diff --git a/tools/scripts/sync_repo_metadata.py b/tools/scripts/sync_repo_metadata.py
index f2631432..773d1d3c 100644
--- a/tools/scripts/sync_repo_metadata.py
+++ b/tools/scripts/sync_repo_metadata.py
@@ -52,18 +52,25 @@ def parse_args() -> argparse.Namespace:
         description="Synchronize repository metadata across README and package.json."
     )
     parser.add_argument("--dry-run", action="store_true", help="Preview updates without writing files.")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--refresh-volatile",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Refresh live star count and updated_at when syncing README metadata.",
+    )
     return parser.parse_args()
 
 
 def main() -> int:
     args = parse_args()
     base_dir = find_repo_root(os.path.dirname(__file__))
-    metadata = load_metadata(base_dir)
+    metadata = load_metadata(base_dir, refresh_volatile=args.refresh_volatile)
 
     print("Repository metadata")
     print(json.dumps(metadata, indent=2))
 
-    readme_metadata = update_readme(dry_run=args.dry_run)
+    readme_metadata = update_readme(
+        dry_run=args.dry_run, refresh_volatile=args.refresh_volatile
+    )
     package_updated = update_package_description(base_dir, metadata, args.dry_run)
     print_manual_github_about(readme_metadata)
 
diff --git a/tools/scripts/update_readme.py b/tools/scripts/update_readme.py
index 0dbf3c20..3d65b1d5 100644
--- a/tools/scripts/update_readme.py
+++ b/tools/scripts/update_readme.py
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ from datetime import datetime, timezone
 
 GITHUB_REPO = "sickn33/antigravity-awesome-skills"
 SYNC_COMMENT_RE = re.compile(r"<!-- registry-sync: .*? -->")
+SYNC_COMMENT_FIELDS_RE = re.compile(
+    r"<!-- registry-sync: version=(?P<version>[^;]+); skills=(?P<skills>\d+); "
+    r"stars=(?P<stars>\d+); updated_at=(?P<updated_at>[^ ]+) -->"
+)
 
 
 def configure_utf8_output() -> None:
@@ -91,7 +95,22 @@ def fetch_star_count(repo: str) -> int | None:
     return int(stars) if isinstance(stars, int) else None
 
 
-def load_metadata(base_dir: str, repo: str = GITHUB_REPO) -> dict:
+def parse_existing_sync_metadata(current_readme: str) -> dict[str, str | int] | None:
+    match = SYNC_COMMENT_FIELDS_RE.search(current_readme)
+    if not match:
+        return None
+
+    return {
+        "version": match.group("version"),
+        "skills": int(match.group("skills")),
+        "stars": int(match.group("stars")),
+        "updated_at": match.group("updated_at"),
+    }
+
+
+def load_metadata(
+    base_dir: str, repo: str = GITHUB_REPO, refresh_volatile: bool = False
+) -> dict:
     readme_path = os.path.join(base_dir, "README.md")
     package_path = os.path.join(base_dir, "package.json")
     index_path = os.path.join(base_dir, "skills_index.json")
@@ -105,6 +124,7 @@ def load_metadata(base_dir: str, repo: str = GITHUB_REPO) -> dict:
     with open(readme_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as file:
         current_readme = file.read()
 
+    existing_sync_metadata = parse_existing_sync_metadata(current_readme)
     current_star_match = re.search(r"⭐%20([\d%2C\+]+)%20Stars", current_readme)
     current_stars = None
     if current_star_match:
@@ -113,8 +133,29 @@ def load_metadata(base_dir: str, repo: str = GITHUB_REPO) -> dict:
         if compact.isdigit():
             current_stars = int(compact)
 
-    live_stars = fetch_star_count(repo)
-    total_stars = live_stars if live_stars is not None else current_stars or 0
+    existing_stars = None
+    existing_updated_at = None
+    if existing_sync_metadata:
+        stars = existing_sync_metadata.get("stars")
+        updated_at = existing_sync_metadata.get("updated_at")
+        if isinstance(stars, int):
+            existing_stars = stars
+        if isinstance(updated_at, str):
+            existing_updated_at = updated_at
+
+    live_stars = fetch_star_count(repo) if refresh_volatile else None
+    total_stars = (
+        live_stars
+        if live_stars is not None
+        else existing_stars
+        if existing_stars is not None
+        else current_stars or 0
+    )
+    updated_at = (
+        datetime.now(timezone.utc).replace(microsecond=0).isoformat()
+        if refresh_volatile or existing_updated_at is None
+        else existing_updated_at
+    )
 
     return {
         "repo": repo,
@@ -125,8 +166,9 @@ def load_metadata(base_dir: str, repo: str = GITHUB_REPO) -> dict:
         "star_badge_count": format_star_badge_count(total_stars),
         "star_milestone": format_star_milestone(total_stars),
         "star_celebration": format_star_celebration(total_stars),
-        "updated_at": datetime.now(timezone.utc).replace(microsecond=0).isoformat(),
+        "updated_at": updated_at,
         "used_live_star_count": live_stars is not None,
+        "refreshed_volatile": refresh_volatile,
     }
 
 
@@ -221,10 +263,10 @@ def apply_metadata(content: str, metadata: dict) -> str:
     return f"{sync_comment}\n{content.lstrip()}"
 
 
-def update_readme(dry_run: bool = False) -> dict:
+def update_readme(dry_run: bool = False, refresh_volatile: bool = False) -> dict:
     base_dir = find_repo_root(os.path.dirname(__file__))
     readme_path = os.path.join(base_dir, "README.md")
-    metadata = load_metadata(base_dir)
+    metadata = load_metadata(base_dir, refresh_volatile=refresh_volatile)
 
     print(f"📖 Reading README from: {readme_path}")
     print(f"🔢 Total skills found: {metadata['total_skills']}")
@@ -252,10 +294,15 @@ def update_readme(dry_run: bool = False) -> dict:
 def parse_args() -> argparse.Namespace:
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Sync generated metadata into README.md.")
     parser.add_argument("--dry-run", action="store_true", help="Compute metadata without writing files.")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--refresh-volatile",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Refresh live star count and updated_at instead of preserving existing values.",
+    )
     return parser.parse_args()
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     configure_utf8_output()
     args = parse_args()
-    update_readme(dry_run=args.dry_run)
+    update_readme(dry_run=args.dry_run, refresh_volatile=args.refresh_volatile)
diff --git a/walkthrough.md b/walkthrough.md
index ce55f1c0..d9ea2987 100644
--- a/walkthrough.md
+++ b/walkthrough.md
@@ -12,3 +12,13 @@
   - `npm run chain`
   - `npm run catalog`
 - Final release prep, issue closure comments, and verification were completed on `main`.
+
+# Maintenance Walkthrough - 2026-03-13
+
+- Fixed `tools/scripts/update_readme.py` so normal `npm run readme` runs preserve the existing `registry-sync` star/timestamp values instead of rewriting them on every execution, which was causing non-deterministic PR drift failures in CI.
+- Updated `tools/scripts/sync_repo_metadata.py` to expose the same explicit `--refresh-volatile` behavior for live star/timestamp refreshes, keeping release/metadata refresh flows available without destabilizing contributor PR checks.
+- Verified the fix with:
+  - `python3 tools/scripts/update_readme.py --dry-run`
+  - `python3 tools/scripts/sync_repo_metadata.py --dry-run`
+  - `npm run readme`
+  - `npm run validate:references`