diff --git a/.github/workflows/dependabot-auto-merge.yml b/.github/workflows/dependabot-auto-merge.yml
index 1a789af..3c7c9a5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dependabot-auto-merge.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dependabot-auto-merge.yml
@@ -121,8 +121,34 @@ jobs:
           steps.meta.outputs.update-type != '' &&
           contains(format(',{0},', inputs.allowed-update-types),
                    format(',{0},', steps.meta.outputs.update-type))
-        run: gh pr merge --auto --${{ inputs.merge-method }} "$PR_URL"
+        # Two failure modes this handles, both seen in production on the
+        # wemove.eu / youmove / wemove-charity.eu inline copies this replaces:
+        #
+        #   1. `gh pr merge --auto` intermittently returns a transient GraphQL
+        #      error, which strands the PR until a human notices.
+        #   2. Auto-merge cannot be enabled on a PR whose required checks have
+        #      ALREADY passed. With fast CI the checks often win the race, and
+        #      the PR then sits green and unmerged forever.
+        #
+        # So: retry, and fall back to a direct merge. The direct merge is not a
+        # bypass — branch protection still refuses it while required checks are
+        # pending or failing. On a repo with NO required checks it would merge
+        # immediately, which is exactly why a ruleset is part of the entry bar
+        # for using this workflow at all (see the note at the top).
+        #
+        # merge-method goes through env, not `${{ }}` interpolation into the
+        # script body, so a caller cannot inject shell through it.
+        run: |
+          for attempt in 1 2 3 4 5; do
+            if gh pr merge --auto --"$MERGE_METHOD" "$PR_URL"; then exit 0; fi
+            if gh pr merge --"$MERGE_METHOD" "$PR_URL"; then exit 0; fi
+            echo "attempt $attempt: could not enable auto-merge yet; retrying in 15s..."
+            sleep 15
+          done
+          echo "::error::failed to enable auto-merge after 5 attempts"
+          exit 1
         env:
           PR_URL: ${{ github.event.pull_request.html_url }}
+          MERGE_METHOD: ${{ inputs.merge-method }}
           # Falls back to GITHUB_TOKEN when the App token step was skipped.
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token || secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5637d3d..d23a4bf 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -167,6 +167,13 @@ depends on a branch ruleset (require a PR + required checks) on the consuming re
 Without that ruleset `gh pr merge --auto` has nothing to wait for and the PR merges
 immediately.
 
+Arming is retried five times, and falls back to a direct merge. That covers two real
+failure modes: `gh pr merge --auto` intermittently returns a transient GraphQL error, and
+auto-merge cannot be enabled at all on a PR whose required checks have *already* gone
+green — which fast CI makes common, and which otherwise leaves the PR sitting green and
+unmerged. The direct merge is not a bypass: branch protection still refuses it while
+required checks are pending or failing.
+
 ### Inputs
 
 - **merge-method**: `merge` | `squash` | `rebase`. Default `squash`.
@@ -261,6 +268,7 @@ jobs:
 Version tags `v1`–`v13` predate the current scheme and are frozen point releases. The
 floating-major convention (see [`RELEASING.md`](RELEASING.md)) starts at **`v14`**.
 
+- **v14.2** — `dependabot-auto-merge.yml`: arming is now retried (5 attempts) with a direct-merge fallback, so a transient GraphQL error no longer strands a PR and an already-green PR still merges. Consolidates logic that existed only in the inline copies in wemove.eu, youmove, wemove-charity.eu and pubstatic, which this lets them drop.
 - **v14.1** — `dependabot-auto-merge.yml`: accepts optional `app-id` / `app-private-key` secrets so the merge is armed with a GitHub App token and fires a real push event (a `GITHUB_TOKEN`-armed merge does not, leaving push-triggered deploys silently unrun). Falls back to `GITHUB_TOKEN` when the secrets are omitted, and warns. The update-type gate is now a whole-token, fail-closed match — previously an empty `update-type` from `fetch-metadata` satisfied `contains()` and could auto-merge a major.
 - **v14** — First release under the semver + floating-major scheme. Ships the `docker-smoke` composite action (build + run + production-Host-header probe, with a `build-only` mode).
 - **v13** — Adds a reusable Dependabot auto-merge workflow and an actionlint CI gate.