diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index a67026ad4205..0334cb181d89 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ jobs:
       - run:
           name: Add examples/* to yarn workspace
           command: |
+            npm pkg delete workspaces[6]
             npm pkg delete workspaces[5]
             npm pkg delete workspaces[4]
             npm pkg delete workspaces[3]
diff --git a/.github/workflows/benchmark-react.yml b/.github/workflows/benchmark-react.yml
index 0940bcc3aed7..ce6a2b4f05e0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/benchmark-react.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/benchmark-react.yml
@@ -43,9 +43,7 @@ jobs:
           node-version: '24'
           cache: 'yarn'
       - name: Install packages
-        run: |
-          corepack enable
-          yarn install --immutable
+        run: ./scripts/ci-install.sh examples/benchmark-react
       - name: Install Playwright (Chromium + system deps)
         run: npx playwright install chromium --with-deps
       - name: Build packages
diff --git a/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml b/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
index 344bfd6921fe..7d9ede31d8f8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
@@ -41,9 +41,7 @@ jobs:
         node-version: '24'
         cache: 'yarn'
     - name: Install packages
-      run: |
-        corepack enable
-        yarn install --immutable
+      run: ./scripts/ci-install.sh examples/benchmark
     - name: Build packages
       run: yarn build:benchmark
     - name: Run benchmark
diff --git a/.github/workflows/beta-release.yml b/.github/workflows/beta-release.yml
index 5cd086543138..ecd1cccc0f46 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/beta-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/beta-release.yml
@@ -31,9 +31,7 @@ jobs:
           cache: 'yarn'
           registry-url: 'https://registry.npmjs.org'
       - name: Install packages
-        run: |
-          corepack enable
-          yarn install --immutable
+        run: ./scripts/ci-install.sh
 
       - name: Create Beta Release Pull Request or Publish to npm
         id: changesets
diff --git a/.github/workflows/bundle_size.yml b/.github/workflows/bundle_size.yml
index 27192a85a95f..31331ca84ba6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/bundle_size.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/bundle_size.yml
@@ -36,17 +36,12 @@ jobs:
         node-version: '24'
         cache: 'yarn'
     - name: Install packages
-      env:
-        YARN_ENABLE_IMMUTABLE_INSTALLS: true
-      run: |
-        # npm pkg delete workspaces[5]
-        # npm pkg delete workspaces[4]
-        # npm pkg delete workspaces[3]
-        # npm pkg delete workspaces[1]
-        corepack enable
+      run: ./scripts/ci-install.sh examples/test-bundlesize
     - name: compressed-size-action
       uses: preactjs/compressed-size-action@v2
       continue-on-error: true
+      env:
+        YARN_ENABLE_IMMUTABLE_INSTALLS: false
       with:
         repo-token: "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}"
         build-script: "ci:build:bundlesize"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 16eabb44fe89..3762df45a5b6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -24,9 +24,7 @@ jobs:
           cache: 'yarn'
           registry-url: 'https://registry.npmjs.org'
       - name: Install packages
-        run: |
-          corepack enable
-          yarn install --immutable
+        run: ./scripts/ci-install.sh
 
       - name: Create Release Pull Request or Publish to npm
         id: changesets
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 4c7cca3fda45..a90478f10d33 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ Monorepo for `@data-client` npm packages.
 - **CircleCI** (`.circleci/config.yml`) — PR validation: lint, typecheck, unit tests (React 17/18/native/latest), Node matrix, ESM type checks (TS 4.0–5.3+), browser build.
 - **GitHub Actions** (`.github/workflows/`) — release (`changesets`), bundle size PR comments, benchmark regression detection.
 
+Changing root `package.json` `workspaces` requires updating `.circleci/config.yml` (`setup` job) and `.github/workflows/` install steps.
+
 ## Changesets
 
 Any user-facing change in `packages/*` requires a changeset. Core packages are version-linked (bumping one bumps all). See skill "changeset" for full workflow.
diff --git a/scripts/ci-install.sh b/scripts/ci-install.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..9880ddb18764
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ci-install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Installs only the workspaces needed for a CI job, then restores
+# package.json and yarn.lock so later steps never see a dirty tree.
+#
+# Usage: scripts/ci-install.sh [extra-workspace ...]
+#   Always includes packages/* and scripts/rollup-plugins.
+#   Pass additional workspace paths as arguments.
+#
+# Examples:
+#   scripts/ci-install.sh                        # release / beta-release
+#   scripts/ci-install.sh examples/benchmark     # node benchmark
+set -euo pipefail
+
+WORKSPACES='["packages/*","scripts/rollup-plugins"'
+for ws in "$@"; do
+  WORKSPACES+=',"'"$ws"'"'
+done
+WORKSPACES+=']'
+
+node -e "
+  const f = 'package.json';
+  const p = JSON.parse(require('fs').readFileSync(f, 'utf8'));
+  p.workspaces = $WORKSPACES;
+  require('fs').writeFileSync(f, JSON.stringify(p, null, 2) + '\n');
+"
+corepack enable
+YARN_ENABLE_IMMUTABLE_INSTALLS=false yarn install
+
+git checkout -- package.json yarn.lock