diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e-api.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e-api.yml
index 30356d40..e880845d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e-api.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e-api.yml
@@ -66,9 +66,18 @@ jobs:
             echo "api=${{ steps.filter.outputs.api }}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           fi
 
+  # Same `name:` as the real job below so the check-run produced by the
+  # no-op path is indistinguishable from the real one for branch
+  # protection purposes. Without this, the real job was always skipped on
+  # paths-filtered commits → branch protection on `main` saw "E2E API
+  # Smoke Test" as a missing required check → auto-promote-staging's
+  # `git push origin main` got rejected with GH006. Observed 2026-04-28
+  # 00:22 UTC blocking the staging→main promote despite all gates
+  # actually passing at the workflow level.
   no-op:
     needs: detect-changes
     if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.api != 'true'
+    name: E2E API Smoke Test
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e-staging-canvas.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e-staging-canvas.yml
index 01e94690..28d650f3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e-staging-canvas.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e-staging-canvas.yml
@@ -82,9 +82,14 @@ jobs:
             echo "canvas=${{ steps.filter.outputs.canvas }}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           fi
 
+  # Same `name:` as the playwright job below so the check-run is
+  # indistinguishable from the real one for branch protection. Mirrors
+  # the e2e-api.yml fix in the same PR — see that file for the
+  # 2026-04-28 incident reference.
   no-op:
     needs: detect-changes
     if: needs.detect-changes.outputs.canvas != 'true'
+    name: Canvas tabs E2E
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - run: |