diff --git a/doc/PUBLISHING.md b/doc/PUBLISHING.md
index a7b6652157e..c430d3473a8 100644
--- a/doc/PUBLISHING.md
+++ b/doc/PUBLISHING.md
@@ -202,9 +202,6 @@ Example for `@paperclipai/adapter-acpx-local` from the repo root:
 pnpm run release:bootstrap-package -- @paperclipai/adapter-acpx-local
 
 # one-time first publish from an authenticated maintainer machine
-pnpm run release:bootstrap-package -- @paperclipai/adapter-acpx-local --publish
-
-# if npm requires an authenticator-app code for publish
 pnpm run release:bootstrap-package -- @paperclipai/adapter-acpx-local --publish --otp 123456
 ```
 
@@ -213,12 +210,12 @@ The helper script:
 - checks that the package does not already exist on npm
 - builds the target package unless `--skip-build` is passed
 - runs `npm pack --dry-run` in the package directory
-- only runs the real `npm publish --access public` when `--publish` is provided
+- only runs the real `npm publish --access public` when `--publish --otp <code>` is provided
 
 For the real `--publish` step, the maintainer machine must already be authenticated to npm.
 If `npm whoami` returns `401`, first run `npm logout --registry=https://registry.npmjs.org/` to clear any stale local auth, then run `npm login` or `npm adduser` locally as an npm org member, and finally rerun the helper.
 That local human auth is fine for the one-time bootstrap publish; we just do not want the same auth model inside CI.
-If `npm publish` returns `EOTP`, complete the browser auth URL that npm prints or rerun the helper with `--otp <code>` if your npm account uses authenticator-app 2FA.
+The helper now requires `--otp <code>` up front for `--publish`, so it fails before the real publish attempt if the one-time password is missing.
 
 After that first publish succeeds:
 
diff --git a/scripts/bootstrap-npm-package.mjs b/scripts/bootstrap-npm-package.mjs
index 8a7131552fd..9b1e01beb04 100644
--- a/scripts/bootstrap-npm-package.mjs
+++ b/scripts/bootstrap-npm-package.mjs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ function usage() {
   process.stderr.write(
     [
       "Usage:",
-      "  node scripts/bootstrap-npm-package.mjs <package-name-or-dir> [--publish] [--skip-build]",
+      "  node scripts/bootstrap-npm-package.mjs <package-name-or-dir> [--publish --otp <code>] [--skip-build]",
       "",
       "Examples:",
       "  node scripts/bootstrap-npm-package.mjs @paperclipai/adapter-acpx-local",
@@ -233,6 +233,10 @@ function main(argv) {
   const pkg = resolveTargetPackage(selector);
   process.stdout.write(`Selected ${pkg.name} (${pkg.dir})\n`);
 
+  if (publish && !otp) {
+    throw new Error("`--publish` requires `--otp <code>`. Generate a fresh npm one-time password and rerun.");
+  }
+
   const npmState = inspectNpmPackage(pkg.name);
   if (npmState.exists) {
     throw new Error(`${pkg.name} already exists on npm at version ${npmState.version}; bootstrap is only for first publish`);
@@ -257,8 +261,8 @@ function main(argv) {
     process.stdout.write(
       [
         "",
-        `Dry run complete. To perform the first publish from an authenticated maintainer machine, run:`,
-        `node scripts/bootstrap-npm-package.mjs ${pkg.name} --publish`,
+        "Dry run complete. To perform the first publish from an authenticated maintainer machine, run:",
+        `node scripts/bootstrap-npm-package.mjs ${pkg.name} --publish --otp <code>`,
         "",
       ].join("\n"),
     );
diff --git a/scripts/bootstrap-npm-package.test.mjs b/scripts/bootstrap-npm-package.test.mjs
index 254bcd89b2d..48deb739583 100644
--- a/scripts/bootstrap-npm-package.test.mjs
+++ b/scripts/bootstrap-npm-package.test.mjs
@@ -23,6 +23,16 @@ test("parseArgs accepts an explicit otp value", () => {
   });
 });
 
+test("parseArgs leaves otp null when omitted", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(parseArgs(["packages/adapters/acpx-local", "--publish"]), {
+    help: false,
+    selector: "packages/adapters/acpx-local",
+    publish: true,
+    skipBuild: false,
+    otp: null,
+  });
+});
+
 test("parseArgs returns help mode", () => {
   assert.deepEqual(parseArgs(["--help"]), {
     help: true,