diff --git a/release/OPERATIONS.md b/release/OPERATIONS.md
index 07a888aa2..eec7390a2 100644
--- a/release/OPERATIONS.md
+++ b/release/OPERATIONS.md
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ candidate_ref="ghcr.io/registrystack/${name}-candidate@${digest}"
 evidence_dir="advisory-renewal-${name}-${run_id}-${run_attempt}"
 mkdir -p "${evidence_dir}/rootfs"
 crane config "${candidate_ref}" > "${evidence_dir}/oci-config.json"
+docker pull --platform linux/amd64 "${candidate_ref}" >/dev/null
 SYFT_FILE_METADATA_SELECTION=all SYFT_FILE_METADATA_DIGESTS=sha256 \
   syft "${candidate_ref}" -o syft-json="${evidence_dir}/syft.json"
 grype "${candidate_ref}" -o json > "${evidence_dir}/grype.json"
@@ -281,6 +282,15 @@ crane export "${candidate_ref}" - | tar --extract --file=- \
   --no-same-owner --no-same-permissions
 ```
 
+The pull is what makes the scan admissible, not a convenience. Syft and Grype
+fill the `architecture` and `os` fields of their image target only from a
+daemon-backed provider. Resolved straight from the registry they leave both
+empty, and `check-advisory-baselines.py` rejects that evidence with
+`grype image target must be linux/amd64`. On an `amd64` candidate the message
+does not mean the architecture is wrong; it means the scan never went through
+the daemon. The candidate workflow satisfies this incidentally, by running the
+image once to record its `--version` before it scans.
+
 Select the matching baseline and confirm its pinned base is still the exact
 prefix of the candidate's authoritative uncompressed DiffIDs:
 
diff --git a/release/scripts/test_release_workflow_structure.py b/release/scripts/test_release_workflow_structure.py
index f65b4a836..f9dfe7bd2 100644
--- a/release/scripts/test_release_workflow_structure.py
+++ b/release/scripts/test_release_workflow_structure.py
@@ -772,6 +772,23 @@ def test_only_pre_oidc_reverification_accepts_the_current_run(self) -> None:
         self.assertEqual(text.count("--allow-current-run-in-progress"), 1)
         self.assertIn("--allow-current-run-in-progress", reverify)
 
+    def test_runs_each_candidate_image_before_it_scans_it(self) -> None:
+        _, document = workflow("release-candidate.yml")
+        scan = step_run(
+            document,
+            "assemble",
+            "Verify and scan exact candidate images",
+        )
+        # Syft and Grype fill an image target's architecture and os only from
+        # a daemon-backed provider, and check-advisory-baselines.py rejects
+        # evidence that leaves them empty. Running the image is what puts it
+        # in the daemon, so moving either scan ahead of it fails the gate with
+        # a linux/amd64 message on an image that is amd64.
+        run_image = scan.index('"${candidate_ref}" --version')
+        self.assertIn("docker run --rm", scan[:run_image])
+        self.assertLess(run_image, scan.index('syft "${candidate_ref}"'))
+        self.assertLess(run_image, scan.index("scan_image \\"))
+
 
 class PublicationWorkflowStructureTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_is_a_manual_main_workflow_with_recoverable_jobs(self) -> None:
@@ -1208,6 +1225,22 @@ def test_operator_docs_match_the_latest_non_prerelease_contract(self) -> None:
         self.assertIn(".isPrerelease == false", verify)
         self.assertNotIn(".isPrerelease == true", verify)
 
+    def test_advisory_renewal_pulls_the_candidate_before_scanning_it(self) -> None:
+        operations = (ROOT / "release/OPERATIONS.md").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+        renewal = next(
+            block
+            for block in operations.split("```")
+            if 'syft "${candidate_ref}"' in block
+        )
+        # The renewal commands are run by hand, so they carry the daemon-backed
+        # pull the candidate workflow gets incidentally from running the image.
+        # Without it Syft and Grype leave the target's architecture and os
+        # empty and check-advisory-baselines.py rejects the evidence as not
+        # linux/amd64.
+        pull = renewal.index('docker pull --platform linux/amd64 "${candidate_ref}"')
+        self.assertLess(pull, renewal.index('syft "${candidate_ref}"'))
+        self.assertLess(pull, renewal.index('grype "${candidate_ref}"'))
+
     def test_docs_deploys_main_and_rechecks_latest_docs_release(self) -> None:
         text, document = workflow("docs-pages.yml")
         releases_endpoint = '"repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/releases?per_page=100"'