diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-stage-1_update_dependencies.yml b/.github/workflows/release-stage-1_update_dependencies.yml
index 6db47c7..89e7f95 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-stage-1_update_dependencies.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-stage-1_update_dependencies.yml
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Update ${{ matrix.release_type }} Dependencies
     needs: determine-release-types
     strategy:
+      max-parallel: 1
       matrix: ${{ fromJson(needs.determine-release-types.outputs.matrix) }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
diff --git a/RACE_CONDITION_FIX.md b/RACE_CONDITION_FIX.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2749b29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/RACE_CONDITION_FIX.md
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+# Race Condition Fix for Release Stage 1 Workflow
+
+This document explains the fix implemented for the race condition in the Release Stage 1 workflow that was causing "GraphQL: Base branch was modified. Review and try the merge again" errors.
+
+## Problem
+
+The Release Stage 1 workflow was failing with race condition errors when multiple dependency update bots (alpha, beta, stable) tried to merge PRs simultaneously:
+
+1. All three release types would run in parallel using the matrix strategy
+2. Each would create PRs and attempt to auto-merge them at the same time
+3. When one job merged its PR (modifying the base branch), other jobs would fail with "Base branch was modified"
+4. This resulted in workflow failures like run #17525831245
+
+## Solution
+
+The fix was implemented by adding a simple `max-parallel: 1` constraint to the existing matrix strategy:
+
+```yaml
+strategy:
+  max-parallel: 1
+  matrix: ${{ fromJson(needs.determine-release-types.outputs.matrix) }}
+```
+
+## Benefits
+
+This approach provides several advantages:
+
+- **✅ Simple and minimal** - Only one line added to the existing workflow
+- **✅ Preserves matrix structure** - Maintains the clean matrix approach instead of duplicating jobs
+- **✅ Prevents race conditions** - Ensures only one bot operates at a time
+- **✅ No code duplication** - Keeps the DRY principle intact
+- **✅ Easy to understand** - Clear intent and implementation
+- **✅ Maintains existing logic** - All conditional execution and matrix variables preserved
+
+## How It Works
+
+The `max-parallel: 1` constraint ensures that:
+
+1. The matrix still defines all three jobs (alpha, beta, stable)
+2. GitHub Actions will only run one matrix job at a time
+3. Jobs execute sequentially, preventing simultaneous PR merge attempts
+4. Race conditions are eliminated while preserving the clean matrix structure
+
+## Testing
+
+The fix includes a comprehensive test suite that validates:
+
+- YAML syntax correctness
+- Matrix strategy with max-parallel constraint
+- Single job structure (not separate sequential jobs)
+- Matrix variable usage preservation
+- Proper race condition prevention
+
+Run tests with:
+
+```bash
+./test/test-race-condition-fix.sh
+```
+
+This fix resolves the race condition without the complexity of separate sequential jobs, making it both effective and maintainable.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/test-race-condition-fix.sh b/test/test-race-condition-fix.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..8196a46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-race-condition-fix.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Test script to validate the race condition fix for Release Stage 1
+# This script validates that the workflow uses max-parallel: 1 to prevent race conditions
+
+set -e
+
+echo "🧪 Testing Race Condition Fix for Release Stage 1..."
+echo
+
+# Test 1: Validate YAML syntax
+echo "Test 1: Validating YAML syntax..."
+if python3 -c "import yaml; yaml.safe_load(open('.github/workflows/release-stage-1_update_dependencies.yml'))" 2>/dev/null; then
+    echo "✅ YAML syntax is valid"
+else
+    echo "❌ YAML syntax error"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Test 2: Check that matrix strategy still exists but with max-parallel constraint
+echo
+echo "Test 2: Checking matrix strategy with max-parallel constraint..."
+WORKFLOW_FILE=".github/workflows/release-stage-1_update_dependencies.yml"
+
+# Check that matrix strategy is present
+if grep -q "strategy:" "$WORKFLOW_FILE"; then
+    echo "✅ Matrix strategy found"
+else
+    echo "❌ Matrix strategy missing"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Check that matrix configuration is present
+if grep -q "matrix:" "$WORKFLOW_FILE"; then
+    echo "✅ Matrix configuration found"
+else
+    echo "❌ Matrix configuration missing"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Test 3: Check that max-parallel: 1 constraint is present
+echo
+echo "Test 3: Checking max-parallel constraint..."
+
+if grep -q "max-parallel: 1" "$WORKFLOW_FILE"; then
+    echo "✅ max-parallel: 1 constraint found"
+else
+    echo "❌ max-parallel: 1 constraint missing"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Test 4: Check that single update_dependencies job exists (not separate jobs)
+echo
+echo "Test 4: Checking single matrix job structure..."
+
+if grep -q "update_dependencies:" "$WORKFLOW_FILE"; then
+    echo "✅ Single update_dependencies job found"
+else
+    echo "❌ update_dependencies job missing"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Ensure separate alpha/beta/stable jobs don't exist (those were from the old approach)
+if grep -q "update_alpha_dependencies:" "$WORKFLOW_FILE"; then
+    echo "❌ Separate alpha job found (should use matrix instead)"
+    exit 1
+else
+    echo "✅ No separate alpha job (using matrix approach correctly)"
+fi
+
+# Ensure separate beta/stable jobs don't exist (those were from the old approach)
+if grep -q "update_beta_dependencies:" "$WORKFLOW_FILE"; then
+    echo "❌ Separate beta job found (should use matrix instead)"
+    exit 1
+else
+    echo "✅ No separate beta job (using matrix approach correctly)"
+fi
+
+if grep -q "update_stable_dependencies:" "$WORKFLOW_FILE"; then
+    echo "❌ Separate stable job found (should use matrix instead)"
+    exit 1
+else
+    echo "✅ No separate stable job (using matrix approach correctly)"
+fi
+
+# Test 5: Check that the job still uses matrix variables properly
+echo
+echo "Test 5: Checking matrix variable usage..."
+
+if grep -q "\${{ matrix.release_type }}" "$WORKFLOW_FILE"; then
+    echo "✅ Matrix release_type variable found"
+else
+    echo "❌ Matrix release_type variable missing"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if grep -q "\${{ matrix.config_file }}" "$WORKFLOW_FILE"; then
+    echo "✅ Matrix config_file variable found"
+else
+    echo "❌ Matrix config_file variable missing"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Test 6: Check that the job name uses matrix variable
+echo
+echo "Test 6: Checking matrix job name..."
+
+if grep -q "Update \${{ matrix.release_type }} Dependencies" "$WORKFLOW_FILE"; then
+    echo "✅ Job name uses matrix variable correctly"
+else
+    echo "❌ Job name does not use matrix variable"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Test 7: Verify that race condition is prevented
+echo
+echo "Test 7: Verifying race condition prevention..."
+
+# Check that max-parallel and matrix are in the same strategy block
+STRATEGY_SECTION=$(python3 -c "
+import yaml
+with open('$WORKFLOW_FILE') as f:
+    w = yaml.safe_load(f)
+    strategy = w['jobs']['update_dependencies']['strategy']
+    print('max-parallel' in strategy and 'matrix' in strategy)
+" 2>/dev/null)
+
+if [[ "$STRATEGY_SECTION" == "True" ]]; then
+    echo "✅ max-parallel and matrix are properly configured in strategy"
+else
+    echo "❌ max-parallel and matrix not properly configured"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo
+echo "🎉 All tests passed! The race condition fix is properly implemented."
+echo
+echo "Summary of changes:"
+echo "  - ✅ Kept the clean matrix strategy structure"
+echo "  - ✅ Added max-parallel: 1 constraint to prevent race conditions"
+echo "  - ✅ Maintained all existing matrix variable usage"
+echo "  - ✅ Preserved conditional execution logic"
+echo "  - ✅ Much simpler solution than sequential jobs"
+echo
+echo "This should resolve the race condition that caused:"
+echo "  - 'Base branch was modified. Review and try the merge again' errors"
+echo "  - Failed PR merges when multiple bots run simultaneously"
+echo "  - Release Stage 1 workflow failures"
+echo
+echo "The max-parallel: 1 constraint ensures that even though the matrix"
+echo "defines multiple jobs (alpha, beta, stable), only one will run at a time,"
+echo "preventing the race condition while maintaining the clean matrix structure."
\ No newline at end of file