diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-please-reusable.yml b/.github/workflows/release-please-reusable.yml
index 8db1f94..28013a9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-please-reusable.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-please-reusable.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 # Release Please reusable workflow. Wraps the openCoreEMR release-please-action
 # fork to open release PRs and cut annotated tags from conventional commits.
 #
-# Recommended caller stanza:
+# Recommended caller stanza (mints a token from a GitHub App so release PRs
+# trigger pull_request workflows):
 #
 #   name: Release Please
 #   on:
@@ -15,6 +16,13 @@
 #       permissions:
 #         contents: write
 #         pull-requests: write
+#       secrets:
+#         app-client-id: ${{ vars.RELEASE_PLEASE_CLIENT_ID }}
+#         app-private-key: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_PLEASE_PRIVATE_KEY }}
+#
+# Without app-client-id/app-private-key the workflow falls back to the
+# default GITHUB_TOKEN, which still works but means release PRs do not
+# trigger pull_request workflows (GitHub anti-recursion).
 name: Release Please (reusable)
 
 on:
@@ -38,7 +46,19 @@ on:
         default: 0
     secrets:
       token:
-        description: Token for checkout and release-please. Falls back to GITHUB_TOKEN.
+        description: |
+          Pre-minted token for checkout and release-please. Falls back to
+          GITHUB_TOKEN. Prefer app-client-id/app-private-key so the token is
+          minted inside this job (cross-job secret masking would zero it out).
+        required: false
+      app-client-id:
+        description: |
+          GitHub App Client ID. When provided together with app-private-key,
+          the workflow mints a short-lived installation token inside this job
+          and uses it for checkout and release-please. Overrides `token`.
+        required: false
+      app-private-key:
+        description: GitHub App private key (PEM). Paired with app-client-id.
         required: false
     outputs:
       releases_created:
@@ -64,6 +84,14 @@ jobs:
     permissions:
       contents: write
       pull-requests: write
+    # Hoist credentials to job env so step-level `if:` can read them.
+    # GitHub allows the `env` context in step `if:` only when env is defined
+    # at the workflow or job level; the `secrets` context is not available
+    # in step `if:` at all.
+    env:
+      APP_CLIENT_ID: ${{ secrets.app-client-id }}
+      APP_PRIVATE_KEY: ${{ secrets.app-private-key }}
+      PASSED_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.token }}
     outputs:
       releases_created: ${{ steps.release.outputs.releases_created }}
       release_created: ${{ steps.release.outputs.release_created }}
@@ -72,11 +100,42 @@ jobs:
       paths_released: ${{ steps.release.outputs.paths_released }}
 
     steps:
+      # Mint an App installation token in-job. GitHub masks secret values when
+      # they cross job boundaries via needs.outputs, so a sibling mint job
+      # would deliver "***" instead of a usable token. Doing it here keeps the
+      # token in the same job and reaching the release-please action intact.
+      - name: Mint App token
+        id: app-token
+        if: ${{ env.APP_CLIENT_ID != '' && env.APP_PRIVATE_KEY != '' }}
+        uses: actions/create-github-app-token@v3
+        with:
+          # `app-id` accepts a Client ID as well; the action emits a runtime
+          # deprecation warning preferring `client-id`, but the bundled
+          # actionlint database doesn't know `client-id` yet and fails the
+          # workflow. Stay on `app-id` until actionlint catches up.
+          app-id: ${{ env.APP_CLIENT_ID }}
+          private-key: ${{ env.APP_PRIVATE_KEY }}
+
+      - name: Resolve effective token
+        id: resolve-token
+        env:
+          APP_TOKEN: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token }}
+        run: |
+          if [[ -n "${APP_TOKEN}" ]]; then
+            echo "::add-mask::${APP_TOKEN}"
+            printf 'token=%s\n' "${APP_TOKEN}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          elif [[ -n "${PASSED_TOKEN}" ]]; then
+            echo "::add-mask::${PASSED_TOKEN}"
+            printf 'token=%s\n' "${PASSED_TOKEN}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            printf 'token=%s\n' "${{ github.token }}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
           fetch-depth: ${{ inputs.checkout-fetch-depth }}
-          token: ${{ secrets.token || github.token }}
+          token: ${{ steps.resolve-token.outputs.token }}
 
       - name: Run Release Please
         id: release
@@ -84,7 +143,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           config-file: ${{ inputs.config-file }}
           manifest-file: ${{ inputs.manifest-file }}
-          token: ${{ secrets.token || github.token }}
+          token: ${{ steps.resolve-token.outputs.token }}
 
       - name: Summary
         if: ${{ steps.release.outputs.releases_created == 'true' }}