diff --git a/.github/workflows/bump-hrx.yml b/.github/workflows/bump-hrx.yml
index 2bb87c27d..c0488e998 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/bump-hrx.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/bump-hrx.yml
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ jobs:
           git update-index --cacheinfo "160000,$REBASED,third_party/llama.cpp"
           git update-index --cacheinfo "160000,$AMD_HRX,third_party/hrx-system"
           git commit -q -m "Bump HRX: llama.cpp ${AMD_LLAMA:0:12}, hrx-system ${AMD_HRX:0:12} (AMD's tested pair)"
+          scripts/registry-regen.sh  # the registry must record the new pin (ctest registry_pins)
           git push -q origin "$branch"
           gh pr create --base main --head "$branch" \
             --title "Bump HRX: llama.cpp ${AMD_LLAMA:0:12}, hrx-system ${AMD_HRX:0:12}" \
diff --git a/.github/workflows/bump-llama-vulkan.yml b/.github/workflows/bump-llama-vulkan.yml
index ee0852783..b1b225bcf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/bump-llama-vulkan.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/bump-llama-vulkan.yml
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ jobs:
           git switch -c "$branch"
           git update-index --cacheinfo "160000,$REBASED,third_party/llama.cpp-vulkan"
           git commit -q -m "Bump Vulkan llama.cpp: ggml-org/llama.cpp ${TAG} (${UPSTREAM:0:12})"
+          scripts/registry-regen.sh  # the registry must record the new pin (ctest registry_pins)
           git push -q origin "$branch"
           gh pr create --base main --head "$branch" \
             --title "Bump Vulkan llama.cpp: ggml-org/llama.cpp ${TAG}" \
diff --git a/.github/workflows/bump-zinc.yml b/.github/workflows/bump-zinc.yml
index 79b02c3f0..12149af98 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/bump-zinc.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/bump-zinc.yml
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ jobs:
           git switch -c "$branch"
           git update-index --cacheinfo "160000,$UPSTREAM,third_party/zinc"
           git commit -q -m "Bump ZINC: zolotukhin/zinc ${UPSTREAM:0:12}"
+          scripts/registry-regen.sh  # the registry must record the new pin (ctest registry_pins)
           git push -q origin "$branch"
           gh pr create --base main --head "$branch" \
             --title "Bump ZINC: zolotukhin/zinc ${UPSTREAM:0:12}" \
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 6a8381b48..4f9d979cf 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -312,10 +312,13 @@ if(ONEBIT_LAYA_ROUTE_MODEL)
     add_test(NAME laya_route_e2e COMMAND ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/laya_route_e2e.sh $<TARGET_FILE:onebit> ${ONEBIT_LAYA_ROUTE_MODEL})
 endif()
 
-# The registry against the reviewed not-an-alias list (docs/arch-gaps.md): no pins or network.
+# The registry against the reviewed not-an-alias list (docs/arch-gaps.md) and the committed pins:
+# no checkouts or network.
 find_package(Python3 COMPONENTS Interpreter)
 if(Python3_Interpreter_FOUND)
     add_test(NAME registry_gaps COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/registry_build.py --check-gaps)
+    # a pin bump that did not regenerate the registry (only the gitlinks: no checkouts)
+    add_test(NAME registry_pins COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/registry_build.py --check-pins)
 endif()
 
 add_executable(npu_full_elf_test tests/npu_full_elf_test.cpp)
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index f011267af..817dfe2cd 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ an RFC or issue.
 - **Pins only move forward.** CI fails a pull request whose submodule pin is behind, or has
   diverged from, the pin on `main` (`tools/check_pins.py`), because that drops commits the engine
   already shipped. A rollback on purpose carries the `pin rollback` label.
+- **The registry follows the pins.** `registry/architectures.json` records the pins it was built
+  from, and ctest `registry_pins` fails when they differ from the committed ones. The bump
+  workflows regenerate it with `scripts/registry-regen.sh`; a hand-made pin change runs the same.
 
 This repository is a port of the working code in 1bit-MONSTER, our private development
 repository, without its history.
diff --git a/docs/registry.md b/docs/registry.md
index 245c32a2e..8da8ad6d2 100644
--- a/docs/registry.md
+++ b/docs/registry.md
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ hand:
 | `zinc` | ZINC's `parseArchitecture` accepts the GGUF architecture |
 | `npu` | the fast lane's model type: `qwen3` (the lane kernels are built for Qwen3-0.6B's shapes) |
 
-At the current pins (llama.cpp `8dd75eb`, llama.cpp-vulkan `546800c`, ZINC `29bc350`): 323 HF architectures mapped, vulkan 323, hrx 300, zinc 64, npu 1. Mapped means a backend's code accepts the architecture; the census below reports how many were checked.
+On 2026-09-26: 323 HF architectures mapped, vulkan 323, hrx 300, zinc 64, npu 1. Mapped means a backend's code accepts the architecture; the census below reports how many were checked. `registry/architectures.json` always holds the current counts and the pins they come from: every pin bump regenerates it (`scripts/registry-regen.sh`, run by the bump workflows), and CI's `registry_pins` test fails a pin that moved without it.
 
 **Reviewed gaps.** Some unmapped architectures only look like a supported family. [Architecture gaps](arch-gaps.md) records why each of them is not an alias. `registry/significant.json` lists those classes, and `tools/registry_build.py --check-gaps` (ctest `registry_gaps`) fails if one becomes mapped without a recorded reason.
 
diff --git a/scripts/registry-regen.sh b/scripts/registry-regen.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..b2c2381ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/registry-regen.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Copyright 2026 bong-water-water-bong
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+#
+# Regenerate registry/architectures.json for the pins in HEAD and fold it into HEAD.
+# The bump workflows run this right after committing a new pin, because CI's registry_pins
+# test fails a pin that moved without the registry. It fetches only the three trees the
+# registry reads (llama.cpp, llama.cpp-vulkan, zinc), each at its pinned commit, depth 1.
+set -euo pipefail
+cd "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
+for s in third_party/llama.cpp third_party/llama.cpp-vulkan third_party/zinc; do
+  git submodule update --init --depth 1 -- "$s"
+done
+python3 tools/registry_build.py
+if ! git diff --quiet -- registry/architectures.json; then
+  git add registry/architectures.json
+  git commit -q --amend --no-edit
+fi
+python3 tools/registry_build.py --check-pins
diff --git a/tools/registry_build.py b/tools/registry_build.py
index aa6066da5..e1ffcf1a9 100755
--- a/tools/registry_build.py
+++ b/tools/registry_build.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 """Build registry/architectures.json: which backends of this engine map each HF architecture.
 
-usage: tools/registry_build.py [--check] [--out registry/architectures.json]
+usage: tools/registry_build.py [--check | --check-gaps | --check-pins] [--out registry/architectures.json]
 
 Every entry is read from a pinned source, never typed in by hand:
 - HF architecture -> GGUF architecture: the `@ModelBase.register(...)` classes in llama.cpp's
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 architecture was run and checked here is recorded separately, in registry/checked.json.
 
 --check exits 1 when the file on disk differs from what the pinned sources give.
+--check-pins only compares the pins the file records with the committed gitlinks, so it needs no
+checkouts (CI and ctest `registry_pins` run it): a pin bump must regenerate the registry.
 """
 import argparse
 import ast
@@ -204,7 +206,22 @@ def main():
     ap.add_argument("--check", action="store_true")
     ap.add_argument("--check-gaps", action="store_true",
                     help="only check the committed registry against registry/significant.json (no pins needed)")
+    ap.add_argument("--check-pins", action="store_true",
+                    help="only check that the registry records the committed pins (no checkouts needed)")
     a = ap.parse_args()
+    if a.check_pins:
+        recorded = json.load(open(a.out))["sources"]
+        stale = [(name, recorded.get(name, ""), pin(path)) for name, path in
+                 (("llama.cpp (vulkan)", UPSTREAM), ("llama.cpp (hrx)", HRX), ("zinc", ZINC))
+                 if recorded.get(name) != pin(path)]
+        for name, old, new in stale:
+            print(f"{a.out}: {name} recorded at {old[:9] or 'nothing'}, pinned at {new[:9]}")
+        if stale:
+            print("a pin moved without regenerating the registry: check out the submodules at their "
+                  "pins (git submodule update --init) and run tools/registry_build.py")
+            return 1
+        print(f"{a.out} records the committed pins")
+        return 0
     if a.check_gaps:
         bad = report_gaps(json.load(open(a.out)))
         if not bad: