diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/notify-chart-dev.yml b/.forgejo/workflows/notify-chart-dev.yml
index 499ef83..427b3ad 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/notify-chart-dev.yml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/notify-chart-dev.yml
@@ -40,16 +40,17 @@ jobs:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
       - name: Auto-bump chart develop appVersion + push
+        # Explicit shell flags — the Forgejo runner's default
+        # `bash -e -o pipefail {0}` was reporting our step as exit
+        # 141 (SIGPIPE) immediately after the first echo, even with
+        # no pipelines in the script. Switching to plain `bash {0}`
+        # (no -e, no pipefail) sidesteps that entirely. We use
+        # explicit `|| { ... ; exit 1; }` blocks for failure paths
+        # so error semantics are preserved.
+        shell: bash {0}
         run: |
-          set -eu
-
           # Self-skip if HEAD has a stable tag — the prod workflow
-          # owns the chart bump in that case. Inlined here (rather
-          # than as a separate gate step) because Forgejo runner
-          # v12.9.0 was exiting our gate step with 141 immediately
-          # after a clean echo + GITHUB_OUTPUT write. Folding the
-          # check into the bump step's strict-mode shell avoids the
-          # cross-step boundary entirely.
+          # owns the chart bump in that case.
           STABLE_TAGS=$(git tag --points-at HEAD --list 'zddc-server-v*')
           if [ -n "$STABLE_TAGS" ]; then
               echo "HEAD has stable tag ($STABLE_TAGS) — stable workflow handles chart bump; skipping dev notify"
@@ -62,6 +63,11 @@ jobs:
               exit 1
           fi
 
+          # Re-enable strict-mode for the rest of the script — failures
+          # in clone/sed/push must abort. The leading "no stable tag"
+          # echo is what tripped the runner; from here on it's safe.
+          set -eu
+
           # Compose a beta version string that's unique per ZDDC commit.
           # Uses the next-stable target (max of latest tag + 1, mirrors
           # ./build's _coordinated_next_stable) and the short SHA.