diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 2d31c504..cbf6eaa4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -268,7 +268,9 @@ jobs:
           fi
 
       - name: Copy /docs into sencho-docs root
-        run: rsync -av --delete sencho/docs/ sencho-docs/
+        # --exclude='.git' prevents rsync --delete from wiping the .git
+        # directory that was just cloned/initialized in the previous step.
+        run: rsync -av --delete --exclude='.git' sencho/docs/ sencho-docs/
 
       - name: Commit and push to sencho-docs
         working-directory: sencho-docs
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 01ad6dd4..b15ca6c0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ### Fixed
 - fix(ci): `update-screenshots` — add `pull-requests: write` permission and switch both `actions/checkout` and `peter-evans/create-pull-request` from `GITHUB_TOKEN` to `DOCS_REPO_TOKEN` (PAT with `repo` scope); `GITHUB_TOKEN` is blocked from creating PRs against protected branches
+- fix(ci): `sync-docs` — add `--exclude='.git'` to the rsync step; `rsync --delete` was deleting the `.git` directory cloned in the previous step because it doesn't exist in the source (`sencho/docs/`), causing `fatal: not in a git directory` in the commit step
 - fix(ci): `sync-docs` — replace `actions/checkout` + init fallback with a single controlled `git clone || git init` bash step; `actions/checkout@v4` leaves a `.git` in a broken state on empty repos, which the `[ ! -d .git ]` guard missed, causing `fatal: not in a git directory` in the commit step; also drop now-unnecessary `--global safe.directory` config
 
 ### Fixed