diff --git a/cli/release_publish.php b/cli/release_publish.php
index a6bccd8..957de2c 100644
--- a/cli/release_publish.php
+++ b/cli/release_publish.php
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ class ReleasePublishCli extends CliFramework
         $this->addArgument('--org', 'Organization', '');
         $this->addArgument('--repo', 'Repository name', '');
         $this->addArgument('--repo-url', 'Repository URL for git auth', '');
+        $this->addArgument('--skip-update-stream', 'Skip updates.xml generation and sync (managed externally)', false);
     }
 
     protected function run(): int
@@ -46,7 +47,8 @@ class ReleasePublishCli extends CliFramework
         $giteaUrl  = $this->getArgument('--gitea-url') ?: (getenv('GITEA_URL') ?: 'https://git.mokoconsulting.tech');
         $org       = $this->getArgument('--org') ?: (getenv('GITEA_ORG') ?: '');
         $repo      = $this->getArgument('--repo') ?: (getenv('GITEA_REPO') ?: '');
-        $repoUrl   = $this->getArgument('--repo-url');
+        $repoUrl           = $this->getArgument('--repo-url');
+        $skipUpdateStream  = $this->getArgument('--skip-update-stream');
 
         if (empty($stability) || empty($token)) {
             $this->log('ERROR', "Usage: release_publish.php --stability <dev|alpha|beta|rc|stable> --token TOKEN [options]");
@@ -295,66 +297,71 @@ class ReleasePublishCli extends CliFramework
         // -- Step 4: No lesser stream copies --
         echo "\n--- Step 4: Skipped (no lesser stream copies) ---\n";
 
-        // -- Step 5: Update ONLY this stream in updates.xml --
-        echo "\n--- Step 5: Update {$stability} stream in updates.xml ---\n";
-        $streamsToWrite = [$stability];
+        if ($skipUpdateStream) {
+            echo "\n--- Step 5: Skipped (--skip-update-stream) ---\n";
+            echo "\n--- Step 6: Skipped (--skip-update-stream) ---\n";
+        } else {
+            // -- Step 5: Update ONLY this stream in updates.xml --
+            echo "\n--- Step 5: Update {$stability} stream in updates.xml ---\n";
+            $streamsToWrite = [$stability];
 
-        foreach ($streamsToWrite as $stream) {
-            $streamVersion = $releaseVersion;
-            $shaFlag = !empty($sha256) ? "--sha {$sha256}" : '';
+            foreach ($streamsToWrite as $stream) {
+                $streamVersion = $releaseVersion;
+                $shaFlag = !empty($sha256) ? "--sha {$sha256}" : '';
+
+                echo "  Writing {$stream} stream: {$streamVersion}\n";
+                if (!$this->dryRun) {
+                    passthru("{$php} {$cli}/updates_xml_build.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
+                        . " --version " . escapeshellarg($streamVersion)
+                        . " --stability " . escapeshellarg($stream)
+                        . " --gitea-url " . escapeshellarg($giteaUrl)
+                        . " --org " . escapeshellarg($org)
+                        . " --repo " . escapeshellarg($repo)
+                        . " {$shaFlag} 2>&1");
+                }
+            }
+
+            // -- Step 6: Commit updates.xml and sync to all branches --
+            echo "\n--- Step 6: Commit and sync updates.xml ---\n";
+            $root = realpath($path) ?: $path;
 
-            echo "  Writing {$stream} stream: {$streamVersion}\n";
             if (!$this->dryRun) {
-                passthru("{$php} {$cli}/updates_xml_build.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
-                    . " --version " . escapeshellarg($streamVersion)
-                    . " --stability " . escapeshellarg($stream)
+                $cdX = PHP_OS_FAMILY === 'Windows' ? "cd /d " : "cd ";
+                $cdRt = $cdX . escapeshellarg($root);
+                $diffCheck = trim((string) @shell_exec(
+                    $cdRt . " && git diff --quiet updates.xml"
+                    . " 2>&1 && echo clean || echo dirty"
+                ));
+                if ($diffCheck === 'dirty') {
+                    @shell_exec($cdRt . " && git add updates.xml");
+                    $chMsg = "chore: update channels for"
+                        . " {$releaseVersion} [skip ci]";
+                    @shell_exec(
+                        $cdRt . " && git commit -m "
+                        . escapeshellarg($chMsg)
+                        . " --author=\"gitea-actions[bot]"
+                        . " <gitea-actions[bot]@mokoconsulting.tech>\""
+                    );
+                    @shell_exec(
+                        $cdRt . " && git push origin "
+                        . escapeshellarg($branch) . " 2>&1"
+                    );
+                    echo "  Committed updates.xml\n";
+                }
+
+                // Sync to all branches
+                passthru("{$php} {$cli}/updates_xml_sync.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
+                    . " --current " . escapeshellarg($branch) . " --all"
+                    . " --version " . escapeshellarg($releaseVersion)
+                    . " --token " . escapeshellarg($token)
                     . " --gitea-url " . escapeshellarg($giteaUrl)
                     . " --org " . escapeshellarg($org)
-                    . " --repo " . escapeshellarg($repo)
-                    . " {$shaFlag} 2>&1");
+                    . " --repo " . escapeshellarg($repo) . " 2>&1");
+            } else {
+                echo "[DRY-RUN] Would commit updates.xml and sync to all branches\n";
             }
         }
 
-        // -- Step 6: Commit updates.xml and sync to all branches --
-        echo "\n--- Step 6: Commit and sync updates.xml ---\n";
-        $root = realpath($path) ?: $path;
-
-        if (!$this->dryRun) {
-            $cdX = PHP_OS_FAMILY === 'Windows' ? "cd /d " : "cd ";
-            $cdRt = $cdX . escapeshellarg($root);
-            $diffCheck = trim((string) @shell_exec(
-                $cdRt . " && git diff --quiet updates.xml"
-                . " 2>&1 && echo clean || echo dirty"
-            ));
-            if ($diffCheck === 'dirty') {
-                @shell_exec($cdRt . " && git add updates.xml");
-                $chMsg = "chore: update channels for"
-                    . " {$releaseVersion} [skip ci]";
-                @shell_exec(
-                    $cdRt . " && git commit -m "
-                    . escapeshellarg($chMsg)
-                    . " --author=\"gitea-actions[bot]"
-                    . " <gitea-actions[bot]@mokoconsulting.tech>\""
-                );
-                @shell_exec(
-                    $cdRt . " && git push origin "
-                    . escapeshellarg($branch) . " 2>&1"
-                );
-                echo "  Committed updates.xml\n";
-            }
-
-            // Sync to all branches
-            passthru("{$php} {$cli}/updates_xml_sync.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
-                . " --current " . escapeshellarg($branch) . " --all"
-                . " --version " . escapeshellarg($releaseVersion)
-                . " --token " . escapeshellarg($token)
-                . " --gitea-url " . escapeshellarg($giteaUrl)
-                . " --org " . escapeshellarg($org)
-                . " --repo " . escapeshellarg($repo) . " 2>&1");
-        } else {
-            echo "[DRY-RUN] Would commit updates.xml and sync to all branches\n";
-        }
-
         echo "\n=== Release published: {$releaseVersion} ===\n";
 
         // Output for CI