diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index 4f0f140cad..3458bfff2a 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ updates:
       # yjs packages
       - dependency-name: "yjs"
       - dependency-name: "y-prosemirror"
+    ignore:
+      # Hono packages are used only in the demo AI server and are not part of
+      # the main editor/runtime surface area.
+      - dependency-name: "hono"
+      - dependency-name: "@hono/node-server"
+      - dependency-name: "@hono/*"
     groups:
       editor-dependencies:
         patterns:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/fresh-install-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/fresh-install-tests.yml
index a366d7d47a..0d922ebb4b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/fresh-install-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/fresh-install-tests.yml
@@ -24,32 +24,91 @@ jobs:
     timeout-minutes: 30
 
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+      - id: checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
 
-      - name: Install pnpm
+      - id: install_pnpm
+        name: Install pnpm
         uses: pnpm/action-setup@v5
 
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@v6
+      - id: setup_node
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
         with:
           node-version-file: ".nvmrc"
           # Intentionally no pnpm cache — we want a genuinely fresh install
 
-      - name: Remove lockfile to force fresh dep resolution
+      - id: remove_lockfile
+        name: Remove lockfile to force fresh dep resolution
         # Removing pnpm-lock.yaml causes pnpm to resolve all dependencies to
         # the latest versions that satisfy the ranges declared in package.json
         # (including pnpm-workspace.yaml overrides). This is equivalent to what
         # a new user experiences when installing BlockNote in a blank project.
         run: rm pnpm-lock.yaml
 
-      - name: Install dependencies
+      - id: install_dependencies
+        name: Install dependencies
         run: pnpm install --no-frozen-lockfile
 
-      - name: Build packages
+      - id: build_packages
+        name: Build packages
         run: pnpm run build
         env:
           NX_SKIP_NX_CACHE: "true"
 
-      - name: Run unit tests
+      - id: run_unit_tests
+        name: Run unit tests
         run: pnpm run test
         env:
           NX_SKIP_NX_CACHE: "true"
+
+      - name: Notify Slack on workflow failure
+        if: ${{ failure() }}
+        env:
+          SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL: ${{ secrets.SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL }}
+          REPOSITORY: ${{ github.repository }}
+          WORKFLOW: ${{ github.workflow }}
+          RUN_ID: ${{ github.run_id }}
+          RUN_NUMBER: ${{ github.run_number }}
+          RUN_ATTEMPT: ${{ github.run_attempt }}
+          BRANCH: ${{ github.ref_name }}
+        run: |
+          if [ -z "$SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL" ]; then
+            echo "SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL is not configured; skipping Slack notification."
+            exit 0
+          fi
+
+          failed_step="Unknown step"
+          if [ "${{ steps.checkout.outcome }}" = "failure" ]; then
+            failed_step="Checkout repository"
+          elif [ "${{ steps.install_pnpm.outcome }}" = "failure" ]; then
+            failed_step="Install pnpm"
+          elif [ "${{ steps.setup_node.outcome }}" = "failure" ]; then
+            failed_step="Setup Node.js"
+          elif [ "${{ steps.remove_lockfile.outcome }}" = "failure" ]; then
+            failed_step="Remove lockfile to force fresh dep resolution"
+          elif [ "${{ steps.install_dependencies.outcome }}" = "failure" ]; then
+            failed_step="Install dependencies"
+          elif [ "${{ steps.build_packages.outcome }}" = "failure" ]; then
+            failed_step="Build packages"
+          elif [ "${{ steps.run_unit_tests.outcome }}" = "failure" ]; then
+            failed_step="Run unit tests"
+          fi
+
+          run_url="https://github.com/${REPOSITORY}/actions/runs/${RUN_ID}"
+          message=$(printf '%s\n%s\n%s\n%s' \
+            ":warning: Fresh Install Tests failed in *${REPOSITORY}* on branch *${BRANCH}*." \
+            "*Workflow:* ${WORKFLOW}" \
+            "*Run:* <${run_url}|#${RUN_NUMBER} (attempt ${RUN_ATTEMPT})>" \
+            "*Failed step:* ${failed_step}")
+          payload=$(jq --compact-output --null-input --arg text "$message" '{text: $text}')
+
+          curl -sS -X POST \
+            --fail \
+            --retry 4 \
+            --retry-all-errors \
+            --retry-max-time 60 \
+            --connect-timeout 10 \
+            --max-time 30 \
+            -H "Content-type: application/json" \
+            --data "$payload" \
+            "$SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL"