diff --git a/.github/AGENTS.md b/.github/AGENTS.md
index f9d95836fc9..1ea5ae37ea0 100644
--- a/.github/AGENTS.md
+++ b/.github/AGENTS.md
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@ These keep zizmor (`zizmor.yml`, fails on medium or higher findings) and the Ope
 - `workflows/array-api-skips.txt` lists array-api-tests node IDs skipped by the conformance job; precede each with a comment naming the upstream issue.
 - `bump-sycl-deps.yml` rewrites the `DRIVER_PATH`, `OCLCPUEXP_FN`, `TBB_URL`, `TBB_INSTALL_DIR` and `TBB_FN` pins in `.github/sycl-build-deps.env` with `sed`, and `os-llvm-sycl-build.yml` reads exactly those five; keep one unquoted `KEY=VALUE` per line, starting at column 0.
 - Every write to `gh-pages` (`build-sphinx.yml`, `prune-pr-docs.yml`) goes through `.github/scripts/update_gh_pages.sh`, which retries a push rejected by a concurrent writer; don't push to `gh-pages` any other way.
-- Dependabot (`dependabot.yml`) bumps actions, `environments/` pins and pre-commit hooks weekly with a 7-day cooldown.
+- Dependabot (`dependabot.yml`) bumps actions, `environments/` pins and pre-commit hooks weekly with a 7-day cooldown. After a `dpctl` release it opens a PR that raises the `dpctl` floor in `environments/dpctl_pkg.txt` only; don't merge it. Instead, by hand, move the dev-series pins (`[project].dependencies` in `pyproject.toml`, `environments/dpctl_pkg.{txt,yml}`, `conda-recipe/meta.yaml`, `conda-recipe/rattler_recipe.yaml`) to the next `X.Y.0dev0`, and the release-only pins (`[build-system].requires` in `pyproject.toml`, `conda-recipe-cf/meta.yaml`) to the new release.
diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index 7af8cbab007..4bf5234ec7a 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ updates:
       github-actions:
         patterns: ["*"]
 
-  # Note: only "==" pins are bumped; ">=" floors and dev pre-releases are not
+  # A dpctl release makes this raise the dpctl floor in dpctl_pkg.txt only: don't
+  # merge that PR; bump the dev pins to the next dev series and the release-only
+  # pins (build-system, conda-recipe-cf) to the new release by hand (see .github/AGENTS.md)
   - package-ecosystem: "pip"
     directory: "/environments"
     schedule: