diff --git a/.github/workflows/auto-backmerge.yml b/.github/workflows/auto-backmerge.yml
index a13361562..3548234c5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/auto-backmerge.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/auto-backmerge.yml
@@ -108,6 +108,27 @@ jobs:
           NEXT_CODE=$(git diff --name-only "$BASE" origin/next -- . ':(exclude)CHANGELOG.md' ':(exclude).changeset' | sort)
           DROPPED=$(comm -23 <(printf '%s\n' "$MAIN_CODE") <(printf '%s\n' "$NEXT_CODE") | grep -v '^$' || true)
 
+          # The version-bearing manifests diverge every release by design (next
+          # runs a -dev version). A drop whose main-vs-base diff touches ONLY
+          # "version" lines is just the release stamp, not a straight-to-main
+          # fix — parking on it is what lets the back-merge sit and go stale, so
+          # filter those out. A substantive change still parks: it leaves
+          # non-"version" lines (deps in package.json; resolved/integrity in the
+          # lockfile when a dependency actually changes).
+          VERSION_STAMP_MANIFESTS='package.json package-lock.json .claude-plugin/plugin.json gemini-extension.json'
+          DROPPED=$(printf '%s\n' "$DROPPED" | while IFS= read -r f; do
+            [ -n "$f" ] || continue
+            case " $VERSION_STAMP_MANIFESTS " in
+              *" $f "*)
+                changed=$(git diff "$BASE" origin/main -- "$f" | grep -E '^[+-]' | grep -vE '^[+-]{3} ' || true)
+                if [ -z "$(printf '%s\n' "$changed" | grep -vE '^[+-][[:space:]]*"version":' || true)" ]; then
+                  continue
+                fi
+                ;;
+            esac
+            printf '%s\n' "$f"
+          done | grep -v '^$' || true)
+
           git commit -m "chore: back-merge main into next (${SHORT_SHA})"
           git push --force origin "$BR"
 
diff --git a/tests/workflow-maintainer-skip.test.cjs b/tests/workflow-maintainer-skip.test.cjs
index 8141e7855..7f87a1bb3 100644
--- a/tests/workflow-maintainer-skip.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/workflow-maintainer-skip.test.cjs
@@ -103,3 +103,33 @@ describe('Require Issue Link back-merge automation carve-out', () => {
     assert.match(workflow, /steps\.check\.outputs\.found == 'false'/);
   });
 });
+
+describe('Auto-backmerge needs_review version-manifest carve-out (#1404)', () => {
+  const workflow = readWorkflow('.github/workflows/auto-backmerge.yml');
+
+  test('all four version manifests are filtered via version-only detection', () => {
+    // package.json / package-lock.json / plugin.json / gemini-extension.json
+    // diverge every release; a drop that is ONLY "version" lines must not park
+    // (parking is what lets the back-merge go stale). A substantive change still
+    // parks. (#1404)
+    assert.ok(
+      workflow.includes("VERSION_STAMP_MANIFESTS='package.json package-lock.json .claude-plugin/plugin.json gemini-extension.json'"),
+      'auto-backmerge.yml must version-only-filter all four version manifests'
+    );
+    assert.ok(
+      workflow.includes(`grep -vE '^[+-][[:space:]]*"version":'`),
+      'auto-backmerge.yml must filter version-only diffs via the "version" grep'
+    );
+  });
+
+  test('package-lock.json is NOT blindly excluded (lockfile-only changes still park)', () => {
+    // A lockfile-only substantive change (e.g. npm audit fix) rewrites
+    // resolved/integrity lines, so version-only filtering lets it through to
+    // review rather than dropping it silently. Guard against regression to a
+    // blanket exclude. (#1404)
+    assert.ok(
+      !workflow.includes(":(exclude)package-lock.json"),
+      'package-lock.json must not be globally excluded; rely on version-only filtering'
+    );
+  });
+});