diff --git a/.changeset/design-workspace-metadata.md b/.changeset/design-workspace-metadata.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cd38a91351f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/design-workspace-metadata.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@reddb-io/redcode": patch
+---
+
+Include the internal Design workspace in Changesets version planning and validate the real version command before merging release changes.
diff --git a/bun.lock b/bun.lock
index 9d679f590c10..650a4890a00d 100644
--- a/bun.lock
+++ b/bun.lock
@@ -402,6 +402,7 @@
     },
     "packages/design": {
       "name": "@reddb-io/redcode-design",
+      "version": "0.0.0",
       "dependencies": {
         "@reddb-io/redcode-schema": "workspace:*",
       },
diff --git a/packages/design/package.json b/packages/design/package.json
index 9126a6697a37..ada03457fba8 100644
--- a/packages/design/package.json
+++ b/packages/design/package.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@reddb-io/redcode-design",
+  "version": "0.0.0",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "exports": {
diff --git a/script/test-redcode-release-contract.ts b/script/test-redcode-release-contract.ts
index cff7d1bdd462..eb102c23745a 100755
--- a/script/test-redcode-release-contract.ts
+++ b/script/test-redcode-release-contract.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bun
 
 import path from "path"
+import os from "os"
+import fs from "fs/promises"
 
 const root = path.resolve(import.meta.dir, "..")
 const workflows = path.join(root, ".github", "workflows")
@@ -157,4 +159,27 @@ const staleDefault = sources.flatMap((source) =>
 )
 if (staleDefault.length > 0) throw new Error(`workflow still targets dev: ${staleDefault.join(", ")}`)
 
+// `changeset status` does not validate the skipped-package dependency graph.
+// Exercise the real version command without changing the checkout's versions.
+const preview = await fs.mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "redcode-version-check-"))
+try {
+  const workspace = await Bun.file(path.join(root, "package.json")).json()
+  await Bun.write(path.join(preview, "package.json"), Bun.file(path.join(root, "package.json")))
+  for (const pattern of workspace.workspaces.packages) {
+    for await (const file of new Bun.Glob(`${pattern}/package.json`).scan({ cwd: root })) {
+      await Bun.write(path.join(preview, file), Bun.file(path.join(root, file)))
+    }
+  }
+  await fs.cp(path.join(root, ".changeset"), path.join(preview, ".changeset"), { recursive: true })
+  await fs.symlink(path.join(root, "node_modules"), path.join(preview, "node_modules"), "junction")
+  const version = Bun.spawn(["node", path.join(root, "node_modules", "@changesets", "cli", "bin.js"), "version"], {
+    cwd: preview,
+    stdout: "inherit",
+    stderr: "inherit",
+  })
+  if ((await version.exited) !== 0) throw new Error("Changesets version rehearsal failed")
+} finally {
+  await fs.rm(preview, { recursive: true, force: true })
+}
+
 console.log("Redcode release posture: binary-only")