies.
   - package-ecosystem: npm
     directory: "/"
+    # Monthly only throttles routine version bumps. Security updates ignore the
+    # schedule and still open as soon as an advisory lands.
     schedule:
-      interval: weekly
+      interval: monthly
+    # Never adopt a release younger than a week. Compromised packages are
+    # typically yanked within 72 hours, so this skips the malicious window.
+    # Cooldown covers version updates only, security updates are never delayed.
+    cooldown:
+      default-days: 7
     open-pull-requests-limit: 10
     # Frozen majors enforced by .githooks/lib/check-frozen-deps.mjs. Ignore
     # major updates here so Dependabot does not open PRs that CI will reject.
@@ -19,14 +26,58 @@ updates:
         update-types: ["version-update:semver-major"]
       - dependency-name: "eslint"
         update-types: ["version-update:semver-major"]
+    # Split by semver impact, not by prod/dev. Patches are safe enough to flow
+    # continuously; minors and majors are held for review so the dependency
+    # state is known when a release tag is cut.
+    commit-message:
+      prefix: "build"
+      prefix-development: "chore"
+      include: scope
     groups:
-      production:
-        dependency-type: production
-      development:
-        dependency-type: development
+      npm-patch:
+        patterns: ["*"]
+        update-types: ["patch"]
+      npm-risky:
+        patterns: ["*"]
+        update-types: ["minor", "major"]
+      # Groups default to applies-to version-updates. Without this block a
+      # single advisory touching N packages opens N separate pull requests,
+      # bypassing the schedule and the open pull request limit.
+      npm-security:
+        applies-to: security-updates
+        patterns: ["*"]
 
-  # The GitHub Actions used by the workflows above.
+  # The GitHub Actions used by the workflows above. Grouped so a bump does not
+  # open one pull request per action.
   - package-ecosystem: github-actions
     directory: "/"
     schedule:
-      interval: weekly
+      interval: monthly
+    cooldown:
+      default-days: 7
+    commit-message:
+      prefix: "ci"
+      include: scope
+    groups:
+      actions:
+        patterns: ["*"]
+      actions-security:
+        applies-to: security-updates
+        patterns: ["*"]
+
+  # Base images. Nothing watched these before, so node and postgres drifted.
+  - package-ecosystem: docker
+    directory: "/"
+    schedule:
+      interval: monthly
+    cooldown:
+      default-days: 7
+    commit-message:
+      prefix: "build"
+      include: scope
+    groups:
+      docker:
+        patterns: ["*"]
+      docker-security:
+        applies-to: security-updates
+        patterns: ["*"]
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 79f7f93..4aaa13e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ name: CI
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [main]
+    branches: [main, develop]
   pull_request:
-    branches: [main]
+    branches: [main, develop]
 
 # Least privilege by default for every job in this workflow.
 permissions:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
index 23bcaa5..7133726 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ name: CodeQL
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [main]
+    branches: [main, develop]
   pull_request:
-    branches: [main]
+    branches: [main, develop]
   schedule:
     # Weekly deep scan, Monday 03:27 UTC.
     - cron: "27 3 * * 1"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/compliance.yml b/.github/workflows/compliance.yml
index 601f88c..84a1cc5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/compliance.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/compliance.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ name: Compliance
 
 on:
   pull_request:
-    branches: [main]
+    branches: [main, develop]
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
diff --git a/.github/workflows/dependabot-automerge.yml b/.github/workflows/dependabot-automerge.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b7670c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/dependabot-automerge.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+name: Dependabot auto-merge
+
+# Patch bumps are merged without human review, but only after two independent
+# gates: the dependabot.yml cooldown means the release is at least 7 days old,
+# and --auto holds the merge until the required "ci" check passes. The "ci" job
+# aggregates quality, test, build, integration and e2e, so nothing slips in on a
+# partial run. Minor and major bumps stay manual by design.
+
+on: pull_request
+
+# Least privilege by default for every job in this workflow.
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+concurrency:
+  group: dependabot-automerge-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  automerge:
+    name: Auto-merge patch updates
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+    if: github.actor == 'dependabot[bot]'
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+      pull-requests: write
+    steps:
+      - name: Fetch Dependabot metadata
+        id: metadata
+        uses: dependabot/fetch-metadata@v2
+        with:
+          github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      # A grouped pull request reports the highest bump it contains, so the
+      # npm-patch group only ever resolves to semver-patch here.
+      - name: Enable auto-merge for patch updates
+        if: steps.metadata.outputs.update-type == 'version-update:semver-patch'
+        run: gh pr merge --auto --squash "$PR_URL"
+        env:
+          PR_URL: ${{ github.event.pull_request.html_url }}
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/security.yml b/.github/workflows/security.yml
index a86f48b..323a7d7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/security.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/security.yml
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ name: Security
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [main]
+    branches: [main, develop]
   pull_request:
-    branches: [main]
+    branches: [main, develop]
   schedule:
     # Weekly, Monday 04:27 UTC, to catch newly disclosed advisories.
     - cron: "27 4 * * 1"