diff --git a/.github/workflows/api-diff.yml b/.github/workflows/api-diff.yml
index 925263e8f..1c1150f9c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/api-diff.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/api-diff.yml
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ on:
       - opened
       - synchronize
       - reopened
-      - labeled
-      - unlabeled
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
       baseline_version:
@@ -29,8 +27,6 @@ jobs:
       # Empty unless overridden via workflow_dispatch; the api-diff task then
       # falls back to <api.diff.baseline.version> in pom.xml.
       API_DIFF_BASELINE_VERSION: ${{ inputs.baseline_version }}
-      BREAKING_API_CHANGE_ACCEPTED: >-
-        ${{ contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'breaking-api-change-accepted') }}
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7
@@ -54,38 +50,3 @@ jobs:
             echo "Run 'mise run api-diff' locally and commit the updated docs/apidiffs."
             exit 1
           fi
-      - name: Fail on incompatible published API changes
-        run: |
-          python3 - <<'PY'
-          import os
-          from pathlib import Path
-          import sys
-          import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
-
-          failures = []
-          for report in sorted(Path(".").glob("**/target/japicmp/api-diff.xml")):
-              parts = report.parts
-              module = "/".join(parts[: parts.index("target")])
-              tree = ET.parse(report)
-              for change in tree.findall(".//compatibilityChange"):
-                  binary = change.get("binaryCompatible") == "false"
-                  source = change.get("sourceCompatible") == "false"
-                  if binary or source:
-                      failures.append((module, change.get("type", "unknown")))
-
-          if not failures:
-              print("No incompatible published API changes detected.")
-              sys.exit(0)
-
-          print("Incompatible published API changes detected:")
-          for module, change_type in failures[:100]:
-              print(f"- {module}: {change_type}")
-          if len(failures) > 100:
-              print(f"... and {len(failures) - 100} more")
-          if os.environ.get("BREAKING_API_CHANGE_ACCEPTED") == "true":
-              print("Accepted by PR label `breaking-api-change-accepted`.")
-              sys.exit(0)
-          print("Run `mise run api-diff` locally for full japicmp output.")
-          print("Reports are written to `**/target/japicmp/*`.")
-          sys.exit(1)
-          PY
diff --git a/.github/workflows/detect-api-changes.yml b/.github/workflows/detect-api-changes.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e529e2ec7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/detect-api-changes.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+---
+name: Detect API Changes
+
+on:
+  # pull_request_target is used so the workflow can update labels and comments
+  # without checking out or executing code from the PR branch.
+  # zizmor: ignore[dangerous-triggers] -- this workflow only reads PR metadata
+  # via the GitHub API and never checks out or executes code from the PR branch.
+  pull_request_target:
+    types:
+      - opened
+      - synchronize
+      - reopened
+      - ready_for_review
+
+permissions: {}
+
+jobs:
+  detect-api-changes:
+    if: github.repository == 'prometheus/client_java'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    permissions:
+      issues: write
+      pull-requests: write
+    steps:
+      - name: Check for API changes and update PR
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          PR_NUMBER: ${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
+          REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
+        run: |
+          MARKER="<!-- api-change-detector -->"
+
+          api_files=$(gh api "repos/${REPO}/pulls/${PR_NUMBER}/files" --paginate \
+            --jq '.[] | select(.filename | startswith("docs/apidiffs/current_vs_latest/")) | .filename')
+
+          comment_id=$(gh api "repos/${REPO}/issues/${PR_NUMBER}/comments" --paginate \
+            --jq ".[] | select(.body | startswith(\"${MARKER}\")) | .id" | head -1)
+
+          if [[ -z "$api_files" ]]; then
+            echo "No API diff files changed."
+            gh pr edit "$PR_NUMBER" --repo "$REPO" --remove-label "api-change" 2>/dev/null || true
+            if [[ -n "$comment_id" ]]; then
+              gh api --method DELETE "repos/${REPO}/issues/comments/${comment_id}"
+            fi
+            exit 0
+          fi
+
+          echo "API diff files changed:"
+          echo "$api_files"
+
+          gh pr edit "$PR_NUMBER" --repo "$REPO" --add-label "api-change"
+
+          modules=$(echo "$api_files" \
+            | sed 's|docs/apidiffs/current_vs_latest/||' \
+            | sed 's|\.txt$||' \
+            | sort \
+            | sed 's/^/- /')
+
+          body=$(cat <<EOF
+          ${MARKER}
+          ## :warning: API changes detected — maintainer review required
+
+          This PR modifies the published API diff for the following module(s):
+
+          ${modules}
+
+          Please review the changes in \`docs/apidiffs/current_vs_latest/\` carefully before approving.
+          EOF
+          )
+
+          if [[ -n "$comment_id" ]]; then
+            gh api --method PATCH "repos/${REPO}/issues/comments/${comment_id}" \
+              --field body="$body"
+          else
+            gh pr comment "$PR_NUMBER" --repo "$REPO" --body "$body"
+          fi
diff --git a/docs/content/internals/stability.md b/docs/content/internals/stability.md
index 7823f936a..a447c5068 100644
--- a/docs/content/internals/stability.md
+++ b/docs/content/internals/stability.md
@@ -14,23 +14,18 @@ constructors, methods, and fields when only part of a public type is stable.
 
 ## API diff check
 
-CI runs [japicmp](https://siom79.github.io/japicmp/) against a pinned baseline release and fails on
-incompatible changes to the `@StableApi` surface. Run it locally with:
+CI runs [japicmp](https://siom79.github.io/japicmp/) against a pinned baseline release and writes
+the published API diffs under `docs/apidiffs/current_vs_latest/`. Pull requests must keep those
+checked-in diffs up to date. Run it locally with:
 
 ```bash
 mise run api-diff
 ```
 
-Reports are written to `**/target/japicmp/*`.
+Raw reports are written to `**/target/japicmp/*`.
 
 The baseline version is tracked in `pom.xml` and updated by Renovate; the published baseline diffs
 are stored under `docs/apidiffs/`.
 
-## Accepting breaking changes
-
-Backwards-incompatible changes to the `@StableApi` surface are only allowed in a major version
-bump. Within a major version line, the API diff check must pass.
-
-When a major version is being prepared, intentional incompatible changes can be accepted by adding
-the `breaking-api-change-accepted` label to the pull request. The label is not an escape hatch for
-minor or patch releases.
+Pull requests that change `docs/apidiffs/current_vs_latest/` are automatically labeled
+`api-change` for additional maintainer review.