diff --git a/.github/scripts/review-checklist.js b/.github/scripts/review-checklist.js
index ed9adfb9c37..9ef02a7242a 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/review-checklist.js
+++ b/.github/scripts/review-checklist.js
@@ -186,7 +186,27 @@ function buildBody(touchedAreas, approvedUsers, confirmedRequested) {
 
 module.exports = async function run({ github, context, core }) {
   const { owner, repo } = context.repo;
-  const pr_number = context.payload.pull_request.number;
+  let pr_number;
+
+  if (context.eventName === 'workflow_run') {
+    // workflow_run.pull_requests is empty for fork PRs — look up by head SHA instead.
+    const headSha = context.payload.workflow_run.head_sha;
+    const openPRs = await github.paginate(github.rest.pulls.list, {
+      owner, repo, state: 'open', per_page: 100,
+    });
+    const pr = openPRs.find(p => p.head.sha === headSha);
+    if (!pr) {
+      core.info('No open PR found matching this workflow_run — skipping');
+      return;
+    }
+    if (pr.base.ref !== 'develop') {
+      core.info(`PR #${pr.number} targets ${pr.base.ref}, not develop — skipping`);
+      return;
+    }
+    pr_number = pr.number;
+  } else {
+    pr_number = context.payload.pull_request.number;
+  }
 
   // ----------------------------------------------------------------
   // Configuration
@@ -202,10 +222,6 @@ module.exports = async function run({ github, context, core }) {
   //   Covers: hdf5.h (umbrella), H5*public.h / H5*develop.h (per-module),
   //   VFD driver headers included by hdf5.h, and VOL connector headers.
   //
-  // NOTE: Fork PRs (head.repo != base.repo) are intentionally excluded.
-  //   They run with a read-only token and cannot post comments or request
-  //   reviewers. Fork coverage would require a pull_request_target job.
-  //
   // NOTE: Team owners (@org/team) in CODEOWNERS are not supported.
   //   Only individual GitHub logins are handled. If teams are added,
   //   extend parsing and reviewer requests to use team_reviewers.
@@ -349,8 +365,8 @@ module.exports = async function run({ github, context, core }) {
   // ----------------------------------------------------------------
   // 6. Auto-assign reviewers (pull_request events only, not reviews).
   // ----------------------------------------------------------------
-  if (context.eventName !== 'pull_request_review') {
-    const prAuthor = context.payload.pull_request.user.login;
+  if (context.eventName !== 'pull_request_review' && context.eventName !== 'workflow_run') {
+    const prAuthor = prData.user.login;
 
     // Assign the PR author only if they are a code owner.
     if (allCodeOwners.has(prAuthor)) {
diff --git a/.github/workflows/review-checklist-gather.yml b/.github/workflows/review-checklist-gather.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8da12c506f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/review-checklist-gather.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+name: Review Checklist (gather)
+
+# Minimal signal workflow: fires on pull_request_review so that the
+# privileged review-checklist.yml (triggered via workflow_run) can
+# update the checklist with the latest approval state.
+#
+# This workflow intentionally does nothing except complete — its only
+# purpose is to unblock the workflow_run trigger in review-checklist.yml.
+#
+# Requires the repo "Fork pull request workflows from outside collaborators"
+# setting to be "Require approval for first-time contributors" (not all
+# outside collaborators) so regular fork contributors' reviews fire this
+# immediately without a maintainer approval gate.
+
+on:
+  pull_request_review:
+    types: [submitted]
+
+permissions: {}
+
+jobs:
+  signal:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event.pull_request.base.ref == 'develop'
+    steps:
+      - run: echo "Review submitted on PR ${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/review-checklist.yml b/.github/workflows/review-checklist.yml
index 097f8702762..ca5565e94f5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/review-checklist.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/review-checklist.yml
@@ -5,16 +5,32 @@ name: Review Checklist
 #
 # Reviewer lists are derived entirely from .github/CODEOWNERS — no duplication.
 # To add an area or change owners, edit only CODEOWNERS.
+#
+# Uses pull_request_target so the workflow runs with the base repo's full token
+# even for fork PRs. The checkout and script execution always use the base
+# branch (develop), never the fork's code — this is the safe posture for
+# pull_request_target.
+#
+# Approval boxes are also updated immediately when a review is submitted, via
+# a two-workflow pattern: review-checklist-gather.yml fires on pull_request_review
+# (read-only token) and this workflow fires on its completion via workflow_run
+# (full write token, no fork approval gate). Requires the repo setting
+# "Fork pull request workflows from outside collaborators" to be
+# "Require approval for first-time contributors".
 
 on:
-  pull_request:
+  # zizmor: ignore[pull-request-target]
+  # Safe: checkout has no ref: override so the base branch (develop) is always
+  # used — the fork's code is never checked out or executed.
+  pull_request_target:
     types: [opened, synchronize, reopened]
     branches: [develop]
-  pull_request_review:
-    types: [submitted]
+  workflow_run:
+    workflows: ["Review Checklist (gather)"]
+    types: [completed]
 
 concurrency:
-  group: review-checklist-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
+  group: review-checklist-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.event.workflow_run.head_sha }}
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 permissions:
@@ -25,18 +41,14 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   checklist:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    # Only run on PRs targeting develop from within the same repo (not forks).
-    # For review events, only run on approvals targeting develop.
-    if: |
-      github.event.pull_request.base.ref == 'develop' &&
-      github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository &&
-      (github.event_name == 'pull_request' ||
-       (github.event_name == 'pull_request_review' &&
-        github.event.review.state == 'approved'))
-
+    if: >
+      (github.event_name == 'pull_request_target' && github.event.pull_request.base.ref == 'develop') ||
+      (github.event_name == 'workflow_run' && github.event.workflow_run.conclusion == 'success')
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683 # v4
-      - uses: actions/github-script@f28e40c7f34bde8b3046d885e986cb6290c5673b # v7
+      - uses: actions/checkout@93cb6efe18208431cddfb8368fd83d5badbf9bfd # v5.0.1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - uses: actions/github-script@ed597411d8f924073f98dfc5c65a23a2325f34cd # v8.0.0
         with:
           script: |
             const run = require('./.github/scripts/review-checklist.js');
diff --git a/.github/workflows/zizmor.yml b/.github/workflows/zizmor.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0aa86848235
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/zizmor.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+name: zizmor
+
+# Static security analysis for GitHub Actions workflows.
+# Findings appear as inline annotations on PRs and in the Security tab.
+# Runs zizmor directly via pip to avoid a third-party action dependency.
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [develop]
+    paths: ['.github/**']
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [develop]
+    paths: ['.github/**']
+
+permissions: {}
+
+jobs:
+  zizmor:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      security-events: write
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@93cb6efe18208431cddfb8368fd83d5badbf9bfd # v5.0.1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - run: |
+          echo 'zizmor==1.25.2 --hash=sha256:c4246f1344d8dbeffc044d7bb11b131773a7db7eb57d9073c45942dfd3543a1f' > /tmp/zizmor-req.txt
+          pip install --require-hashes -r /tmp/zizmor-req.txt
+      - run: zizmor --format sarif . > zizmor-results.sarif
+        continue-on-error: true
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+      - uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@8aad20d150bbac5944a9f9d289da16a4b0d87c1e # v4.36.2
+        if: always()
+        with:
+          sarif_file: zizmor-results.sarif
+          category: zizmor