diff --git a/.github/actions/start-app/action.yml b/.github/actions/start-app/action.yml
index ea4c0a10..c5c2312d 100644
--- a/.github/actions/start-app/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/start-app/action.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ runs:
       uses: actions/setup-node@v6
       with:
         node-version: '20'
+        cache: 'npm'
+        cache-dependency-path: |
+          package-lock.json
+          backend/package-lock.json
+          frontend/package-lock.json
 
     - name: Install root dependencies (Playwright)
       shell: bash
diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index b97796c5..ed8d43c3 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ updates:
     labels:
       - "dependencies"
     open-pull-requests-limit: 10
+    groups:
+      all-npm-root:
+        patterns: ["*"]
 
   - package-ecosystem: "npm"
     directory: "/backend"
@@ -15,6 +18,9 @@ updates:
     labels:
       - "dependencies"
     open-pull-requests-limit: 10
+    groups:
+      all-npm-backend:
+        patterns: ["*"]
 
   - package-ecosystem: "npm"
     directory: "/frontend"
@@ -23,6 +29,9 @@ updates:
     labels:
       - "dependencies"
     open-pull-requests-limit: 10
+    groups:
+      all-npm-frontend:
+        patterns: ["*"]
 
   - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
     directory: "/"
@@ -30,3 +39,6 @@ updates:
       interval: "weekly"
     labels:
       - "ci"
+    groups:
+      all-actions:
+        patterns: ["*"]
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 434c8fa2..140891bb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -18,12 +18,16 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Build & Validation (runs on PRs and push to main)
+# Build & Validation (PRs only, skipped for release-please PRs)
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 jobs:
   backend:
     name: Backend (Build, Test, Lint)
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    if: >-
+      github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+      && github.head_ref != 'release-please--branches--main--components--sencho'
     steps:
       - name: Checkout Code
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
@@ -58,6 +62,10 @@ jobs:
   frontend:
     name: Frontend (Build, Lint)
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    if: >-
+      github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+      && github.head_ref != 'release-please--branches--main--components--sencho'
     steps:
       - name: Checkout Code
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
@@ -88,6 +96,10 @@ jobs:
   docker-validate:
     name: Docker Build & Scan
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 15
+    if: >-
+      github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+      && github.head_ref != 'release-please--branches--main--components--sencho'
     steps:
       - name: Checkout Code
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
@@ -117,12 +129,16 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: true
 
   # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  # E2E Tests (runs on PRs and push to main)
+  # E2E Tests (PRs only, skipped for release-please PRs)
   # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   e2e:
     name: E2E Tests (Playwright)
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 15
     needs: [backend, frontend]
+    if: >-
+      github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+      && github.head_ref != 'release-please--branches--main--components--sencho'
     steps:
       - name: Checkout Code
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
@@ -154,11 +170,11 @@ jobs:
   update-screenshots:
     name: Refresh Doc Screenshots
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 15
     if: >-
       github.event_name == 'push'
       && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
       && startsWith(github.event.head_commit.message, 'chore(main): release')
-    needs: [backend, frontend]
     permissions:
       contents: write
       pull-requests: write
@@ -201,6 +217,7 @@ jobs:
   sync-docs:
     name: Sync Docs to sencho-docs
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 5
     if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
     steps:
       - name: Checkout Sencho repo
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/docker-publish.yml
index b6c4d923..5821ee5f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker-publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker-publish.yml
@@ -6,10 +6,15 @@ on:
       - 'v*'
   workflow_dispatch:
 
+concurrency:
+  group: docker-publish
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
 jobs:
   push_to_registry:
     name: Push Docker image to Docker Hub
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     steps:
       - name: Check out the repo
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ba9c1018..7cdf166b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ node_modules/
 
 # Build Outputs
 dist/
+*.tsbuildinfo
 
 # Sencho User Data & Mocks
 data/