diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-start.yml b/.github/workflows/release-start.yml
index f2e2137..fd5405a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-start.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-start.yml
@@ -502,9 +502,20 @@ jobs:
 
             ${{ inputs.body-extras }}
 
-      # Mirror into Linear: the release is created with its issues linked (sync scans the history
-      # since the previous tag) and moved to in_progress; only when the named package was bumped,
-      # since the Linear version is the tag. Linear never fails a release that is already cut.
+      # Mirror into Linear: the release is created with its issues linked and moved to in_progress;
+      # only when the named package was bumped, since the Linear version is the tag. The sync scans
+      # from the latest '<tag-prefix>*' tag — the summary's boundary — not from the pipeline's last
+      # release: a fresh pipeline has none, and its first sync would then cover the release commit
+      # alone. Linear never fails a release that is already cut.
+      - name: Resolve the previous release tag
+        id: previous-tag
+        if: ${{ steps.version.outputs.released == 'true' && steps.version.outputs.tag != '' && inputs.op-linear-pipeline-key-path != '' }}
+        env:
+          TAG_PREFIX: ${{ inputs.tag-prefix }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          echo "tag=$(git tag --list "${TAG_PREFIX}[0-9]*" --sort=-v:refname | head -n 1)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
       - name: Linear — create the release
         if: ${{ steps.version.outputs.released == 'true' && steps.version.outputs.tag != '' && inputs.op-linear-pipeline-key-path != '' }}
         uses: aragon/github-templates/steps/linear-release@main
@@ -512,6 +523,7 @@ jobs:
           access-key: ${{ fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).LINEAR_PIPELINE_ACCESS_KEY }}
           command: sync
           version: ${{ steps.version.outputs.tag }}
+          base-ref: ${{ steps.previous-tag.outputs.tag }}
 
       - name: Linear — move the release to in_progress
         if: ${{ steps.version.outputs.released == 'true' && steps.version.outputs.tag != '' && inputs.op-linear-pipeline-key-path != '' }}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d609c72..52ac2f3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ downloads, an inline npm publish). Nothing that a single repo needs belongs here
 | `slack-notify` | post / thread / edit a Slack message |
 | `extract-slack-ts` | parse the `<!-- slack_ts -->` marker from text |
 | `resolve-slack-thread` | find the release thread from an explicit ts, a PR number or a release tag (+ the body without markers) |
-| `linear-release` | mirror a release into a Linear release pipeline: `sync`, `update` (stage), `complete`; a no-op without an access key |
+| `linear-release` | mirror a release into a Linear release pipeline: `sync` (optionally from an explicit `base-ref`), `update` (stage), `complete`; a no-op without an access key |
 | `parse-playwright-results` | classify a Playwright JSON report |
 | `gh-ensure-pr` / `gh-ensure-tag` / `gh-ensure-release` | idempotent PR / tag / release |
 | `gh-ensure-pr-comment` | one tagged PR comment that reruns edit in place (preview URLs, test results) |
diff --git a/contracts/interfaces.json b/contracts/interfaces.json
index d0a1aa2..1602658 100644
--- a/contracts/interfaces.json
+++ b/contracts/interfaces.json
@@ -1174,6 +1174,10 @@
                     "required": false,
                     "default": ""
                 },
+                "base-ref": {
+                    "required": false,
+                    "default": ""
+                },
                 "command": {
                     "required": false,
                     "default": "sync"
diff --git a/docs/release-design.md b/docs/release-design.md
index 72c4971..346d587 100644
--- a/docs/release-design.md
+++ b/docs/release-design.md
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ versus the per-repo originals, which assumed the script lived in the same checko
 | Module | Purpose | Key inputs → outputs |
 |---|---|---|
 | `credential-retrieval` *(existing, extended)* | the only module that talks to 1Password: bulk vault → env/file, or named `op://` refs → JSON | `op-token`, `mode`, `op-vault` (bulk modes), `secret-refs` (`byref`) → `secrets` (JSON, `byref`) |
-| `setup` | checkout + pnpm + Node + install | `ref`, `node-version`, `registry-url` |
+| `setup` | checkout + pnpm + Node (`.nvmrc` when present) + install | `ref`, `node-version-file`, `node-version`, `registry-url` |
 | `compute-version` | next version + bump + changelog(s); scope→`--ignore` inversion in monorepos | `engine`, `package-dir`, `scope`/`ignore-packages`, `tag-prefix`, `prettier-changelog` → `version`, `released`, `tag` |
 | `generate-release-summary` | git-log → categorised summary (+Linear); per-package tag boundary + path filtering | `tag-glob`, `path-filter`/`path-patterns`, `linear-api-token`, `base-ref`, `repo` → `summary` |
 | `generate-version-summary` | per-package `## name@version` + CHANGELOG sections after `changeset version` | `scope`/`packages`/`package-dir` → `summary` |
@@ -288,9 +288,11 @@ the PR number on PR events, the release tag on `release: published`, an explicit
 Without a thread the first message opens one and the run threads under it (a manual deploy).
 
 The Linear mirror follows the same moments with `steps/linear-release`: `sync` + `in_progress` at
-start, `canceled` on cancel, `complete` on complete. One Linear release pipeline per release
-lineage, its access key in the repo's vault (`op-linear-pipeline-key-path`); without a key the
-steps are skipped. Linear never fails a release.
+start, `canceled` on cancel, `complete` on complete. The sync scans from the previous release tag
+(the summary's boundary), not from the pipeline's last release, so a fresh pipeline's first
+release is linked in full. One Linear release pipeline per release lineage, its access key in the
+repo's vault (`op-linear-pipeline-key-path`); without a key the steps are skipped. Linear never
+fails a release.
 
 Schedules are the consumer's: a cron on the caller plus `on-active-release: skip`, so a train with
 an open release PR or nothing to release green-skips — never silently: the channel gets the ⏭️
diff --git a/steps/linear-release/action.yml b/steps/linear-release/action.yml
index cd9c8bc..71df972 100644
--- a/steps/linear-release/action.yml
+++ b/steps/linear-release/action.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ description: |
   the release and links the issues the commits reference, `update` moves it to a stage
   (`in_progress`, `canceled`), `complete` marks it released. Linear is a mirror, never a gate: the
   step is skipped without an access key and a Linear error only warns. `sync` scans the git
-  history, so the checkout must have full depth.
+  history from `base-ref` (or, without one, from the pipeline's last release — the current commit
+  alone when the pipeline has none yet), so the checkout must have full depth.
 
 inputs:
   access-key:
@@ -22,6 +23,10 @@ inputs:
     description: "Stage for 'update' (in_progress, canceled)"
     required: false
     default: ""
+  base-ref:
+    description: "Exclusive lower bound of the 'sync' scan (<base-ref>..HEAD), e.g. the previous release tag; empty lets the CLI pick the pipeline's last release"
+    required: false
+    default: ""
 
 runs:
   using: composite
@@ -57,3 +62,4 @@ runs:
         version: ${{ inputs.version }}
         name: ${{ inputs.command == 'sync' && inputs.version || '' }}
         stage: ${{ inputs.stage }}
+        base_ref: ${{ inputs.command == 'sync' && inputs.base-ref || '' }}
diff --git a/steps/setup/action.yml b/steps/setup/action.yml
index e7a5b12..beae3b1 100644
--- a/steps/setup/action.yml
+++ b/steps/setup/action.yml
@@ -47,11 +47,14 @@ inputs:
     required: false
     default: ""
   node-version:
-    description: "The version of Node.js to use (ignored when node-version-file is set)"
+    description: "The version of Node.js to use when no version file applies (see node-version-file)"
     required: false
     default: "24"
   node-version-file:
-    description: "Path to a file containing the Node version (e.g. .nvmrc). Takes precedence over node-version."
+    description: |
+      Path to a file containing the Node version. Takes precedence over node-version. Left empty, the
+      repository's own .nvmrc is used when it exists, so a consumer pins Node once; node-version is
+      the fallback for repositories without one.
     required: false
     default: ""
   node-cache:
@@ -112,11 +115,22 @@ runs:
       shell: bash
       run: corepack enable
 
+    # The version file wins over node-version: the explicit input, else the repository's .nvmrc.
+    - name: Resolve the Node version file
+      id: node-version-file
+      shell: bash
+      env:
+        NODE_VERSION_FILE: ${{ inputs.node-version-file }}
+      run: |
+        file="$NODE_VERSION_FILE"
+        if [ -z "$file" ] && [ -f .nvmrc ]; then file=".nvmrc"; fi
+        echo "file=$file" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
     - name: Setup Node
       uses: actions/setup-node@820762786026740c76f36085b0efc47a31fe5020 # v7.0.0
       with:
-        node-version: ${{ inputs.node-version-file == '' && inputs.node-version || '' }}
-        node-version-file: ${{ inputs.node-version-file }}
+        node-version: ${{ steps.node-version-file.outputs.file == '' && inputs.node-version || '' }}
+        node-version-file: ${{ steps.node-version-file.outputs.file }}
         cache: ${{ inputs.node-cache }}
         registry-url: ${{ inputs.registry-url }}