diff --git a/schemas/qualification-release.schema.json b/schemas/qualification-release.schema.json
index 48a85f6..ba11124 100644
--- a/schemas/qualification-release.schema.json
+++ b/schemas/qualification-release.schema.json
@@ -229,11 +229,34 @@
           "role": {"const": "immutability"},
           "name": {"const": "OpenAdapt policy: immutable release tags"},
           "bypass_actors": {"const": []},
-          "rules": {"const": [
-            {"type": "deletion"},
-            {"type": "non_fast_forward"},
-            {"type": "update", "parameters": {"update_allows_fetch_and_merge": false}}
-          ]}
+          "rules": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "minItems": 3,
+            "maxItems": 3,
+            "prefixItems": [
+              {"const": {"type": "deletion"}},
+              {"const": {"type": "non_fast_forward"}},
+              {"oneOf": [
+                {"const": {"type": "update"}},
+                {
+                  "type": "object",
+                  "additionalProperties": false,
+                  "required": ["type", "parameters"],
+                  "properties": {
+                    "type": {"const": "update"},
+                    "parameters": {
+                      "type": "object",
+                      "additionalProperties": false,
+                      "required": ["update_allows_fetch_and_merge"],
+                      "properties": {
+                        "update_allows_fetch_and_merge": {"type": "boolean", "const": false}
+                      }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              ]}
+            ]
+          }
         }}
       ]
     },
diff --git a/scripts/production_trust.py b/scripts/production_trust.py
index e96c401..34e9a56 100644
--- a/scripts/production_trust.py
+++ b/scripts/production_trust.py
@@ -653,12 +653,26 @@ def validate_tag_rulesets(
             else [
                 {"type": "deletion"},
                 {"type": "non_fast_forward"},
-                {
-                    "type": "update",
-                    "parameters": {"update_allows_fetch_and_merge": False},
-                },
+                {"type": "update"},
             ]
         )
+        if (
+            index == 1
+            and isinstance(rules, list)
+            and len(rules) == 3
+            and isinstance(rules[2], dict)
+            and "parameters" in rules[2]
+        ):
+            # GitHub omits this branch-only option on tag update rules. Preserve
+            # either exact representation; never normalize the retained evidence.
+            parameters = closed(
+                rules[2]["parameters"],
+                {"update_allows_fetch_and_merge"},
+                "tag update rule parameters",
+            )
+            if parameters["update_allows_fetch_and_merge"] is not False:
+                raise TrustError("tag update rule cannot allow fetch and merge")
+            expected_rules[2]["parameters"] = {"update_allows_fetch_and_merge": False}
         if rules != expected_rules:
             raise TrustError("tag ruleset rules differ from immutable policy")
     return value
diff --git a/tests/test_tag_ruleset_representation.py b/tests/test_tag_ruleset_representation.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..28af7f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_tag_ruleset_representation.py
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+"""The two exact GitHub tag update forms preserve the same release controls."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import copy
+import json
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from jsonschema import Draft202012Validator
+from test_production_trust import rulesets, trust
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+EXPLICIT_FALSE = {
+    "type": "update",
+    "parameters": {"update_allows_fetch_and_merge": False},
+}
+
+
+class TagRulesetRepresentationTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpClass(cls) -> None:
+        schema = json.loads(
+            (ROOT / "schemas/qualification-release.schema.json").read_text()
+        )
+        cls.validator = Draft202012Validator(
+            {
+                "$schema": schema["$schema"],
+                "$defs": schema["$defs"],
+                **schema["$defs"]["publication_staging"]["properties"]["tag_rulesets"],
+            }
+        )
+
+    def validate_runtime(self, value):
+        return trust.validate_tag_rulesets(
+            value,
+            repository="OpenAdaptAI/openadapt-capture",
+            repository_id="1115283835",
+        )
+
+    def assert_refused(self, value):
+        with self.assertRaises(trust.TrustError):
+            self.validate_runtime(value)
+        self.assertFalse(self.validator.is_valid(value))
+
+    def test_both_exact_tag_update_forms_preserve_observed_bytes(self) -> None:
+        for update in ({"type": "update"}, EXPLICIT_FALSE):
+            with self.subTest(update=update):
+                value = rulesets()
+                value[1]["rules"][2] = copy.deepcopy(update)
+                before = json.dumps(value, sort_keys=True).encode()
+                digest = trust.digest_bytes(trust.TAG_RULESETS_DOMAIN, value)
+                self.assertIs(self.validate_runtime(value), value)
+                self.validator.validate(value)
+                self.assertEqual(json.dumps(value, sort_keys=True).encode(), before)
+                self.assertEqual(
+                    trust.digest_bytes(trust.TAG_RULESETS_DOMAIN, value), digest
+                )
+
+    def test_update_rule_rejects_non_boolean_false_and_extra_fields(self) -> None:
+        invalid = [
+            {"type": "update", "parameters": {"update_allows_fetch_and_merge": flag}}
+            for flag in (True, None, 0, 1, 0.0, "false", "False", "0", [], {})
+        ]
+        invalid.extend(
+            [
+                {"type": "update", "parameters": None},
+                {"type": "update", "parameters": {}},
+                {"type": "update", "parameters": []},
+                {"type": "update", "extra": False},
+                {**EXPLICIT_FALSE, "extra": False},
+                {
+                    "type": "update",
+                    "parameters": {
+                        "update_allows_fetch_and_merge": False,
+                        "extra": False,
+                    },
+                },
+                {"parameters": {"update_allows_fetch_and_merge": False}},
+            ]
+        )
+        for update in invalid:
+            with self.subTest(update=update):
+                value = rulesets()
+                value[1]["rules"][2] = update
+                self.assert_refused(value)
+
+    def test_both_forms_keep_all_protection_boundaries(self) -> None:
+        for update in ({"type": "update"}, EXPLICIT_FALSE):
+            original = rulesets()
+            original[1]["rules"][2] = copy.deepcopy(update)
+            mutations = [
+                ("missing deletion", lambda v: v[1]["rules"].pop(0)),
+                ("missing non-fast-forward", lambda v: v[1]["rules"].pop(1)),
+                ("missing update", lambda v: v[1]["rules"].pop(2)),
+                ("extra rule", lambda v: v[1]["rules"].append({"type": "creation"})),
+                (
+                    "duplicate update",
+                    lambda v: v[1]["rules"].append(copy.deepcopy(v[1]["rules"][2])),
+                ),
+                ("reordered rules", lambda v: v[1]["rules"].reverse()),
+                (
+                    "extra deletion field",
+                    lambda v: v[1]["rules"][0].update(extra=False),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "immutability bypass",
+                    lambda v: v[1]["bypass_actors"].extend(v[0]["bypass_actors"]),
+                ),
+                ("missing creation authority", lambda v: v[0]["bypass_actors"].clear()),
+                (
+                    "different creation authority",
+                    lambda v: v[0]["bypass_actors"][0].update(actor_id="123"),
+                ),
+                ("missing creation", lambda v: v[0]["rules"].clear()),
+                (
+                    "extra creation rule",
+                    lambda v: v[0]["rules"].append({"type": "update"}),
+                ),
+                ("branch target", lambda v: v[1].update(target="branch")),
+                ("inactive ruleset", lambda v: v[1].update(enforcement="disabled")),
+                (
+                    "wider tag scope",
+                    lambda v: v[1]["conditions"]["ref_name"].update(
+                        include=["refs/tags/*"]
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "excluded tag",
+                    lambda v: v[1]["conditions"]["ref_name"].update(
+                        exclude=["refs/tags/v1.0.0"]
+                    ),
+                ),
+                ("extra ruleset", lambda v: v.append(copy.deepcopy(v[1]))),
+                ("missing ruleset", lambda v: v.pop(1)),
+            ]
+            for label, mutate in mutations:
+                with self.subTest(update=update, mutation=label):
+                    value = copy.deepcopy(original)
+                    mutate(value)
+                    self.assert_refused(value)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()