diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 010adba39..15f55e17d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -302,8 +302,8 @@ Some vendors publish a release feed of their own that is faster and more precise
 than the AUR packaging of it. Those packages are `source: local` — Omarchy owns
 the PKGBUILD — and declare where releases come from in one of two ways.
 
-A vendor shipping tagged GitHub releases with a checksum manifest asset is pure
-data, declared as `upstream` in `.omarchy/package.json` with no code at all:
+A vendor shipping tagged GitHub releases is pure data, declared as `upstream`
+in `.omarchy/package.json` with no code at all:
 
 ```json
 "upstream": {
@@ -316,6 +316,12 @@ data, declared as `upstream` in `.omarchy/package.json` with no code at all:
 }
 ```
 
+`checksums` names the manifest asset the vendor publishes. A vendor publishing
+none sets `"digests": true` instead, and the checksums come from the SHA-256
+digest GitHub's release API reports for every asset — see
+`pkgbuilds/schist-bin/.omarchy/package.json`. Either way the artifacts
+themselves are never downloaded.
+
 `{tag}` and `{pkgver}` interpolate into asset names; a leading `v` on the tag is
 stripped for `pkgver`; drafts and prereleases are ignored. Only the 100 most
 recent releases are considered. The provider fails closed on anything it cannot
@@ -626,7 +632,7 @@ Minimal examples:
 Fields:
 
 - `source`: `aur` or `local`. A `local` package can still follow an upstream release, either declaratively via `upstream` or with an `.omarchy/upstream.sh` hook.
-- `upstream`: optional for `local` packages whose vendor ships tagged GitHub releases with a checksum manifest asset. `{ "github": "owner/repo", "checksums": "SHASUMS256.txt", "assets": { "<arch>": "name-{tag}.tar.xz" } }` — see [Sync Upstream Releases](#sync-upstream-releases). Mutually exclusive with `.omarchy/upstream.sh`.
+- `upstream`: optional for `local` packages whose vendor ships tagged GitHub releases. `{ "github": "owner/repo", "checksums": "SHASUMS256.txt", "assets": { "<arch>": "name-{tag}.tar.xz" } }`, or `"digests": true` in place of `checksums` to use the release API's per-asset digests — see [Sync Upstream Releases](#sync-upstream-releases). Mutually exclusive with `.omarchy/upstream.sh`.
 - `min_release_age`: optional quarantine for upstream releases (`"24h"`, `"2d"`, or bare seconds). The newest release older than the window ships; anything younger waits, and a release whose age cannot be proven fails the sync. Bypass deliberately with `BYPASS_MIN_RELEASE_AGE=1 bin/sync-upstream <package>`.
 - `sync`: optional for AUR packages; defaults to `true`. Set `false` for AUR-origin packages that Omarchy maintains manually.
 - `aur`: optional AUR package name when it differs from the local package directory, usually for split packages.
diff --git a/bin/sync-upstream b/bin/sync-upstream
index d05d5f887..04c7ac623 100755
--- a/bin/sync-upstream
+++ b/bin/sync-upstream
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ Usage: $0 [PACKAGE...]
 Update packages that track an upstream vendor release feed instead of the AUR.
 
 Packages opt in declaratively through "upstream" in .omarchy/package.json.
-Providers cover GitHub Releases with checksum manifests, semver-shaped git
-tags whose source URLs can be hashed, and npm dist-tags. See README.md for the
+Providers cover GitHub Releases with checksum manifests or API asset digests,
+semver-shaped git tags whose source URLs can be hashed, and npm dist-tags. See README.md for the
 schemas. Anything outside those conventions may provide
 pkgbuilds/<package>/.omarchy/upstream.sh, a hook that reports JSON on stdout:
 
@@ -466,8 +466,8 @@ sync_package() {
 # paths. Covers release selection (fallback past quarantined releases,
 # draft/prerelease filtering, bypass, unchanged version), failure paths
 # (unusable tags/timestamps, missing checksums), checksum template mapping
-# for both architectures, the min_release_age backstop, the duration parser,
-# and manifest validation.
+# for both architectures, release API digests, the min_release_age backstop,
+# the duration parser, and manifest validation.
 cmd_self_test() {
   local failures=0
 
@@ -567,6 +567,76 @@ EOF
   rc=0; github_upstream_release "$pkg" 86400 >/dev/null 2>&1 || rc=$?
   check "missing aarch64 checksum fails the sync" "1" "$rc"
 
+  # A vendor publishing no manifest: checksums come from the digests the
+  # release API reports per asset, with nothing fetched beyond the feed.
+  echo "Release API digests:"
+  local digpkg="$TEMP_DIR/selftest-digests"
+  mkdir -p "$digpkg/.omarchy"
+  printf 'pkgver=1.0.0\npkgrel=1\n' > "$digpkg/PKGBUILD"
+  cat > "$digpkg/.omarchy/package.json" <<'EOF'
+{
+  "source": "local",
+  "upstream": {
+    "github": "example/tool",
+    "digests": true,
+    "assets": {
+      "x86_64": "tool-{pkgver}-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst",
+      "aarch64": "tool-{pkgver}-1-aarch64.pkg.tar.zst"
+    }
+  }
+}
+EOF
+  FIXTURE_RELEASES=$(jq -n --arg old "$old2d" --arg x "$sum_x19" --arg a "$sum_a19" '[
+    {tag_name: "v1.9.0", published_at: $old, draft: false, prerelease: false, assets: [
+      {name: "tool-1.9.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst", digest: ("sha256:" + $x)},
+      {name: "tool-1.9.0-1-aarch64.pkg.tar.zst", digest: ("sha256:" + $a)},
+      {name: "tool-1.9.0-1-x86_64.rpm", digest: "sha256:0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000"}
+    ]}
+  ]')
+  FIXTURE_CHECKSUMS="manifest must not be consulted"
+  out=$(github_upstream_release "$digpkg" 0 2>/dev/null) || out="<error>"
+  check "x86_64 checksum via the asset digest" "$sum_x19" "$(jq -r '.sha256sums.x86_64[0] // "<none>"' <<<"$out")"
+  check "aarch64 checksum via the asset digest" "$sum_a19" "$(jq -r '.sha256sums.aarch64[0] // "<none>"' <<<"$out")"
+
+  FIXTURE_RELEASES=$(jq -n --arg old "$old2d" --arg x "$sum_x19" '[
+    {tag_name: "v1.9.0", published_at: $old, draft: false, prerelease: false, assets: [
+      {name: "tool-1.9.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst", digest: ("sha256:" + $x)},
+      {name: "tool-1.9.0-1-aarch64.pkg.tar.zst"}
+    ]}
+  ]')
+  rc=0; github_upstream_release "$digpkg" 0 >/dev/null 2>&1 || rc=$?
+  check "asset without a digest fails the sync" "1" "$rc"
+
+  FIXTURE_RELEASES=$(jq -n --arg old "$old2d" --arg x "$sum_x19" '[
+    {tag_name: "v1.9.0", published_at: $old, draft: false, prerelease: false, assets: [
+      {name: "tool-1.9.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst", digest: ("sha256:" + $x)},
+      {name: "tool-1.9.0-2-aarch64.pkg.tar.zst", digest: ("sha256:" + $x)}
+    ]}
+  ]')
+  rc=0; github_upstream_release "$digpkg" 0 >/dev/null 2>&1 || rc=$?
+  check "asset re-cut under another release number fails the sync" "1" "$rc"
+
+  FIXTURE_RELEASES=$(jq -n --arg old "$old2d" --arg x "$sum_x19" --arg a "$sum_a19" '[
+    {tag_name: "v1.9.0", published_at: $old, draft: false, prerelease: false, assets: [
+      {name: "tool-1.9.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst", digest: $x},
+      {name: "tool-1.9.0-1-aarch64.pkg.tar.zst", digest: ("sha256:" + $a)}
+    ]}
+  ]')
+  rc=0; github_upstream_release "$digpkg" 0 >/dev/null 2>&1 || rc=$?
+  check "digest without the sha256: prefix fails the sync" "1" "$rc"
+
+  # The provider enforces the declaration shape itself: scheduled runs reach
+  # it without validate_package_metadata.
+  jq '.upstream.checksums = "SHASUMS256.txt"' "$digpkg/.omarchy/package.json" > "$digpkg/both.json"
+  cp "$digpkg/.omarchy/package.json" "$digpkg/good.json"
+  cp "$digpkg/both.json" "$digpkg/.omarchy/package.json"
+  rc=0; github_upstream_release "$digpkg" 0 >/dev/null 2>&1 || rc=$?
+  check "provider rejects checksums and digests together" "1" "$rc"
+  jq '.upstream.digests = "true"' "$digpkg/good.json" > "$digpkg/.omarchy/package.json"
+  rc=0; github_upstream_release "$digpkg" 0 >/dev/null 2>&1 || rc=$?
+  check "provider rejects a non-boolean digests" "1" "$rc"
+  cp "$digpkg/good.json" "$digpkg/.omarchy/package.json"
+
   echo "Quarantine backstop:"
   local rel st
   rel=$(jq -n --arg p "$old2d" '{pkgver: "1.9.0", published_at: $p, sha256sums: {}}')
@@ -619,6 +689,27 @@ EOF
   echo '{"source": "local", "upstream": {"github": "example/tool"}}' > "$agepkg/.omarchy/package.json"
   vst=0; validate_package_metadata "$agepkg" >/dev/null || vst=$?
   check "upstream without checksums/assets is rejected" "1" "$vst"
+  echo '{"source": "local", "upstream": {"github": "example/tool", "checksums": "SHASUMS256.txt", "digests": true, "assets": {"x86_64": "a"}}}' > "$agepkg/.omarchy/package.json"
+  vst=0; validate_package_metadata "$agepkg" >/dev/null || vst=$?
+  check "upstream with both checksums and digests is rejected" "1" "$vst"
+  echo '{"source": "local", "upstream": {"github": "example/tool", "digests": "yes", "assets": {"x86_64": "a"}}}' > "$agepkg/.omarchy/package.json"
+  vst=0; validate_package_metadata "$agepkg" >/dev/null || vst=$?
+  check "non-boolean digests is rejected" "1" "$vst"
+  echo '{"source": "local", "upstream": {"github": "example/tool", "checksums": false, "digests": true, "assets": {"x86_64": "a"}}}' > "$agepkg/.omarchy/package.json"
+  vst=0; validate_package_metadata "$agepkg" >/dev/null || vst=$?
+  check "checksums: false alongside digests is rejected" "1" "$vst"
+  echo '{"source": "local", "upstream": {"github": "example/tool", "checksums": "SUMS", "digests": null, "assets": {"x86_64": "a"}}}' > "$agepkg/.omarchy/package.json"
+  vst=0; validate_package_metadata "$agepkg" >/dev/null || vst=$?
+  check "digests: null is rejected" "1" "$vst"
+  echo '{"source": "local", "upstream": {"github": "example/tool", "checksums": "SUMS", "digests": false, "assets": {"x86_64": "a"}}}' > "$agepkg/.omarchy/package.json"
+  vst=0; validate_package_metadata "$agepkg" >/dev/null || vst=$?
+  check "digests: false beside a checksums manifest is accepted" "0" "$vst"
+  echo '{"source": "local", "upstream": {"github": "example/tool", "digests": false, "assets": {"x86_64": "a"}}}' > "$agepkg/.omarchy/package.json"
+  vst=0; validate_package_metadata "$agepkg" >/dev/null || vst=$?
+  check "digests: false alone is rejected" "1" "$vst"
+  cp "$digpkg/.omarchy/package.json" "$agepkg/.omarchy/package.json"
+  vst=0; validate_package_metadata "$agepkg" >/dev/null || vst=$?
+  check "the digests declaration shape is accepted" "0" "$vst"
   echo '{"source":"local","upstream":{"github":"example/tool","git_tags":"https://example/tool.git","checksums":"sums","assets":{"any":"tool"}}}' > "$agepkg/.omarchy/package.json"
   vst=0; validate_package_metadata "$agepkg" >/dev/null || vst=$?
   check "multiple provider types are rejected" "1" "$vst"
diff --git a/helpers/package-metadata.sh b/helpers/package-metadata.sh
index b14c3da95..90961030e 100644
--- a/helpers/package-metadata.sh
+++ b/helpers/package-metadata.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #   { "source": "local", "channels": ["edge", "rc", "stable"] }
 #   { "source": "local", "min_release_age": "24h" }
 #   { "source": "local", "upstream": { "github": "owner/repo", "checksums": "SHASUMS256.txt", "assets": { "x86_64": "name-{tag}-x64.tar.xz" } } }
+#   { "source": "local", "upstream": { "github": "owner/repo", "digests": true, "assets": { "x86_64": "name-{tag}-x64.tar.xz" } } }
 #   { "source": "local", "upstream": { "git_tags": "https://example/repo.git", "tag_pattern": "v{pkgver}", "sources": { "any": ["https://example/archive/{tag}.tar.gz"] } } }
 #   { "source": "local", "upstream": { "npm": "@scope/package", "sources": { "any": ["{npm_tarball}"] } } }
 #
@@ -459,7 +460,9 @@ validate_package_metadata() {
       ([has("github"), has("git_tags"), has("npm")] | map(select(.)) | length) == 1
       and if has("github") then
         (.github | type == "string" and test("\\A[A-Za-z0-9_.-]+/[A-Za-z0-9_.-]+\\z"))
-        and (.checksums | type == "string" and length > 0)
+        and (if has("checksums") then (.checksums | type == "string" and length > 0) else true end)
+        and (if has("digests") then (.digests | type == "boolean") else true end)
+        and (has("checksums") != (has("digests") and .digests == true))
         and (.assets | type == "object" and length > 0 and (to_entries | all(
           (.key | test("\\A[a-z0-9_]+\\z")) and (.value | type == "string" and length > 0)
         )))
diff --git a/helpers/upstream-github.sh b/helpers/upstream-github.sh
index 14b144617..1b6e64ce0 100644
--- a/helpers/upstream-github.sh
+++ b/helpers/upstream-github.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 # Declarative upstream providers for bin/sync-upstream.
 #
-# A package whose upstream ships tagged GitHub releases with a checksum
-# manifest asset needs no upstream.sh hook: the whole feed is data, declared
-# in .omarchy/package.json --
+# A package whose upstream ships tagged GitHub releases needs no upstream.sh
+# hook: the whole feed is data, declared in .omarchy/package.json --
 #
 #   "upstream": {
 #     "github": "jdx/mise",
@@ -13,12 +12,16 @@
 #     }
 #   }
 #
+# "checksums" names the vendor's manifest asset. A vendor publishing none can
+# set "digests": true instead, which reads the SHA-256 digest GitHub's release
+# API reports for every asset, so the sync never downloads the artifacts.
+#
 # {tag} and {pkgver} interpolate into asset names; tags may carry a leading
 # "v", which is stripped for pkgver. Drafts and prereleases are ignored. The
 # provider emits the same JSON contract as an upstream.sh hook, so
 # bin/sync-upstream's validation and min_release_age backstop apply
-# unchanged. Git-tag and npm providers below cover projects without a release
-# checksum manifest; a feed that fits no convention keeps a bespoke hook.
+# unchanged. Git-tag and npm providers below cover projects without GitHub
+# releases; a feed that fits no convention keeps a bespoke hook.
 
 # Return the single declarative provider selected by a package. An empty
 # result means either no provider or an invalid/ambiguous declaration; the
@@ -203,7 +206,7 @@ npm_upstream_release() {
 # not silently choose from.
 github_upstream_release() {
   local package_dir="$1" min_age="${2:-0}"
-  local metadata repo checksums_name
+  local metadata repo checksums_name use_digests
   metadata=$(metadata_file_for_dir "$package_dir")
 
   repo=$(jq -r '(.upstream? | objects | .github) // ""' "$metadata")
@@ -211,9 +214,20 @@ github_upstream_release() {
     echo "invalid upstream.github repository: '${repo:-<empty>}'" >&2
     return 1
   fi
-  checksums_name=$(jq -r '(.upstream? | objects | .checksums) // ""' "$metadata")
-  if [[ -z "$checksums_name" ]]; then
-    echo "upstream.checksums names the checksum manifest asset and is required" >&2
+  # Enforced here as well as in validate_package_metadata: the scheduled sync
+  # reaches this provider without running the validator first.
+  checksums_name=$(jq -r '(.upstream? | objects | .checksums) | strings' "$metadata")
+  use_digests=$(jq -r '(.upstream? | objects | .digests) | if . == null then "false" elif type == "boolean" then tostring else "invalid" end' "$metadata")
+  if [[ "$use_digests" == "invalid" ]]; then
+    echo "upstream.digests must be true or false" >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
+  if [[ -n "$checksums_name" && "$use_digests" == "true" ]]; then
+    echo "upstream sets both checksums and digests; keep exactly one" >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
+  if [[ -z "$checksums_name" && "$use_digests" != "true" ]]; then
+    echo "upstream needs either checksums (a manifest asset name) or digests: true" >&2
     return 1
   fi
   local arches
@@ -281,15 +295,16 @@ github_upstream_release() {
     return 0
   fi
 
-  local checksums
-  if ! checksums=$(github_fetch_checksums "$repo" "$best_tag" "$checksums_name"); then
+  local checksums=""
+  if [[ "$use_digests" != "true" ]] \
+      && ! checksums=$(github_fetch_checksums "$repo" "$best_tag" "$checksums_name"); then
     echo "could not fetch $checksums_name for $repo $best_tag" >&2
     return 1
   fi
 
   local jq_args=(--arg pkgver "$best_pkgver" --arg published_at "$best_published_at")
   local jq_filter='{pkgver: $pkgver, published_at: $published_at, sha256sums: {}}'
-  local arch template filename checksum
+  local arch template filename checksum checksum_source
   for arch in "${arches[@]}"; do
     if [[ ! "$arch" =~ ^[a-z0-9_]+$ ]]; then
       echo "invalid architecture key in upstream.assets: '$arch'" >&2
@@ -298,11 +313,23 @@ github_upstream_release() {
     template=$(jq -r --arg arch "$arch" '.upstream.assets[$arch]' "$metadata")
     filename=${template//\{pkgver\}/$best_pkgver}
     filename=${filename//\{tag\}/$best_tag}
-    # Manifest lines are "<sha256>  <name>", with the name sometimes prefixed
-    # "./" (sha256sum of a local path) or "*" (binary-mode marker).
-    checksum=$(awk -v f="$filename" '$2 == f || $2 == "./" f || $2 == "*" f { print $1; exit }' <<<"$checksums")
+    if [[ "$use_digests" == "true" ]]; then
+      # Only a "sha256:<hex>" digest is stripped to its hex; any other shape
+      # falls through empty and fails the check below.
+      checksum=$(jq -r --arg tag "$best_tag" --arg name "$filename" '
+        first(.[] | select(.tag_name == $tag)) | (.assets // [])[]
+        | select(.name == $name) | (.digest // "")
+        | if type == "string" and test("\\Asha256:[0-9a-f]{64}\\z") then ltrimstr("sha256:") else "" end
+      ' <<<"$releases")
+      checksum_source="the release API digest"
+    else
+      # Manifest lines are "<sha256>  <name>", with the name sometimes prefixed
+      # "./" (sha256sum of a local path) or "*" (binary-mode marker).
+      checksum=$(awk -v f="$filename" '$2 == f || $2 == "./" f || $2 == "*" f { print $1; exit }' <<<"$checksums")
+      checksum_source="$checksums_name"
+    fi
     if [[ ! "$checksum" =~ ^[0-9a-f]{64}$ ]]; then
-      echo "no valid checksum for $filename in $repo $best_tag $checksums_name" >&2
+      echo "no valid checksum for $filename in $repo $best_tag $checksum_source" >&2
       return 1
     fi
     jq_args+=(--arg "sum_$arch" "$checksum")
diff --git a/pkgbuilds/schist-bin/.omarchy/package.json b/pkgbuilds/schist-bin/.omarchy/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8d64039ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgbuilds/schist-bin/.omarchy/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{
+  "source": "local",
+  "release_ring": "fast",
+  "min_release_age": "24h",
+  "upstream": {
+    "github": "Infrawrench/schist",
+    "digests": true,
+    "assets": {
+      "x86_64": "schist-{pkgver}-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst",
+      "aarch64": "schist-{pkgver}-1-aarch64.pkg.tar.zst"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/pkgbuilds/schist-bin/PKGBUILD b/pkgbuilds/schist-bin/PKGBUILD
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a67a11919
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgbuilds/schist-bin/PKGBUILD
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+# Maintainer: Infrawrench LLC <astrid@infrawrench.com>
+pkgname=schist-bin
+pkgver=0.11.0
+pkgrel=1
+# Upstream's own package release, embedded in the asset name. It is
+# packages.sh's "release=" and only moves when the packaging changes under
+# a version that has already shipped; pkgrel above is this package's own.
+# The asset templates in .omarchy/package.json carry the same number.
+_relver=1
+pkgdesc="Layered image editor with PSD and Affinity support (binary release)"
+arch=(x86_64 aarch64)
+url="https://github.com/Infrawrench/schist"
+license=(MIT)
+# The list the payload's own .PKGINFO carries: fontconfig/wayland/
+# vulkan-icd-loader are dlopen'd, so namcap flags them "may not be needed"
+# — they are.
+depends=(fontconfig freetype2 hicolor-icon-theme libxcb libxkbcommon
+         libxkbcommon-x11 vulkan-icd-loader wayland)
+# A Vulkan ICD is needed to draw, but as a hard dependency makepkg -s would
+# resolve it to nvidia-utils in the build container; Omarchy installs the right
+# driver per machine. libheif is dlopen'd; everything else opens without it.
+optdepends=('vulkan-driver: GPU rendering (any Vulkan ICD, vulkan-swrast in software)'
+            'libheif: HEIC import')
+provides=(schist)
+conflicts=(schist)
+# The released binary ships byte-exact: it is already stripped by the
+# release workflow, and its build id is what Sentry symbolication matches.
+options=(!strip !debug)
+# The release asset is already a pacman-format payload, assembled by
+# packaging/linux/packages.sh from the CI build — this just re-wraps its
+# usr/ tree, so the dependency lists here have to stay in step with that
+# script.
+source_x86_64=("$url/releases/download/v$pkgver/schist-$pkgver-$_relver-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst")
+source_aarch64=("$url/releases/download/v$pkgver/schist-$pkgver-$_relver-aarch64.pkg.tar.zst")
+sha256sums_x86_64=('0fb0a13e579a9bd74880bf49dd69690cc6a5f830db3423f1e448fef516c1bc5f')
+sha256sums_aarch64=('1dedd50295ac251206dcc271ce59a918258975a7e87facde2dcee1b03fef265b')
+
+package() {
+  # makepkg has already extracted the payload into srcdir; its .PKGINFO
+  # and .MTREE are upstream's and stay behind, only usr/ is packaged.
+  cp -a "$srcdir/usr" "$pkgdir/"
+  # The payload keeps the licence under the upstream pkgname.
+  mv "$pkgdir/usr/share/licenses/schist" "$pkgdir/usr/share/licenses/$pkgname"
+}