diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 1c7d5d3e0d..dc3f0f08fa 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ jobs:
           tar -C "$RUNNER_TEMP/microsoft" -xf "$RUNNER_TEMP/msgo.tgz"
           echo "$RUNNER_TEMP/bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
 
+      - name: Install rpm (provides rpmsign for RPM package signing)
+        run: sudo apt-get install -y rpm gnupg2
+
       - name: Release Notes
         run: ./resources/scripts/release_notes.sh > ./release_notes.md
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 385f2287e8..e25fb82263 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -62,6 +62,91 @@ jobs:
           skip-cache: true
           skip-save-cache: true
 
+  test-push-to-gcp-ar:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+
+      - name: Install rpm tools
+        run: sudo apt-get install -y rpm gnupg2
+
+      - name: Set up test GPG key and test RPM
+        run: |
+          # Generate a throwaway GPG key — no passphrase, expires never
+          printf '%s\n' \
+            '%no-protection' \
+            'Key-Type: RSA' \
+            'Key-Length: 2048' \
+            'Name-Real: Test Signing Key' \
+            'Name-Email: test@redpanda.com' \
+            'Expire-Date: 0' \
+            | gpg --batch --gen-key
+          # Export private key so the aws mock can serve it
+          gpg --armor --export-secret-keys > /tmp/test-signing-key.asc
+
+          # Build a minimal empty RPM
+          mkdir -p /tmp/rpmbuild/{BUILD,RPMS,SOURCES,SPECS,SRPMS}
+          printf '%s\n' \
+            'Name: test-pkg' \
+            'Version: 1.0.0' \
+            'Release: 1' \
+            'Summary: Test package for RPM signing CI' \
+            'License: MIT' \
+            'BuildArch: noarch' \
+            '%description' \
+            'Minimal test RPM.' \
+            '%install' \
+            'mkdir -p %{buildroot}' \
+            '%files' \
+            > /tmp/rpmbuild/SPECS/test-pkg.spec
+          rpmbuild --define "_topdir /tmp/rpmbuild" -bb /tmp/rpmbuild/SPECS/test-pkg.spec
+          cp /tmp/rpmbuild/RPMS/noarch/test-pkg-1.0.0-1.noarch.rpm /tmp/test.rpm
+
+      - name: Mock aws and gcloud CLIs
+        run: |
+          # aws: return the test private key for any secretsmanager get-secret-value call
+          printf '#!/bin/bash\ncat /tmp/test-signing-key.asc\n' \
+            | sudo tee /usr/local/bin/aws > /dev/null
+          sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/aws
+          # gcloud: echo arguments so we can assert routing
+          printf '#!/bin/bash\necho "gcloud $*"\n' \
+            | sudo tee /usr/local/bin/gcloud > /dev/null
+          sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/gcloud
+
+      - name: Test RPM GA — signed and routed to redpanda-yum
+        env:
+          AWS_DEFAULT_REGION: us-east-1
+        run: |
+          out=$(./resources/scripts/push_pkg_to_gcp_ar.sh /tmp/test.rpm 1.0.0)
+          echo "$out"
+          echo "$out" | grep -q "artifacts yum upload redpanda-yum"
+
+      - name: Test RPM RC — routed to redpanda-unstable-yum
+        env:
+          AWS_DEFAULT_REGION: us-east-1
+        run: |
+          out=$(./resources/scripts/push_pkg_to_gcp_ar.sh /tmp/test.rpm 1.0.0-rc1)
+          echo "$out"
+          echo "$out" | grep -q "artifacts yum upload redpanda-unstable-yum"
+
+      - name: Test DEB — skips signing, routed to redpanda-apt
+        run: |
+          touch /tmp/test.deb
+          out=$(./resources/scripts/push_pkg_to_gcp_ar.sh /tmp/test.deb 1.0.0)
+          echo "$out"
+          echo "$out" | grep -q "artifacts apt upload redpanda-apt"
+
+      - name: Test missing AWS region — exits with error
+        env:
+          AWS_DEFAULT_REGION: ""
+          AWS_REGION: ""
+        run: |
+          out=$(./resources/scripts/push_pkg_to_gcp_ar.sh /tmp/test.rpm 1.0.0 2>&1) && {
+            echo "ERROR: expected non-zero exit but got 0" >&2; exit 1
+          } || echo "$out" | grep -q "AWS_DEFAULT_REGION"
+
   test-push-to-cloudsmith:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
diff --git a/resources/scripts/push_pkg_to_gcp_ar.sh b/resources/scripts/push_pkg_to_gcp_ar.sh
index d6bf93ef45..7239d0b9be 100755
--- a/resources/scripts/push_pkg_to_gcp_ar.sh
+++ b/resources/scripts/push_pkg_to_gcp_ar.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # Push a rpm or deb to GCP Artifact Registry
 
-set -ex
+set -euo pipefail
 
 PKG_FILE=$1
 PKG_VERSION=$2
@@ -42,8 +42,49 @@ else
   repo="redpanda-unstable"
 fi
 
+sign_rpm() {
+  local pkg=$1
+
+  # Pre-flight: AWS_DEFAULT_REGION (or AWS_REGION) must be set; the aws CLI
+  # reads it from the environment, but we check early for a clear error message.
+  local region=${AWS_DEFAULT_REGION:-${AWS_REGION:-}}
+  if [[ -z "$region" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: AWS_DEFAULT_REGION or AWS_REGION must be set for RPM signing"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  # Run in a subshell so the EXIT trap fires while temp vars are still in scope.
+  # A RETURN trap on the outer function would not fire on set -e exits.
+  (
+    gnupghome=$(mktemp -d)
+    trap 'rm -rf "$gnupghome" "${tmpdb:-}" "${pubkey:-}"' EXIT
+    tmpdb=$(mktemp -d)
+    pubkey=$(mktemp)
+
+    aws secretsmanager get-secret-value \
+      --secret-id sdlc/prod/github/rpm_signing_key_private \
+      --query SecretString \
+      --output text | GNUPGHOME="$gnupghome" gpg --batch --import
+
+    key_id=$(GNUPGHOME="$gnupghome" gpg --list-secret-keys --with-colons | awk -F: '/^sec/{print $5}' | head -1)
+    if [[ -z "$key_id" ]]; then
+      echo "ERROR: no secret key found after import — check the secret contents"
+      exit 1
+    fi
+
+    GNUPGHOME="$gnupghome" rpmsign --define "_gpg_name $key_id" --resign "$pkg"
+
+    # Verify against our key using a temp RPM database — rpm --checksig checks
+    # the RPM keyring (not GNUPGHOME), so we must import the key into a temp db.
+    GNUPGHOME="$gnupghome" gpg --armor --export "$key_id" >"$pubkey"
+    rpm --dbpath "$tmpdb" --import "$pubkey"
+    rpm --dbpath "$tmpdb" --checksig "$pkg"
+  )
+}
+
 if [[ "$PKG_TYPE" == "deb" ]]; then
   gcloud artifacts apt upload "${repo}-apt" --location=us-central1 --source="$PKG_FILE" --project=production-devprod
 else
+  sign_rpm "$PKG_FILE"
   gcloud artifacts yum upload "${repo}-yum" --location=us-central1 --source="$PKG_FILE" --project=production-devprod
 fi