diff --git a/.github/workflows/npm-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/npm-publish.yml
index 1f5644536..14c471a70 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/npm-publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/npm-publish.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,16 @@ on:
     types: [closed]
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
+      release_mode:
+        description: 'Publish a prerelease or recover an existing stable GitHub release'
+        type: choice
+        options:
+          - prerelease
+          - recover-stable
+        default: prerelease
+      release_version:
+        description: 'Existing stable tag to recover (for example, 4.1.2); leave blank for prereleases'
+        type: string
       npm_tag:
         description: 'NPM tag for prerelease'
         default: 'next'
@@ -14,6 +24,9 @@ jobs:
     name: Publish to npm
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     environment: npm-publish
+    concurrency:
+      group: npm-publish-stable
+      cancel-in-progress: false
     if: github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.pull_request.merged == true && contains( github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, '[ Type ] NPM version update' ) && startsWith( github.head_ref, 'release/')
     permissions:
       contents: write
@@ -33,13 +46,91 @@ jobs:
           PROVENANCE: 'true'
           CONVENTIONAL_COMMITS: 'true'
 
+  recover-stable:
+    name: Recover stable release
+    if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && inputs.release_mode == 'recover-stable'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    environment: npm-publish
+    concurrency:
+      group: npm-publish-stable
+      cancel-in-progress: false
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      id-token: write
+    env:
+      RELEASE_VERSION: ${{ inputs.release_version }}
+      NPM_CONFIG_LOGLEVEL: error
+    steps:
+      - name: Validate recovery target
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          if [[ "$GITHUB_REF" != refs/heads/trunk || ! "$RELEASE_VERSION" =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+            echo '::error::Run recovery from trunk with an existing stable tag, such as 4.1.2.'
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          gh release view "$RELEASE_VERSION" --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" \
+            --json isDraft,isPrerelease,tagName > "$RUNNER_TEMP/recovery-release.json"
+          jq -e --arg version "$RELEASE_VERSION" \
+            '.tagName == $version and .isDraft == false and .isPrerelease == false' \
+            "$RUNNER_TEMP/recovery-release.json"
+
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+        with:
+          ref: refs/tags/${{ inputs.release_version }}
+          persist-credentials: false
+
+      - name: Validate package and prepare local release branch
+        run: |
+          node -e 'const p = require("./package.json"); if (p.name !== "@automattic/vip" || p.version !== process.env.RELEASE_VERSION) process.exit(1);'
+          # prepublishOnly requires a branch named trunk for the latest npm tag.
+          # Keep HEAD at the existing release tag; do not fetch current trunk content.
+          git switch -C trunk
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v7
+        with:
+          node-version: 'lts/*'
+          registry-url: https://registry.npmjs.org/
+
+      - name: Install npm and dependencies
+        run: |
+          npm install --global npm@11
+          npm ci --ignore-scripts
+
+      - name: Refuse already published versions and downgrades
+        run: |
+          npm view @automattic/vip versions dist-tags --json > "$RUNNER_TEMP/recovery-registry.json"
+          node <<'NODE'
+          const fs = require('node:fs');
+          const semver = require('semver');
+          const registry = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(`${process.env.RUNNER_TEMP}/recovery-registry.json`, 'utf8'));
+          const version = process.env.RELEASE_VERSION;
+          if (registry.versions.includes(version) || !semver.gt(version, registry['dist-tags'].latest)) {
+            console.error(`Refusing recovery: ${version} is already published or does not exceed latest (${registry['dist-tags'].latest}).`);
+            process.exit(1);
+          }
+          NODE
+
+      - name: Build and test release
+        env:
+          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ''
+        run: |
+          npm rebuild
+          npm run prepare --if-present
+          npm test
+          npm publish --access public --tag latest --dry-run
+
+      - name: Publish existing release to npm
+        run: npm publish --access public --tag latest --provenance --loglevel error
+
   changelog:
     name: Publish docs changelog
     permissions:
       contents: read
       pull-requests: read
     uses: ./.github/workflows/changelog.yml
-    needs: publish
+    needs: [publish, recover-stable]
+    if: always() && (needs.publish.result == 'success' || needs.recover-stable.result == 'success')
     secrets:
       CHANGELOG_DOCS_POST_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CHANGELOG_DOCS_POST_TOKEN }}
 
@@ -48,7 +139,8 @@ jobs:
     permissions:
       contents: read
     uses: ./.github/workflows/publish-docs.yml
-    needs: publish
+    needs: [publish, recover-stable]
+    if: always() && (needs.publish.result == 'success' || needs.recover-stable.result == 'success')
     secrets:
       DOCS_SECRET_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.DOCS_SECRET_TOKEN }}
 
@@ -56,7 +148,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Publish prerelease
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     environment: npm-publish
-    if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
+    if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && inputs.release_mode != 'recover-stable'
     permissions:
       contents: write
       id-token: write
diff --git a/docs/NPM-RELEASE-RECOVERY.md b/docs/NPM-RELEASE-RECOVERY.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..18179b15e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/NPM-RELEASE-RECOVERY.md
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# Recover an interrupted stable npm release
+
+Use this when the stable publishing workflow created a GitHub release and tag,
+but failed before publishing that version to npm.
+
+1. Ensure the recovery workflow is merged into `trunk`.
+2. Open **Actions → Publish to npm (if applicable) → Run workflow**.
+3. Select branch **trunk**, set **release_mode** to **recover-stable**, and enter
+   the existing tag in **release_version** (for example, `4.1.2`).
+4. Leave **npm_tag** unchanged; stable recovery always publishes to `latest`.
+5. Select **Run workflow** and inspect the **Recover stable release** job.
+
+Do not rerun the original failed run to pick up workflow changes: reruns retain
+the original workflow. The original action also tries to recreate the existing
+GitHub release before it reaches npm publishing.
+
+Recovery builds and tests the existing tag, preserves the GitHub release, and
+uses the same workflow identity and `npm-publish` environment for npm trusted
+publishing. It enables npm error logging and refuses versions already published
+or older than the current `latest`. Successful publication starts the changelog
+and command-reference documentation jobs.
+
+Recovery does not create the next development-version PR that the regular
+publishing action normally opens after publication. Handle that version bump
+separately once recovery succeeds. If npm publication succeeds but a downstream
+documentation job fails, rerun only the failed jobs.