diff --git a/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yml b/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c223994b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+name: auto-merge
+# pull_request_target runs in the base-branch context, which is required so
+# that GITHUB_TOKEN gets the write permissions declared below even for PRs
+# opened by Dependabot (which would otherwise receive a read-only token on
+# regular pull_request events). This workflow never checks out PR head code,
+# so the usual pull_request_target injection risk does not apply.
+on: pull_request_target
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  pull-requests: write
+
+jobs:
+  auto-merge-dependabot:
+    name: Auto-Merge Dependabot PRs
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'dependabot[bot]' }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Dependabot metadata
+        id: metadata
+        uses: dependabot/fetch-metadata@v2
+      - name: Enable auto-merge for non-major updates
+        if: ${{ steps.metadata.outputs.update-type != 'version-update:semver-major' }}
+        run: gh pr merge --squash --auto "${{ github.event.pull_request.html_url }}"
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+  auto-merge-scala-steward:
+    name: Auto-Merge Scala Steward PRs
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'scala-steward' }}
+    steps:
+      # Skip auto-merge if the PR carries a semver-major label. Note: this repo
+      # does not yet apply semver labels to Scala Steward PRs, so this guard is
+      # a no-op until early-semver-* labels are added to the repo and Scala
+      # Steward is configured to apply them.
+      - name: Enable auto-merge for non-major updates
+        if: ${{ !contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'semver-major') && !contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'early-semver-major') }}
+        run: gh pr merge --squash --auto "${{ github.event.pull_request.html_url }}"
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/plans/2026-05-05-auto-merge.md b/plans/2026-05-05-auto-merge.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0b43e132
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+++ b/plans/2026-05-05-auto-merge.md
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+# Add auto-merge GitHub Actions workflow
+
+## Goal
+
+Add a workflow that automatically enables auto-merge on PRs from trusted bots
+(Dependabot and Scala Steward) for non-major version bumps, mirroring the
+pattern used in `wvlet/uni/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yml`.
+
+## Context
+
+- Recent PR history shows the repo regularly receives many bot PRs:
+  - `dependabot[bot]` — for GitHub Actions version bumps
+  - `scala-steward` — for Scala/sbt/Java library updates
+- These currently require manual merge from the maintainer.
+- Repo settings already allow auto-merge (`allow_auto_merge: true`) and squash
+  is the default merge method.
+- CI passes branch-protection checks on PRs; once a PR is approved and CI is
+  green, GitHub will merge it automatically.
+
+## Differences from wvlet/uni
+
+- **No GitHub App token.** wvlet/uni uses a GitHub App (`APP_ID` +
+  `APP_PRIVATE_KEY`) to bypass the read-only `GITHUB_TOKEN` that GitHub
+  hands to `pull_request` workflows triggered by Dependabot. msgpack/msgpack-java
+  doesn't have that App configured, so this workflow uses
+  `on: pull_request_target` instead — that event runs in the base-branch
+  context where the workflow's declared `permissions:` block actually grants
+  write access to `GITHUB_TOKEN`. We never check out PR head code, so the
+  usual `pull_request_target` injection risk does not apply.
+- **Scala Steward actor is `scala-steward`**, not wvlet/uni's
+  `scala-steward-wvlet[bot]` or `xerial-bot` (visible in `gh pr list`).
+- **Filter on `github.event.pull_request.user.login`**, not `github.actor`,
+  because under `pull_request_target` the latter can resolve to the merger
+  rather than the PR author.
+
+## Plan
+
+1. Add `.github/workflows/auto-merge.yml` with two jobs:
+   - **auto-merge-dependabot**: triggers when
+     `github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'dependabot[bot]'`, uses
+     `dependabot/fetch-metadata@v2` to read the update type, and runs
+     `gh pr merge --squash --auto` only when the update is **not**
+     `version-update:semver-major`.
+   - **auto-merge-scala-steward**: triggers when
+     `github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'scala-steward'` and
+     auto-merges unless the PR carries a `semver-major` or
+     `early-semver-major` label.
+2. Set workflow-level `permissions` to the minimum required:
+   `contents: write` and `pull-requests: write`.
+3. Use `GITHUB_TOKEN` directly via `env: GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}`.
+
+### Scala Steward label caveat
+
+This repo's current Scala Steward PRs only carry `library-update` (and
+sometimes `internal`) — no semver labels are configured upstream, so the
+`semver-major` / `early-semver-major` guard is effectively a no-op until:
+- The labels are added to the repo (Scala Steward only applies labels that
+  already exist), and
+- Scala Steward is configured (e.g. via `.scala-steward.conf`) to attach
+  them.
+
+This matches the same caveat in the wvlet/uni reference implementation,
+which uses `semver-spec-major` against `github.event.issue.labels` (not even
+the right field on a PR event) — so its guard is also effectively a no-op
+in practice. We accept the same trade-off here: most Scala Steward PRs are
+patch/minor library updates, CI runs across JDK 8/11/17/21/24 and will fail
+the merge-readiness checks if anything regresses, and a major bump that
+slips through can be reverted. A follow-up could tighten this by setting up
+proper semver labels.
+
+## Out of scope
+
+- Setting up a GitHub App for elevated bot identity.
+- Auto-approving PRs (a human approval may still be required by branch
+  protection — auto-merge will simply wait for it).
+- Changing branch protection rules.
+- Configuring Scala Steward to apply semver labels (see caveat above).
+
+## Validation
+
+- Lint the YAML by checking the file parses (visual review + actionlint if
+  available).
+- After merge, watch the next dependabot/scala-steward PR to confirm
+  auto-merge gets enabled.