diff --git a/.github/workflows/eval-leaderboard.yml b/.github/workflows/eval-leaderboard.yml
index ff24cdc..e6cefff 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/eval-leaderboard.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/eval-leaderboard.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ on:
 
 permissions:
   contents: write
+  pull-requests: write
 
 concurrency:
   group: eval-leaderboard
@@ -54,15 +55,16 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build the leaderboard page (sanity check)
         run: node scripts/build-leaderboard.mjs
 
-      - name: Commit results
-        run: |
-          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
-          git config user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
-          git add evals/results.json
-          if git diff --cached --quiet; then
-            echo "No change in results."
-          else
-            git commit -m "chore(evals): refresh leaderboard results"
-            git push
-            echo "Committed evals/results.json — the Pages deploy will render real numbers."
-          fi
+      - name: Open a PR with the refreshed results
+        uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v7
+        with:
+          add-paths: evals/results.json
+          branch: eval-results
+          delete-branch: true
+          commit-message: "chore(evals): refresh leaderboard results"
+          title: "chore(evals): refresh leaderboard results"
+          body: |
+            Auto-generated by the **Update Skill Leaderboard** workflow.
+
+            Merging this publishes the **real** numbers on the live leaderboard — the
+            Pages deploy is triggered by changes to `evals/results.json`.
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 32be794..6033eaa 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ each new wave of skills bumps the **major** version, extensions and fixes bump
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Changed
+- **Leaderboard workflow opens a PR** instead of pushing to `main` (which the branch
+  ruleset blocks). After it runs, merge the auto-created results PR to publish real numbers.
 - **Faster, hang-proof evals.** The Anthropic client now has a per-request timeout (120s)
   and limited retries (429/5xx/timeout); the eval harness runs cases concurrently
   (default 4). The leaderboard workflow has a 20-minute job timeout. A 24-call run that
diff --git a/evals/README.md b/evals/README.md
index 0bf62c2..e7d03ed 100644
--- a/evals/README.md
+++ b/evals/README.md
@@ -30,9 +30,13 @@ back to `results.example.json` (clearly labelled) so the page renders before you
 
 ### No local key? Run it in CI
 
-Add an `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` repo secret, then go to **Actions → "Update Skill Leaderboard"
-→ Run workflow**. It runs the evals, commits `evals/results.json`, and the Pages deploy
-re-renders the public leaderboard with real numbers — no laptop required.
+1. Add an `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` repo secret.
+2. Enable **Settings → Actions → General → Workflow permissions → "Allow GitHub Actions to
+   create and approve pull requests"** (so the workflow can open its results PR — `main`
+   requires PRs).
+3. **Actions → "Update Skill Leaderboard" → Run workflow.** It runs the evals and opens a
+   PR with `evals/results.json`. **Merge that PR** and the Pages deploy re-renders the
+   public leaderboard with real numbers — no laptop required.
 
 ## Add a case