diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/desktop.yml b/.forgejo/workflows/desktop.yml
index c1a61be..66525b1 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/desktop.yml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/desktop.yml
@@ -517,13 +517,6 @@ jobs:
             main) RELEASE_TAG="$(sh packaging/channel-tag.sh stable)"
                   export RELEASE_NOTES="Stable build from ${GITHUB_SHA}" ;;
             *)    RELEASE_TAG="$(sh packaging/channel-tag.sh dev)"
-                  # TEMPORARY one-shot bridge (Scribe #2184). Desktop apps installed
-                  # before the rename have .../download/dev/latest.json compiled in,
-                  # so the manifest is also written to the old `dev` release; its
-                  # URLs name dev-rolling assets, so those apps update once into a
-                  # build that reads the new tag. Delete this line together with the
-                  # old `dev` release and tag.
-                  export BRIDGE_TAG=dev
                   export RELEASE_NOTES="Development build from ${GITHUB_SHA}" ;;
           esac
           # Assigned bare above so a failing channel-tag.sh fails this step;
diff --git a/ci-requirements.md b/ci-requirements.md
index fbe3f95..21c08e6 100644
--- a/ci-requirements.md
+++ b/ci-requirements.md
@@ -425,14 +425,9 @@ had fetched it, `git push origin dev` failed with
 tag after a branch; `tests/test_channel_tag.py` and the `update.rs` tests fail if
 one is.
 
-**Transitional, from 2026-09-10:** the old `dev` release still exists so desktop
-apps installed from it can update across — the manifest job writes `latest.json`
-to it too (`BRIDGE_TAG=dev` in `desktop.yml`). Until that release and its tag are
-deleted, fully qualify pushes:
-
-```
-git push origin refs/heads/dev:refs/heads/dev
-```
+The old `dev` release and tag were deleted on 2026-10-08 (Scribe #3884), with the
+bridge that kept writing to them. A desktop app installed before 2026-09-10 reads
+that tag and gets no further updates; reinstall it with `install.sh`.
 
 ## Shell scripts have no CI lane
 
diff --git a/desktop/packaging/write-manifest.sh b/desktop/packaging/write-manifest.sh
index 2a2c1d8..860b0fc 100644
--- a/desktop/packaging/write-manifest.sh
+++ b/desktop/packaging/write-manifest.sh
@@ -161,41 +161,6 @@ printf '{\n  "version_name": "%s",\n  "version_code": "%s"\n}\n' \
   "$DISPLAY_VERSION" "$APP_VERSION" > "$work/inkwell-desktop.json"
 replace_asset "$work/inkwell-desktop.json" "inkwell-desktop.json"
 
-# --- TEMPORARY: the one-shot bridge off a retired channel tag ------------------
-#
-# The dev channel's tag was renamed `dev` -> `dev-rolling`, because a tag named `dev`
-# shadowed the branch and broke `git push origin dev` (Scribe #2184). Desktop apps
-# installed before the rename have `.../download/dev/latest.json` compiled in, so
-# without this they would never be offered another build.
-#
-# BRIDGE_TAG names the old release; the SAME manifest is written there too. Its URLs
-# are absolute and name `dev-rolling` assets, so an old app updates once into a build
-# that reads the new tag, and never reads this one again. Only latest.json goes
-# across: the sidecar is read by CI and the image build, which already follow the
-# new tag.
-#
-# A missing bridge release is logged and skipped, not fatal — by then it has been
-# deleted on purpose. A failed WRITE to one that exists fails the job: a bridge that
-# silently stops is an installed base stranded without a word. Remove this block,
-# the BRIDGE_TAG line in desktop.yml, and the old release and tag together.
-if [ -n "${BRIDGE_TAG:-}" ]; then
-  bridge_release="$(curl -sS "${AUTH[@]}" "$API/releases/tags/$BRIDGE_TAG" || true)"
-  bridge_id="$(printf '%s' "$bridge_release" | grep -oE '"id"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*[0-9]+' | head -1 | grep -oE '[0-9]+' || true)"
-  if [ -z "$bridge_id" ]; then
-    echo "==> No release tagged $BRIDGE_TAG — nothing to bridge (retired?)."
-  else
-    # A subshell, so replace_asset's globals point at the bridge release for this
-    # one call only and the prune below still works on $RELEASE_TAG.
-    (
-      release_id="$bridge_id"
-      RELEASE_TAG="$BRIDGE_TAG"
-      assets="$(curl -sS "${AUTH[@]}" "$API/releases/$release_id/assets")"
-      replace_asset "$work/latest.json" "latest.json"
-    )
-    echo "==> Bridged: $BRIDGE_TAG/latest.json now advertises the same build."
-  fi
-fi
-
 echo "==> Done. $RELEASE_TAG now advertises $DISPLAY_VERSION ($APP_VERSION) for ${#entries[@]} platform(s)."
 
 # --- prune superseded builds from a rolling channel ---------------------------