diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e1873169..5fe14a18 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ### Changed
 
+- **BREAKING: CI workflow generation always uses single validate job** (v0.19.0+)
+  - Removed non-matrix mode — `generate-workflow` now always produces a single `validate` job
+  - Matches local `pnpm validate` behavior: all steps run sequentially in one CI runner
+  - Setup steps (e.g., `npx playwright install`) now run before tests in CI, just like locally
+  - **Migration**: Run `npx vibe-validate generate-workflow` to regenerate your workflow file
+  - **API**: `useMatrix` option removed from `GenerateWorkflowOptions`
+
 - **BREAKING: TreeHashResult structure change** (v0.19.0+)
   - **Before**: `{ hash: string, components: Array<{path, treeHash}> }`
   - **After**: `{ hash: TreeHash, submoduleHashes?: Record<string, TreeHash> }`
diff --git a/docs/commands/watch-pr.md b/docs/commands/watch-pr.md
index e558fb9f..55c80495 100644
--- a/docs/commands/watch-pr.md
+++ b/docs/commands/watch-pr.md
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ The `watch-pr` command fetches complete PR check status from GitHub, including G
 1. **Fetches PR metadata** (title, branch, labels, linked issues, mergeable state)
 2. **Retrieves all checks** from GitHub (Actions + external checks like codecov/SonarCloud)
 3. **Classifies checks** into GitHub Actions vs external providers
-4. **Extracts errors** from failed GitHub Actions logs (matrix + non-matrix modes)
+4. **Extracts errors** from failed GitHub Actions logs (YAML extraction with raw output fallback)
 5. **Extracts summaries** from external checks (coverage %, quality gates)
 6. **Builds history summary** (last 10 runs, success rate, recent pattern)
 7. **Generates guidance** with severity-based next steps
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@ cache:                      # ✅ NEW: Cache info
 ```
 
 **Key improvements:**
-- ✅ **Error extraction** (matrix + non-matrix modes)
+- ✅ **Error extraction** (YAML extraction with raw output fallback)
 - ✅ **Separate check types** (GitHub Actions vs external)
 - ✅ **History summary** (success rate, patterns)
 - ✅ **File changes** (insertions/deletions, top files)
diff --git a/docs/skill/SKILL.md b/docs/skill/SKILL.md
index e05b6770..41756f45 100644
--- a/docs/skill/SKILL.md
+++ b/docs/skill/SKILL.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 name: vibe-validate
-version: 0.19.0-rc.12 # Tracks vibe-validate package version
+version: 0.19.0-rc.13 # Tracks vibe-validate package version
 description: Expert guidance for vibe-validate, an LLM-optimized validation orchestration tool. Use when working with vibe-validate commands, configuration, pre-commit workflows, or validation orchestration in TypeScript projects.
 model: claude-sonnet-4-5
 tools:
diff --git a/docs/skill/resources/cli-reference.md b/docs/skill/resources/cli-reference.md
index 4a089fce..4cd080a2 100644
--- a/docs/skill/resources/cli-reference.md
+++ b/docs/skill/resources/cli-reference.md
@@ -314,8 +314,8 @@ Generate GitHub Actions workflow from vibe-validate config
 **What it does:**
 
 Generates .github/workflows/validate.yml from config
-Supports matrix mode (multiple Node/OS versions)
-Supports non-matrix mode (separate jobs per phase)
+Generates single validate job matching local behavior
+Supports matrix strategy for multiple Node/OS versions
 Can check if workflow is in sync with config
 
 **Exit codes:**
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d259bd6f..e1452c08 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "vibe-validate",
-  "version": "0.19.0-rc.12",
+  "version": "0.19.0-rc.13",
   "type": "module",
   "private": true,
   "description": "Git-aware validation orchestration for vibe coding (LLM-assisted development)",
diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index 38e30743..c573505c 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@vibe-validate/cli",
-  "version": "0.19.0-rc.12",
+  "version": "0.19.0-rc.13",
   "description": "Command-line interface for vibe-validate validation framework",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/bin.ts b/packages/cli/src/bin.ts
index 3b4b7925..9b719dfd 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/bin.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/bin.ts
@@ -355,8 +355,8 @@ function showComprehensiveHelp(program: Command): void {
     'generate-workflow': {
       whatItDoes: [
         'Generates .github/workflows/validate.yml from config',
-        'Supports matrix mode (multiple Node/OS versions)',
-        'Supports non-matrix mode (separate jobs per phase)',
+        'Generates single validate job matching local behavior',
+        'Supports matrix strategy for multiple Node/OS versions',
         'Can check if workflow is in sync with config'
       ],
       exitCodes: {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/generate-workflow.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/generate-workflow.ts
index 78238430..b6e821b7 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/generate-workflow.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/generate-workflow.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 import { readFileSync, writeFileSync, existsSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { dirname, join } from 'node:path';
 
-import type { VibeValidateConfig, ValidationPhase } from '@vibe-validate/config';
+import type { VibeValidateConfig } from '@vibe-validate/config';
 import { mkdirSyncReal } from '@vibe-validate/utils';
 import { type Command } from 'commander';
 import { stringify as yamlStringify } from 'yaml';
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ interface GitHubWorkflow {
  * Generate GitHub Actions workflow options
  */
 export interface GenerateWorkflowOptions {
-  /** Node.js versions to test (default: ['20', '22']) - set to single version to disable matrix */
+  /** Node.js versions to test (default: auto-detect from package.json engines) */
   nodeVersions?: string[];
-  /** Operating systems to test (default: ['ubuntu-latest']) - set to single OS to disable matrix */
+  /** Operating systems to test (default: ['ubuntu-latest']) */
   os?: string[];
   /** Package manager (default: auto-detect from packageManager field or lockfiles) */
   packageManager?: PackageManager;
@@ -103,8 +103,6 @@ export interface GenerateWorkflowOptions {
   coverageProvider?: 'codecov' | 'coveralls';
   /** Codecov token secret name (default: 'CODECOV_TOKEN') */
   codecovTokenSecret?: string;
-  /** Use matrix strategy for multi-OS/Node testing (default: true if multiple values provided) */
-  useMatrix?: boolean;
   /** Fail fast in matrix (default: false) */
   matrixFailFast?: boolean;
   /** Project root directory for detecting package.json and lockfiles (default: process.cwd()) */
@@ -123,124 +121,6 @@ export function toJobId(name: string): string {
     .replaceAll(/(^-)|(-$)/g, '');
 }
 
-/**
- * Get all job IDs from validation phases
- * Handles both phase-based (parallel: false) and step-based (parallel: true) jobs
- */
-export function getAllJobIds(phases: ValidationPhase[]): string[] {
-  const jobIds: string[] = [];
-
-  for (const phase of phases) {
-    if (phase.parallel === false) {
-      // Phase-based: one job per phase
-      jobIds.push(toJobId(phase.name));
-    } else {
-      // Step-based: one job per step
-      for (const step of phase.steps) {
-        jobIds.push(toJobId(step.name));
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  return jobIds;
-}
-
-/**
- * Create common job setup steps (checkout, node, package manager)
- */
-function createCommonJobSetupSteps(
-  nodeVersion: string,
-  packageManager: PackageManager
-): GitHubWorkflowStep[] {
-  const steps: GitHubWorkflowStep[] = [
-    {
-      uses: ACTIONS_CHECKOUT_V4,
-      with: {
-        [WORKFLOW_PROPERTY_FETCH_DEPTH]: 0  // Fetch all history for git-based checks (doctor command)
-      }
-    },
-  ];
-
-  // Setup package manager and Node.js
-  if (packageManager === 'bun') {
-    // Bun uses its own setup action (includes Node.js)
-    steps.push(
-      {
-        name: 'Setup Bun',
-        uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_BUN_V2,
-      },
-      { run: getInstallCommand(packageManager) }
-    );
-  } else if (packageManager === 'pnpm') {
-    steps.push(
-      {
-        name: STEP_NAME_SETUP_PNPM,
-        uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_PNPM_V2,
-        with: { version: '8' },
-      },
-      {
-        uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_NODE_V4,
-        with: {
-          [WORKFLOW_PROPERTY_NODE_VERSION]: nodeVersion,
-          cache: 'pnpm',
-        },
-      },
-      { run: getInstallCommand(packageManager) }
-    );
-  } else if (packageManager === 'yarn') {
-    steps.push(
-      {
-        uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_NODE_V4,
-        with: {
-          [WORKFLOW_PROPERTY_NODE_VERSION]: nodeVersion,
-          cache: 'yarn',
-        },
-      },
-      { run: getInstallCommand(packageManager) }
-    );
-  } else {
-    // npm
-    steps.push(
-      {
-        uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_NODE_V4,
-        with: {
-          [WORKFLOW_PROPERTY_NODE_VERSION]: nodeVersion,
-          cache: 'npm',
-        },
-      },
-      { run: getInstallCommand(packageManager) }
-    );
-  }
-
-  return steps;
-}
-
-/**
- * Add coverage reporting steps if enabled for this step
- */
-function addCoverageReportingSteps(
-  jobSteps: GitHubWorkflowStep[],
-  stepName: string,
-  enableCoverage: boolean,
-  coverageProvider: string
-): void {
-  if (enableCoverage && stepName.toLowerCase().includes('coverage')) {
-    if (coverageProvider === 'codecov') {
-      jobSteps.push({
-        name: 'Upload coverage to Codecov',
-        uses: 'codecov/codecov-action@v3',
-        with: {
-          'fail_ci_if_error': true,
-        },
-      });
-    } else if (coverageProvider === 'coveralls') {
-      jobSteps.push({
-        name: 'Upload coverage to Coveralls',
-        uses: 'coverallsapp/github-action@v2',
-      });
-    }
-  }
-}
 
 /**
  * Generate bash script to check all job statuses
@@ -291,8 +171,14 @@ function detectNodeVersion(cwd: string = process.cwd()): string {
 
 /**
  * Generate GitHub Actions workflow from validation config
+ *
+ * Always generates a single "validate" job that runs all validation steps
+ * sequentially within one CI runner - matching the local `pnpm validate` experience.
+ * This ensures setup steps (e.g., playwright install) run before tests, and
+ * new checkouts for developers and CI just work.
+ *
+ * Supports matrix strategy for testing across multiple Node.js versions and OS.
  */
-// eslint-disable-next-line sonarjs/cognitive-complexity -- Complexity 69 acceptable for workflow generation (converts config phases/steps into GitHub Actions YAML with proper dependency management and caching logic)
 export function generateWorkflow(
   config: VibeValidateConfig,
   options: GenerateWorkflowOptions = {}
@@ -308,15 +194,90 @@ export function generateWorkflow(
     matrixFailFast = false,
   } = options;
 
-  // Determine if we should use matrix strategy
-  const useMatrix = options.useMatrix ?? (nodeVersions.length > 1 || os.length > 1);
-
   const jobs: Record<string, GitHubWorkflowJob> = {};
   const phases = config.validation.phases;
 
-  if (useMatrix) {
-    // Matrix strategy: Create single job that runs validation with matrix
-    const jobSteps: GitHubWorkflowStep[] = [
+  // Single validate job - runs all validation steps sequentially (like local)
+  const jobSteps: GitHubWorkflowStep[] = [
+    {
+      uses: ACTIONS_CHECKOUT_V4,
+      with: {
+        [WORKFLOW_PROPERTY_FETCH_DEPTH]: 0  // Fetch all history for git-based checks (doctor command)
+      }
+    },
+  ];
+
+  // Setup package manager
+  if (packageManager === 'bun') {
+    jobSteps.push({
+      name: 'Setup Bun',
+      uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_BUN_V2,
+    });
+  } else if (packageManager === 'pnpm') {
+    jobSteps.push({
+      name: STEP_NAME_SETUP_PNPM,
+      uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_PNPM_V2,
+      with: { version: '9' },
+    });
+  }
+
+  // Setup Node.js with matrix variable
+  // Important: Even for Bun projects, Node.js setup ensures compatibility testing
+  // across versions that npm package consumers will use
+  const nodeCacheConfig = packageManager === 'bun' ? {} : { cache: packageManager };
+  jobSteps.push({
+    name: 'Setup Node.js ${{ matrix.node }}',
+    uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_NODE_V4,
+    with: {
+      [WORKFLOW_PROPERTY_NODE_VERSION]: '${{ matrix.node }}',
+      ...nodeCacheConfig,
+    },
+  });
+
+  // Install dependencies
+  jobSteps.push({
+    name: 'Install dependencies',
+    run: getInstallCommand(packageManager),
+  });
+
+  // Add build step if needed (common pattern)
+  const hasBuildPhase = phases.some(p =>
+    p.steps.some(s => s.name.toLowerCase().includes('build'))
+  );
+  if (hasBuildPhase) {
+    jobSteps.push({
+      name: STEP_NAME_BUILD_PACKAGES,
+      run: getBuildCommand(packageManager),
+    });
+  }
+
+  // Run validation - use exit code to determine success/failure
+  // No need for YAML output, grep checks, or platform-specific logic
+  // GitHub Actions will automatically fail the job if exit code != 0
+  jobSteps.push({
+    name: 'Run validation',
+    run: getValidateCommand(packageManager),
+    env: {
+      GH_TOKEN: '${{ github.token }}',
+    },
+  });
+
+  jobs['validate'] = {
+    name: 'Run vibe-validate validation',
+    'runs-on': '${{ matrix.os }}',
+    steps: jobSteps,
+    strategy: {
+      'fail-fast': matrixFailFast,
+      matrix: {
+        os,
+        node: nodeVersions,
+      },
+    },
+  };
+
+  // Add coverage job if enabled (separate, runs on ubuntu only)
+  if (enableCoverage) {
+    const coverageSteps: GitHubWorkflowStep[] = [
       {
         uses: ACTIONS_CHECKOUT_V4,
         with: {
@@ -325,251 +286,68 @@ export function generateWorkflow(
       },
     ];
 
-    // Setup package manager
     if (packageManager === 'bun') {
-      jobSteps.push({
+      coverageSteps.push({
         name: 'Setup Bun',
         uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_BUN_V2,
       });
     } else if (packageManager === 'pnpm') {
-      jobSteps.push({
+      coverageSteps.push({
         name: STEP_NAME_SETUP_PNPM,
         uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_PNPM_V2,
         with: { version: '9' },
       });
     }
 
-    // Setup Node.js with matrix variable
-    // Important: Even for Bun projects, Node.js setup ensures compatibility testing
-    // across versions that npm package consumers will use
-    const nodeCacheConfig = packageManager === 'bun' ? {} : { cache: packageManager };
-    jobSteps.push({
-      name: 'Setup Node.js ${{ matrix.node }}',
-      uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_NODE_V4,
-      with: {
-        [WORKFLOW_PROPERTY_NODE_VERSION]: '${{ matrix.node }}',
-        ...nodeCacheConfig,
-      },
-    });
+    if (packageManager !== 'bun') {
+      coverageSteps.push({
+        name: 'Setup Node.js',
+        uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_NODE_V4,
+        with: {
+          [WORKFLOW_PROPERTY_NODE_VERSION]: nodeVersions[0],
+          cache: packageManager,
+        },
+      });
+    }
 
-    // Install dependencies
-    jobSteps.push({
+    coverageSteps.push({
       name: 'Install dependencies',
       run: getInstallCommand(packageManager),
     });
 
-    // Add build step if needed (common pattern)
-    const hasBuildPhase = phases.some(p =>
-      p.steps.some(s => s.name.toLowerCase().includes('build'))
-    );
     if (hasBuildPhase) {
-      jobSteps.push({
+      coverageSteps.push({
         name: STEP_NAME_BUILD_PACKAGES,
         run: getBuildCommand(packageManager),
       });
     }
 
-    // Run validation - use exit code to determine success/failure
-    // No need for YAML output, grep checks, or platform-specific logic
-    // GitHub Actions will automatically fail the job if exit code != 0
-    jobSteps.push({
-      name: 'Run validation',
-      run: getValidateCommand(packageManager),
-      env: {
-        GH_TOKEN: '${{ github.token }}',
-      },
+    coverageSteps.push({
+      name: 'Run tests with coverage',
+      run: getCoverageCommand(packageManager),
     });
 
-    jobs['validate'] = {
-      name: 'Run vibe-validate validation',
-      'runs-on': '${{ matrix.os }}',
-      steps: jobSteps,
-      strategy: {
-        'fail-fast': matrixFailFast,
-        matrix: {
-          os,
-          node: nodeVersions,
-        },
-      },
-    };
-
-    // Add coverage job if enabled (separate, runs on ubuntu only)
-    if (enableCoverage) {
-      const coverageSteps: GitHubWorkflowStep[] = [
-        {
-          uses: ACTIONS_CHECKOUT_V4,
-          with: {
-            [WORKFLOW_PROPERTY_FETCH_DEPTH]: 0  // Fetch all history for git-based checks (doctor command)
-          }
-        },
-      ];
-
-      if (packageManager === 'bun') {
-        coverageSteps.push({
-          name: 'Setup Bun',
-          uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_BUN_V2,
-        });
-      } else if (packageManager === 'pnpm') {
-        coverageSteps.push({
-          name: STEP_NAME_SETUP_PNPM,
-          uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_PNPM_V2,
-          with: { version: '9' },
-        });
-      }
-
-      if (packageManager !== 'bun') {
-        coverageSteps.push({
-          name: 'Setup Node.js',
-          uses: ACTIONS_SETUP_NODE_V4,
-          with: {
-            [WORKFLOW_PROPERTY_NODE_VERSION]: nodeVersions[0],
-            cache: packageManager,
-          },
-        });
-      }
-
-      coverageSteps.push({
-        name: 'Install dependencies',
-        run: getInstallCommand(packageManager),
-      });
-
-      if (hasBuildPhase) {
-        coverageSteps.push({
-          name: STEP_NAME_BUILD_PACKAGES,
-          run: getBuildCommand(packageManager),
-        });
-      }
-
+    if (coverageProvider === 'codecov') {
       coverageSteps.push({
-        name: 'Run tests with coverage',
-        run: getCoverageCommand(packageManager),
+        name: 'Upload coverage to Codecov',
+        uses: 'codecov/codecov-action@v4',
+        with: {
+          token: `\${{ secrets.${codecovTokenSecret} }}`,
+          files: './coverage/coverage-final.json',
+          'fail_ci_if_error': false,
+        },
       });
-
-      if (coverageProvider === 'codecov') {
-        coverageSteps.push({
-          name: 'Upload coverage to Codecov',
-          uses: 'codecov/codecov-action@v4',
-          with: {
-            token: `\${{ secrets.${codecovTokenSecret} }}`,
-            files: './coverage/coverage-final.json',
-            'fail_ci_if_error': false,
-          },
-        });
-      }
-
-      jobs['validate-coverage'] = {
-        name: 'Run validation with coverage',
-        'runs-on': DEFAULT_RUNNER_OS,
-        steps: coverageSteps,
-      };
     }
-  } else {
-    // Non-matrix: Create jobs based on parallel flag
-    // - parallel: false → One job per phase (phase-based grouping)
-    // - parallel: true → One job per step (step-based parallelism)
-
-    let previousJobIds: string[] | undefined;
-
-    for (const phase of phases) {
-
-      // Determine needs based on previous phase
-      const needs: string[] | undefined = previousJobIds;
-
-      if (phase.parallel === false) {
-        // Phase-based grouping: ONE job with sequential workflow steps
-        const phaseJobId = toJobId(phase.name);
-        const jobSteps = createCommonJobSetupSteps(nodeVersions[0], packageManager);
-
-        // Add bootstrap build if this phase has a build step
-        const hasBuildStep = phase.steps.some(s => s.name.toLowerCase().includes('build'));
-        if (hasBuildStep) {
-          jobSteps.push({
-            name: STEP_NAME_BUILD_PACKAGES,
-            run: getBuildCommand(packageManager),
-          });
-        }
-
-        // Add each step as a separate workflow step
-        for (const step of phase.steps) {
-          const stepWorkflowStep: GitHubWorkflowStep = {
-            name: step.name,
-            run: step.command,
-          };
-
-          // Add working directory if specified (relative to git root)
-          if (step.cwd) {
-            stepWorkflowStep['working-directory'] = step.cwd;
-          }
-
-          // Add environment variables from step config
-          if (step.env) {
-            stepWorkflowStep.env = { ...step.env };
-          }
-
-          jobSteps.push(stepWorkflowStep);
-
-          // Add coverage reporting if enabled
-          addCoverageReportingSteps(jobSteps, step.name, enableCoverage, coverageProvider);
-        }
-
-        jobs[phaseJobId] = {
-          name: phase.name,
-          'runs-on': os[0],
-          ...(needs && { needs }),
-          steps: jobSteps,
-        };
-
-        // Next phase depends on this phase job
-        previousJobIds = [phaseJobId];
-      } else {
-        // Step-based parallelism: Separate job for each step (existing behavior)
-        const stepJobIds: string[] = [];
-
-        for (const step of phase.steps) {
-          const jobId = toJobId(step.name);
-          stepJobIds.push(jobId);
 
-          const jobSteps = createCommonJobSetupSteps(nodeVersions[0], packageManager);
-
-          // Add the actual validation command
-          const testStep: GitHubWorkflowStep = { run: step.command };
-
-          // Add working directory if specified (relative to git root)
-          if (step.cwd) {
-            testStep['working-directory'] = step.cwd;
-          }
-
-          // Add environment variables from step config
-          if (step.env) {
-            testStep.env = { ...step.env };
-          }
-
-          jobSteps.push(testStep);
-
-          // Add coverage reporting if enabled
-          addCoverageReportingSteps(jobSteps, step.name, enableCoverage, coverageProvider);
-
-          jobs[jobId] = {
-            name: step.name,
-            'runs-on': os[0],
-            ...(needs && { needs }),
-            steps: jobSteps,
-          };
-        }
-
-        // Next phase depends on ALL step jobs from this phase
-        previousJobIds = stepJobIds;
-      }
-    }
+    jobs['validate-coverage'] = {
+      name: 'Run validation with coverage',
+      'runs-on': DEFAULT_RUNNER_OS,
+      steps: coverageSteps,
+    };
   }
 
   // Add gate job - all validation must pass
-  let allJobs: string[];
-  if (useMatrix) {
-    allJobs = enableCoverage ? ['validate', 'validate-coverage'] : ['validate'];
-  } else {
-    allJobs = getAllJobIds(phases);
-  }
+  const allJobs = enableCoverage ? ['validate', 'validate-coverage'] : ['validate'];
 
   jobs['all-validation-passed'] = {
     name: 'All Validation Passed',
@@ -781,10 +559,9 @@ The \`generate-workflow\` command generates a \`.github/workflows/validate.yml\`
 ## How It Works
 
 1. Reads vibe-validate.config.yaml configuration
-2. Generates GitHub Actions workflow with proper job dependencies
-3. Supports matrix mode (multiple Node/OS versions)
-4. Supports non-matrix mode (separate jobs per phase)
-5. Can check if workflow is in sync with config
+2. Generates a single validate job matching local behavior
+3. Supports matrix strategy for multiple Node/OS versions
+4. Can check if workflow is in sync with config
 
 ## Options
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/bin/wrapper.test.ts b/packages/cli/test/bin/wrapper.test.ts
index da7fb754..3110b74e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/bin/wrapper.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/test/bin/wrapper.test.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import { executeWrapperSync, type WrapperResultSync } from '../helpers/test-comm
  */
 
 // Test constants
-const EXPECTED_VERSION = '0.19.0-rc.12'; // BUMP_VERSION_UPDATE
+const EXPECTED_VERSION = '0.19.0-rc.13'; // BUMP_VERSION_UPDATE
 const REPO_ROOT = join(__dirname, '../../../..');
 const PACKAGES_CORE = join(__dirname, '../../../core');
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/commands/generate-workflow.test.ts b/packages/cli/test/commands/generate-workflow.test.ts
index 6d2f1acf..ad51522a 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/commands/generate-workflow.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/test/commands/generate-workflow.test.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import type { VibeValidateConfig } from '@vibe-validate/config';
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest';
 import { parse as parseYaml } from 'yaml';
 
-import { generateWorkflow, checkSync, toJobId, getAllJobIds, type GenerateWorkflowOptions } from '../../src/commands/generate-workflow.js';
+import { generateWorkflow, checkSync, toJobId, type GenerateWorkflowOptions } from '../../src/commands/generate-workflow.js';
 import { mockConfig as baseMockConfig } from '../helpers/generate-workflow-fixtures.js';
 
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ function generateAndParseWorkflow(
 }
 
 /**
- * Test package manager detection from packageManager field
+ * Test package manager detection from packageManager field (uses validate job)
  */
 function testPackageManagerDetection(
   pm: string,
@@ -131,8 +131,8 @@ function testPackageManagerDetection(
   mockPackageJson(`${pm}@${version}`);
   vi.mocked(existsSync).mockReturnValue(true);
 
-  const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(baseMockConfig, { useMatrix: false });
-  const job = workflow.jobs['typescript-type-check'];
+  const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(baseMockConfig);
+  const job = workflow.jobs['validate'];
 
   if (expectedAction) {
     expectStepWithUses(job, expectedAction);
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ function testPackageManagerDetection(
 }
 
 /**
- * Test package manager detection from lockfile
+ * Test package manager detection from lockfile (uses validate job)
  */
 function testLockfileDetection(
   lockfileConfig: {
@@ -158,8 +158,8 @@ function testLockfileDetection(
   mockLockfiles({ ...lockfileConfig, packageJsonExists: true });
   mockPackageJson(undefined, { node: '>=22.0.0' });
 
-  const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(baseMockConfig, { useMatrix: false });
-  const job = workflow.jobs['typescript-type-check'];
+  const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(baseMockConfig);
+  const job = workflow.jobs['validate'];
 
   if (expectedAction) {
     expectStepWithUses(job, expectedAction);
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ function testLockfileDetection(
 }
 
 /**
- * Test package manager commands in build workflow
+ * Test package manager commands in build workflow (uses validate job)
  */
 function testBuildCommands(pm: string, version: string, installCmd: string, buildCmd: string) {
   mockPackageJson(`${pm}@${version}`);
@@ -187,10 +187,9 @@ function testBuildCommands(pm: string, version: string, installCmd: string, buil
     },
   };
 
-  const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(configWithBuild, { useMatrix: false });
-  const job = workflow.jobs['build'];
+  const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(configWithBuild);
+  const job = workflow.jobs['validate'];
   expectStepWithRun(job, installCmd);
-  expectStepWithRun(job, buildCmd);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -205,8 +204,7 @@ function generateBunMatrixWorkflow(options: {
   vi.mocked(existsSync).mockReturnValue(true);
 
   const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(baseMockConfig, {
-    useMatrix: true,
-    nodeVersions: options.nodeVersions ?? ['20', '22'],
+        nodeVersions: options.nodeVersions ?? ['20', '22'],
     os: options.os ?? ['ubuntu-latest', 'windows-latest']
   });
 
@@ -244,22 +242,6 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  describe('getAllJobIds', () => {
-    it('should extract all job IDs from phases', () => {
-      const jobIds = getAllJobIds(mockConfig.validation.phases);
-      expect(jobIds).toEqual([
-        'typescript-type-check',
-        'eslint-code-quality',
-        'testing', // Phase 2 has parallel: false, so job is named after phase
-      ]);
-    });
-
-    it('should handle empty phases', () => {
-      const jobIds = getAllJobIds([]);
-      expect(jobIds).toEqual([]);
-    });
-  });
-
   describe('generateWorkflow', () => {
     it('should generate valid GitHub Actions workflow YAML', () => {
       const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow();
@@ -269,196 +251,50 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
       expect(workflow.on.pull_request.branches).toContain('main');
     });
 
-    it('should generate jobs for each validation step in non-matrix mode', () => {
-      const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig, { useMatrix: false });
+    it('should always generate single validate job', () => {
+      const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig);
 
-      expect(workflow.jobs).toHaveProperty('typescript-type-check');
-      expect(workflow.jobs).toHaveProperty('eslint-code-quality');
-      expect(workflow.jobs).toHaveProperty('testing'); // Phase 2 has parallel: false
-    });
-
-    it('should auto-depend on previous phase in non-matrix mode', () => {
-      const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig, { useMatrix: false });
-
-      // Testing phase (phase 2) auto-depends on Pre-Qualification phase (phase 1)
-      expect(workflow.jobs['testing'].needs).toEqual([
-        'typescript-type-check',
-        'eslint-code-quality',
-      ]);
+      // Always generates a single validate job
+      expect(workflow.jobs).toHaveProperty('validate');
+      expect(workflow.jobs).not.toHaveProperty('typescript-type-check');
+      expect(workflow.jobs).not.toHaveProperty('eslint-code-quality');
+      expect(workflow.jobs).not.toHaveProperty('testing');
     });
 
-    it('should include checkout and setup-node steps in non-matrix mode', () => {
-      const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig, { useMatrix: false });
+    it('should include checkout and setup-node steps', () => {
+      const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig);
 
-      const job = workflow.jobs['typescript-type-check'];
+      const job = workflow.jobs['validate'];
       expect(job.steps[0].uses).toBe('actions/checkout@v4');
-      expect(job.steps[1].uses).toBe('actions/setup-node@v4');
+      expect(job.steps.some((s: any) => s.uses === 'actions/setup-node@v4')).toBe(true);
     });
 
+    it('should add all-validation-passed gate job', () => {
+      const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig);
 
-    it('should add all-validation-passed gate job in non-matrix mode', () => {
-      const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig, { useMatrix: false });
-
-      expectGateJob(workflow, [
-        'typescript-type-check',
-        'eslint-code-quality',
-        'testing', // Phase 2 job named after phase
-      ]);
+      expectGateJob(workflow, ['validate']);
     });
 
-    it('should detect pnpm and add pnpm installation steps in non-matrix mode', () => {
+    it('should detect pnpm and add pnpm installation steps', () => {
       const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig, {
         packageManager: 'pnpm',
-        useMatrix: false,
       });
 
-      const job = workflow.jobs['typescript-type-check'];
+      const job = workflow.jobs['validate'];
       const pnpmStep = expectStepWithUses(job, 'pnpm/action-setup');
-      expect(pnpmStep.with.version).toBe('8');
+      expect(pnpmStep.with.version).toBe('9');
       expectStepWithRun(job, 'pnpm install --frozen-lockfile');
     });
 
-    it('should use npm ci when packageManager is npm in non-matrix mode', () => {
+    it('should use npm ci when packageManager is npm', () => {
       const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig, {
         packageManager: 'npm',
-        useMatrix: false,
       });
 
-      const job = workflow.jobs['typescript-type-check'];
+      const job = workflow.jobs['validate'];
       expectStepWithRun(job, 'npm ci');
     });
 
-    it('should add coverage reporting when enabled in non-matrix mode', () => {
-      const workflowYaml = generateWorkflow(mockConfig, {
-        enableCoverage: true,
-        coverageProvider: 'codecov',
-        useMatrix: false,
-      });
-      const workflow = parseWorkflowYaml(workflowYaml);
-
-      const coverageJob = workflow.jobs['testing']; // Phase 2 job named after phase
-      const codecovStep = coverageJob.steps.find(
-        (s: any) => s.uses === 'codecov/codecov-action@v3'
-      );
-      expect(codecovStep).toBeDefined();
-    });
-
-    it('should preserve step environment variables in non-matrix mode', () => {
-      const configWithEnv: VibeValidateConfig = {
-        ...mockConfig,
-        validation: {
-          ...mockConfig.validation,
-          phases: [
-            {
-              name: 'Test',
-              parallel: false,
-              steps: [
-                {
-                  name: 'Test with Env',
-                  command: 'npm test',
-                  env: {
-                    NODE_ENV: 'test',
-                    API_KEY: '${{ secrets.API_KEY }}',
-                  },
-                },
-              ],
-              timeout: 300000,
-              failFast: true,
-            },
-          ],
-        },
-      };
-
-      const workflowYaml = generateWorkflow(configWithEnv, { useMatrix: false });
-      const workflow = parseWorkflowYaml(workflowYaml);
-
-      const job = workflow.jobs['test']; // Phase has parallel: false, job named after phase
-      const testStep = job.steps.find((s: any) => s.run === 'npm test');
-      expect(testStep.env.NODE_ENV).toBe('test');
-      expect(testStep.env.API_KEY).toBe('${{ secrets.API_KEY }}');
-    });
-
-    it('should add working-directory when step has cwd field in non-matrix mode (phase-based)', () => {
-      const configWithCwd: VibeValidateConfig = {
-        ...mockConfig,
-        validation: {
-          ...mockConfig.validation,
-          phases: [
-            {
-              name: 'Test Backend',
-              parallel: false,
-              steps: [
-                {
-                  name: 'Run backend tests',
-                  command: 'npm test',
-                  cwd: 'packages/backend',
-                },
-              ],
-              timeout: 300000,
-              failFast: true,
-            },
-          ],
-        },
-      };
-
-      const workflowYaml = generateWorkflow(configWithCwd, { useMatrix: false });
-      const workflow = parseWorkflowYaml(workflowYaml);
-
-      const job = workflow.jobs['test-backend']; // Phase has parallel: false, job named after phase
-      const testStep = job.steps.find((s: any) => s.run === 'npm test');
-      expect(testStep['working-directory']).toBe('packages/backend');
-    });
-
-    it('should add working-directory when step has cwd field in non-matrix mode (step-based)', () => {
-      const configWithCwd: VibeValidateConfig = {
-        ...mockConfig,
-        validation: {
-          ...mockConfig.validation,
-          phases: [
-            {
-              name: 'Test',
-              parallel: true,
-              steps: [
-                {
-                  name: 'Test Frontend',
-                  command: 'npm test',
-                  cwd: 'packages/frontend',
-                },
-                {
-                  name: 'Test Backend',
-                  command: 'npm test',
-                  cwd: 'packages/backend',
-                },
-              ],
-              timeout: 300000,
-              failFast: false,
-            },
-          ],
-        },
-      };
-
-      const workflowYaml = generateWorkflow(configWithCwd, { useMatrix: false });
-      const workflow = parseWorkflowYaml(workflowYaml);
-
-      // In step-based parallelism, each step becomes a separate job
-      const frontendJob = workflow.jobs['test-frontend'];
-      const frontendStep = frontendJob.steps.find((s: any) => s.run === 'npm test');
-      expect(frontendStep['working-directory']).toBe('packages/frontend');
-
-      const backendJob = workflow.jobs['test-backend'];
-      const backendStep = backendJob.steps.find((s: any) => s.run === 'npm test');
-      expect(backendStep['working-directory']).toBe('packages/backend');
-    });
-
-    it('should not add working-directory when step has no cwd field', () => {
-      const workflowYaml = generateWorkflow(mockConfig, { useMatrix: false });
-      const workflow = parseWorkflowYaml(workflowYaml);
-
-      const job = workflow.jobs['typescript-type-check'];
-      const testStep = job.steps.find((s: any) => s.run === 'pnpm -r typecheck');
-      expect(testStep['working-directory']).toBeUndefined();
-    });
-
     it('should include header without timestamp', () => {
       const workflowYaml = generateWorkflow(mockConfig);
       expect(workflowYaml).not.toContain('# Generated:'); // No timestamp in v0.9.6+
@@ -517,66 +353,24 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
       expect(workflow.jobs.validate.strategy['fail-fast']).toBe(true);
     });
 
-    it('should use non-matrix mode when single node version and single OS', () => {
+    it('should always use single validate job even with single node version and OS', () => {
       const workflowYaml = generateWorkflow(mockConfig, {
         nodeVersions: ['20'],
         os: ['ubuntu-latest'],
-        useMatrix: false,
-      });
-      const workflow = parseWorkflowYaml(workflowYaml);
-
-      // In non-matrix mode, jobs are created per step
-      expect(workflow.jobs).toHaveProperty('typescript-type-check');
-      expect(workflow.jobs).toHaveProperty('eslint-code-quality');
-      expect(workflow.jobs).not.toHaveProperty('validate');
-    });
-
-    it('should create validate job in matrix mode', () => {
-      const workflowYaml = generateWorkflow(mockConfig, {
-        nodeVersions: ['20', '22'],
-        os: ['ubuntu-latest'],
-        useMatrix: true,
       });
       const workflow = parseWorkflowYaml(workflowYaml);
 
-      // In matrix mode, single validate job with strategy
+      // Always generates a single validate job with matrix strategy
       expect(workflow.jobs).toHaveProperty('validate');
       expect(workflow.jobs.validate).toHaveProperty('strategy');
-      expect(workflow.jobs).not.toHaveProperty('typescript-type-check');
+      expect(workflow.jobs.validate.strategy.matrix.node).toEqual(['20']);
+      expect(workflow.jobs.validate.strategy.matrix.os).toEqual(['ubuntu-latest']);
     });
 
-    it('should include checkout and setup steps in matrix mode', () => {
-      const workflowYaml = generateWorkflow(mockConfig, {
-        nodeVersions: ['20', '22'],
-        useMatrix: true,
-      });
-      const workflow = parseWorkflowYaml(workflowYaml);
-
-      const job = workflow.jobs['validate'];
-      expect(job.steps[0].uses).toBe('actions/checkout@v4');
-      expect(job.steps.some((s: any) => s.uses === 'actions/setup-node@v4')).toBe(true);
-    });
-
-    it('should add pnpm setup in matrix mode', () => {
-      const workflowYaml = generateWorkflow(mockConfig, {
-        packageManager: 'pnpm',
-        nodeVersions: ['20', '22'],
-        useMatrix: true,
-      });
-      const workflow = parseWorkflowYaml(workflowYaml);
-
-      const job = workflow.jobs['validate'];
-      const pnpmStep = job.steps.find((s: any) => s.uses === 'pnpm/action-setup@v2');
-      expect(pnpmStep).toBeDefined();
-      expect(pnpmStep.with.version).toBe('9');
-    });
-
-
     it('should NOT add validation state upload (deprecated in v0.12.0)', () => {
       const workflowYaml = generateWorkflow(mockConfig, {
         nodeVersions: ['20', '22'],
         os: ['ubuntu-latest', 'macos-latest'],
-        useMatrix: true,
       });
       const workflow = parseWorkflowYaml(workflowYaml);
 
@@ -593,8 +387,7 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
         enableCoverage: true,
         nodeVersions: ['20', '22', '24'],
         os: ['ubuntu-latest', 'macos-latest'],
-        useMatrix: true,
-      });
+              });
       const workflow = parseWorkflowYaml(workflowYaml);
 
       // Should have validate job with matrix
@@ -614,8 +407,7 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
     it('should add all-validation-passed gate job in matrix mode', () => {
       const workflowYaml = generateWorkflow(mockConfig, {
         nodeVersions: ['20', '22'],
-        useMatrix: true,
-      });
+              });
       const workflow = parseWorkflowYaml(workflowYaml);
 
       expect(workflow.jobs).toHaveProperty('all-validation-passed');
@@ -627,8 +419,7 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
       const workflowYaml = generateWorkflow(mockConfig, {
         enableCoverage: true,
         nodeVersions: ['20', '22'],
-        useMatrix: true,
-      });
+              });
       const workflow = parseWorkflowYaml(workflowYaml);
 
       expect(workflow.jobs['all-validation-passed'].needs).toEqual([
@@ -739,8 +530,8 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
         mockPackageJson('npm@10.0.0');
         vi.mocked(existsSync).mockReturnValue(true);
 
-        const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig, { useMatrix: false });
-        const job = workflow.jobs['typescript-type-check'];
+        const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig);
+        const job = workflow.jobs['validate'];
         expectStepWithRun(job, 'npm ci');
         expectNoStepWithUses(job, 'pnpm/action-setup');
       });
@@ -749,10 +540,10 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
         mockLockfiles({ hasPackageLock: true, hasPnpmLock: true });
         mockPackageJson(undefined, { node: '>=22.0.0' });
 
-        const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig, { useMatrix: false });
+        const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig);
 
         // Should default to npm when both exist (more conservative)
-        const job = workflow.jobs['typescript-type-check'];
+        const job = workflow.jobs['validate'];
         expectStepWithRun(job, 'npm ci');
         expectNoStepWithUses(job, 'pnpm/action-setup');
       });
@@ -761,10 +552,10 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
         mockLockfiles({ hasPackageLock: false, hasPnpmLock: true, packageJsonExists: true });
         mockPackageJson(undefined, { node: '>=22.0.0' });
 
-        const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig, { useMatrix: false });
+        const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig);
 
         // Should use pnpm when only pnpm-lock exists
-        const job = workflow.jobs['typescript-type-check'];
+        const job = workflow.jobs['validate'];
         expectStepWithUses(job, 'pnpm/action-setup');
       });
 
@@ -772,10 +563,10 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
         mockLockfiles({ hasPackageLock: true, hasPnpmLock: false, packageJsonExists: true });
         mockPackageJson(undefined, { node: '>=22.0.0' });
 
-        const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig, { useMatrix: false });
+        const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig);
 
         // Should use npm when only package-lock exists
-        const job = workflow.jobs['typescript-type-check'];
+        const job = workflow.jobs['validate'];
         expectStepWithRun(job, 'npm ci');
       });
 
@@ -783,10 +574,10 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
         vi.mocked(existsSync).mockReturnValue(true);
         mockPackageJson('pnpm@9.0.0', { node: '>=22.0.0' });
 
-        const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig, { useMatrix: false });
+        const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig);
 
         // Should use pnpm from packageManager field (not default to npm)
-        const job = workflow.jobs['typescript-type-check'];
+        const job = workflow.jobs['validate'];
         expectStepWithUses(job, 'pnpm/action-setup');
       });
 
@@ -838,7 +629,7 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
         testBuildCommands('yarn', '4.0.0', 'yarn install --frozen-lockfile', 'yarn run build');
       });
 
-      it('should use bun in matrix mode', () => {
+      it('should use bun with validate job', () => {
         const job = generateBunMatrixWorkflow();
 
         expect(job.strategy.matrix.node).toEqual(['20', '22']);
@@ -848,7 +639,7 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
         expectStepWithRun(job, 'bun run validate');
       });
 
-      it('should include Node.js setup for Bun projects with matrix for compatibility testing', () => {
+      it('should include Node.js setup for Bun projects for compatibility testing', () => {
         const job = generateBunMatrixWorkflow();
 
         // Should have BOTH Bun and Node.js setup
@@ -872,8 +663,7 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
         mockPackageJson(undefined, { node: '>=22.0.0' });
 
         const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig, {
-          useMatrix: true,
-          nodeVersions: ['22', '24'],
+                    nodeVersions: ['22', '24'],
         });
 
         const job = workflow.jobs['validate'];
@@ -887,13 +677,12 @@ describe('generate-workflow command', () => {
         expect(nodeStep.with.cache).toBeUndefined();
       });
 
-      it('should use yarn in matrix mode', () => {
+      it('should use yarn with validate job', () => {
         mockPackageJson('yarn@4.0.0');
         vi.mocked(existsSync).mockReturnValue(true);
 
         const workflow = generateAndParseWorkflow(mockConfig, {
-          useMatrix: true,
-          nodeVersions: ['20', '22'],
+                    nodeVersions: ['20', '22'],
           os: ['ubuntu-latest']
         });
 
diff --git a/packages/config/package.json b/packages/config/package.json
index 520e7adc..8978365f 100644
--- a/packages/config/package.json
+++ b/packages/config/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@vibe-validate/config",
-  "version": "0.19.0-rc.12",
+  "version": "0.19.0-rc.13",
   "description": "Configuration system for vibe-validate with TypeScript-first design and config templates",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",
diff --git a/packages/core/package.json b/packages/core/package.json
index e6d6e7cd..3ca36b4f 100644
--- a/packages/core/package.json
+++ b/packages/core/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@vibe-validate/core",
-  "version": "0.19.0-rc.12",
+  "version": "0.19.0-rc.13",
   "description": "Core validation orchestration engine for vibe-validate",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",
diff --git a/packages/extractors/package.json b/packages/extractors/package.json
index 54834e83..149a5ac3 100644
--- a/packages/extractors/package.json
+++ b/packages/extractors/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@vibe-validate/extractors",
-  "version": "0.19.0-rc.12",
+  "version": "0.19.0-rc.13",
   "description": "LLM-optimized error extractors for validation output",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",
diff --git a/packages/git/package.json b/packages/git/package.json
index ce2e880d..ee855d70 100644
--- a/packages/git/package.json
+++ b/packages/git/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@vibe-validate/git",
-  "version": "0.19.0-rc.12",
+  "version": "0.19.0-rc.13",
   "description": "Git utilities for vibe-validate - tree hash calculation, branch sync, and post-merge cleanup",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",
diff --git a/packages/history/package.json b/packages/history/package.json
index 0dae32c5..20bfa98b 100644
--- a/packages/history/package.json
+++ b/packages/history/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@vibe-validate/history",
-  "version": "0.19.0-rc.12",
+  "version": "0.19.0-rc.13",
   "description": "Validation history tracking via git notes for vibe-validate",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",
diff --git a/packages/utils/package.json b/packages/utils/package.json
index 68a8bd17..37ed0cb8 100644
--- a/packages/utils/package.json
+++ b/packages/utils/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@vibe-validate/utils",
-  "version": "0.19.0-rc.12",
+  "version": "0.19.0-rc.13",
   "description": "Common utilities for vibe-validate packages (command execution, path normalization)",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",
diff --git a/packages/vibe-validate/package.json b/packages/vibe-validate/package.json
index 04e817cf..2d1fb91b 100644
--- a/packages/vibe-validate/package.json
+++ b/packages/vibe-validate/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "vibe-validate",
-  "version": "0.19.0-rc.12",
+  "version": "0.19.0-rc.13",
   "description": "Git-aware validation orchestration for vibe coding (LLM-assisted development) - umbrella package",
   "type": "module",
   "bin": {