diff --git a/.github/scripts/smoke_wheel.py b/.github/scripts/smoke_wheel.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2befd5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/smoke_wheel.py
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+"""Install one wheel in a fresh environment and exercise its CLI and extension."""
+from pathlib import Path
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import tempfile
+import venv
+
+
+SMOKE = """
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+import sys
+
+import nnnotes
+from nnnotes import _deck, deckdata
+
+assert Path(nnnotes.__file__).resolve().is_relative_to(Path(sys.prefix).resolve())
+assert Path(_deck.__file__).resolve().is_relative_to(Path(sys.prefix).resolve())
+info = _deck.info()
+data = {
+    "format": info["dataFormat"],
+    "master": {name: {"columns": [], "rows": []} for name, _ in deckdata.TABLES},
+    "charts": [],
+}
+stats = json.loads(_deck.chart_stats(json.dumps(data), workers=1, aptitude=False))
+assert stats["format"] == info["format"]
+assert stats["charts"] == []
+print(f"nnnotes {nnnotes.__version__}: {info['name']} {info['version']}")
+"""
+
+
+def main(directory: str) -> None:
+    wheel, = Path(directory).resolve().glob("*.whl")
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix="nnnotes-wheel-") as directory:
+        root = Path(directory)
+        environment = root / "venv"
+        venv.EnvBuilder(with_pip=True).create(environment)
+        scripts = environment / ("Scripts" if os.name == "nt" else "bin")
+        python = scripts / ("python.exe" if os.name == "nt" else "python")
+        subprocess.run([python, "-I", "-m", "pip", "install", str(wheel)], cwd=root, check=True)
+        subprocess.run([python, "-I", "-c", SMOKE], cwd=root, check=True)
+        subprocess.run([scripts / ("nnnotes.exe" if os.name == "nt" else "nnnotes"), "--help"],
+                       cwd=root, check=True)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main(sys.argv[1])
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 61ab385..280ff7a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@ on:
   pull_request:
   # the Deck model workflow dispatches CI on the pull request it opens
   workflow_dispatch:
+  workflow_call:
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
 
 concurrency:
-  group: ci-${{ github.ref }}
+  group: ci-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index ebb881a..7ba8ba0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
+  quality:
+    needs: check
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/ci.yml
+
   # one abi3 wheel (CPython 3.11 and later) per platform with the extension module nnnotes._deck, and the sdist
   wheels:
     needs: check
@@ -50,6 +54,8 @@ jobs:
           target: ${{ matrix.target }}
           manylinux: ${{ matrix.manylinux || 'auto' }}
           args: --release --locked --out dist
+      - name: Test the installed wheel
+        run: python .github/scripts/smoke_wheel.py dist
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
           name: wheel-${{ matrix.os }}-${{ matrix.target }}
@@ -72,7 +78,7 @@ jobs:
           if-no-files-found: error
 
   build:
-    needs: [wheels, sdist]
+    needs: [quality, wheels, sdist]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/download-artifact@v8