diff --git a/.github/workflows/deps-commits.yml b/.github/workflows/deps-commits.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..7a337419eea3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/deps-commits.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+# NOTE: This file is NOT managed by @npmcli/template-oss and may be edited.
+# It enforces that production dependency changes are isolated into dedicated
+# `deps:` commits so they are visible in the git history and changelog.
+
+name: Deps Commits
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types:
+      - opened
+      - reopened
+      - edited
+      - synchronize
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  deps-commits:
+    name: Check Deps Commits
+    # Skip bot-generated release PRs, which intentionally bump many
+    # inter-workspace dependency versions inside a single `chore: release` commit.
+    if: ${{ !startsWith(github.head_ref, 'release/') }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - name: Setup Node
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
+        with:
+          node-version: 26.x
+          check-latest: contains('26.x', '.x')
+      - name: Check Deps Commits
+        run: >-
+          node scripts/check-deps-commits.js
+          --from "origin/${{ github.base_ref }}"
+          --to "${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}"
diff --git a/scripts/check-deps-commits.js b/scripts/check-deps-commits.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f3b8cb967cf05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check-deps-commits.js
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+// Ensures that any production dependency change in a first-party manifest
+// (root package.json, workspaces/*, mock-registry, etc.) is accompanied by a
+// dedicated `deps:` commit that names the specific dependency. This prevents
+// production dependency bumps from being buried inside unrelated `fix:`/`feat:`
+// commits, which hides the change from the release/changelog tooling.
+//
+// This intentionally uses only Node builtins + git so it can run in CI without
+// a full dependency install (no resetdeps required).
+
+const { execFileSync } = require('node:child_process')
+
+// Only production dependencies are enforced. devDependencies and other fields
+// change frequently for tooling reasons and do not require a `deps:` commit.
+const DEP_TYPES = ['dependencies']
+
+// A commit is a "deps" commit if its subject uses the conventional
+// `deps:` / `deps(scope):` / `deps!:` type prefix.
+const DEPS_SUBJECT = /^deps(\([^)]*\))?!?:/
+
+const git = (...args) => execFileSync('git', args, { encoding: 'utf8' })
+
+const arg = (name, fallback) => {
+  const idx = process.argv.indexOf(name)
+  if (idx !== -1 && process.argv[idx + 1]) {
+    return process.argv[idx + 1]
+  }
+  const inline = process.argv.find((a) => a.startsWith(`${name}=`))
+  return inline ? inline.slice(name.length + 1) : fallback
+}
+
+// Read and parse a package.json at a given git ref. Returns null if the file
+// did not exist at that ref (e.g. a newly added manifest).
+const readJSONAtRef = (ref, file) => {
+  try {
+    return JSON.parse(git('show', `${ref}:${file}`))
+  } catch {
+    return null
+  }
+}
+
+// A first-party manifest is any package.json that is NOT inside a node_modules
+// directory. Bundled dependency manifests under node_modules churn as a
+// side-effect of lockfile/bundle regeneration and must be ignored.
+const isFirstPartyManifest = (file) =>
+  (file === 'package.json' || file.endsWith('/package.json')) &&
+  !file.startsWith('node_modules/') &&
+  !file.includes('/node_modules/')
+
+// Does a commit message mention this dependency by name? Historical formats:
+//   deps: undici@6.27.0
+//   deps(arborist): validate-npm-package-name ^8.0.0
+//   deps!: bump sigstore from 2.x to 3.0.0
+//   deps: remove read-package-json-fast
+// The name appears as a standalone token, optionally followed by `@version`.
+const mentionsDep = (message, dep) => {
+  const tokens = message
+    .split(/\s+/)
+    .map((t) => t.replace(/^[`'"([,]+/, '').replace(/[`'").,;:]+$/, ''))
+  return tokens.some((t) => t === dep || t.startsWith(`${dep}@`))
+}
+
+const main = () => {
+  const from = arg('--from')
+  const to = arg('--to', 'HEAD')
+
+  if (!from) {
+    throw new Error('Usage: node scripts/check-deps-commits.js --from <base> [--to <head>]')
+  }
+
+  // Net set of first-party package.json files changed by the PR.
+  const changedFiles = git('diff', '--name-only', `${from}...${to}`, '--', '*package.json')
+    .split('\n')
+    .map((f) => f.trim())
+    .filter(Boolean)
+    .filter(isFirstPartyManifest)
+
+  // Collect every production dependency whose presence or version range changed.
+  const changedDeps = new Map()
+  for (const file of changedFiles) {
+    const before = readJSONAtRef(from, file) || {}
+    const after = readJSONAtRef(to, file) || {}
+    for (const type of DEP_TYPES) {
+      const b = before[type] || {}
+      const a = after[type] || {}
+      for (const name of new Set([...Object.keys(b), ...Object.keys(a)])) {
+        if (b[name] !== a[name]) {
+          if (!changedDeps.has(name)) {
+            changedDeps.set(name, { files: new Set(), from: b[name], to: a[name] })
+          }
+          const entry = changedDeps.get(name)
+          entry.files.add(file)
+          entry.to = a[name] ?? entry.to
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (!changedDeps.size) {
+    process.stdout.write('OK: no production dependency changes detected.\n')
+    return
+  }
+
+  // Gather the `deps:` commits in the range. Records are separated by an ASCII
+  // record separator and fields by an ASCII unit separator so multi-line commit
+  // bodies are handled safely.
+  const commits = git('log', '--format=%H%x1f%B%x1e', `${from}..${to}`)
+    .split('\x1e')
+    .map((c) => c.trim())
+    .filter(Boolean)
+    .map((c) => {
+      const sep = c.indexOf('\x1f')
+      return { hash: c.slice(0, sep), message: c.slice(sep + 1) }
+    })
+  const depsCommits = commits.filter((c) => DEPS_SUBJECT.test(c.message.split('\n')[0].trim()))
+
+  const uncovered = []
+  for (const [dep, { files, to: version }] of changedDeps) {
+    if (!depsCommits.some((c) => mentionsDep(c.message, dep))) {
+      // `version` is undefined when the dependency was removed.
+      uncovered.push({ dep, files: [...files], version })
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (!uncovered.length) {
+    process.stdout.write(
+      `OK: all ${changedDeps.size} production dependency change(s) have a matching deps: commit.\n`
+    )
+    return
+  }
+
+  // Derive the conventional-commit scope from the manifest location, e.g.
+  // `workspaces/arborist/package.json` -> `arborist`. The root manifest
+  // (`package.json`) has no scope.
+  const scopeOf = (file) => {
+    if (!file.includes('/')) {
+      return null
+    }
+    return file.slice(0, file.lastIndexOf('/')).split('/').pop()
+  }
+
+  // One suggestion per (dependency, manifest) so each change is isolated into a
+  // scoped `deps(<workspace>):` commit that names the exact dependency+version.
+  const suggestions = uncovered.flatMap(({ dep, files, version }) =>
+    files.map((file) => {
+      const scope = scopeOf(file)
+      const type = scope ? `deps(${scope})` : 'deps'
+      return version ? `  ${type}: ${dep}@${version}` : `  ${type}: remove ${dep}`
+    })
+  )
+
+  const lines = [
+    'Production dependency changes must each have a dedicated `deps:` commit that names the dependency.',
+    '',
+    'The following production dependency changes are missing a matching deps: commit:',
+    ...uncovered.map(({ dep, files }) => `  - ${dep} (changed in: ${files.join(', ')})`),
+    '',
+    'Add a separate commit for each, e.g.:',
+    ...suggestions,
+  ]
+  process.stderr.write(`${lines.join('\n')}\n`)
+  process.exit(1)
+}
+
+main()