diff --git a/.github/workflows/crux-sync.yml b/.github/workflows/crux-sync.yml
index 079b40d8f8..837df39a7d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/crux-sync.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/crux-sync.yml
@@ -119,6 +119,10 @@ jobs:
           git config user.name "hive-release[bot]"
           git config user.email "hive-release@hive.kubestellar.io"
           git add -A
+          # .hive-sync carries a timestamp, so it alone is not a change worth a commit.
+          if [ "$(git diff --cached --name-only)" = ".hive-sync" ]; then
+            git restore --staged --worktree .hive-sync
+          fi
           if git diff --cached --quiet; then
             echo "changed=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
             echo "Publish tree already matches hive@${HIVE_SHA:0:12}; nothing to commit." | tee -a "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
@@ -131,7 +135,7 @@ jobs:
             -m "Module path rewritten github.com/hivecommons/hive/crux -> github.com/hivecommons/crux by src/scripts/crux-publish.sh. File issues and pull requests in hivecommons/hive."
           echo "changed=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "sha=$(git rev-parse HEAD)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-          git --no-pager show --stat HEAD | head -40
+          git --no-pager show --shortstat --format="%H %s" HEAD
 
       - name: Upload publish tree
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@cf430e030ddbb5b0abf93d22962f4752f3646cd9 # v7.0.2
diff --git a/changelog.d/fixed-14138-crux-sync-sigpipe.md b/changelog.d/fixed-14138-crux-sync-sigpipe.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2c74b67138
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/fixed-14138-crux-sync-sigpipe.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+- The `crux-sync` workflow no longer aborts after committing the publish tree: the commit summary was piped through `head`, which under `pipefail` turned into exit 141 on a large first sync (#14138).
+- `crux-sync` no longer commits when the only difference is the `.hive-sync` timestamp, so tag-only runs and re-dispatches do not add empty syncs (#14138).