diff --git a/services/nginx/app/classes/release_manager.php b/services/nginx/app/classes/release_manager.php
index 64947855..8f129933 100644
--- a/services/nginx/app/classes/release_manager.php
+++ b/services/nginx/app/classes/release_manager.php
@@ -1021,6 +1021,7 @@ class release_manager
             'channel_slug' => $channelSlug,
             'route_slug' => $routeSlug,
             'app' => $app,
+            'apps' => $this->releaseTestAppsFromInput($input),
             'repository' => $repository,
             'branch' => $branch,
             'auto_sync' => $this->toBool($input['auto_sync'] ?? false),
@@ -4802,22 +4803,22 @@ class release_manager
             throw new RuntimeException('Beta release channel uses production services and does not promote separate release bundles.');
         }
         $this->assertBetaProductionDataPolicy($channel, $serviceSet);
+        $frontendVersionId = $this->nullablePositiveInt($bundle['frontend_version_id'] ?? null);
+        $apiVersionId = $this->nullablePositiveInt($bundle['api_version_id'] ?? null);
         $this->assertReleaseGatePassedForPromotion(
             $channelId,
             (string)($bundle['frontend_commit_sha'] ?? ''),
             null,
             'frontend'
         );
-        if (trim((string)($bundle['api_commit_sha'] ?? '')) !== '') {
+        if ($apiVersionId !== null) {
             $this->assertReleaseGatePassedForPromotion(
                 $channelId,
-                (string)$bundle['api_commit_sha'],
+                (string)($bundle['api_commit_sha'] ?? ''),
                 null,
                 'api'
             );
         }
-        $frontendVersionId = $this->nullablePositiveInt($bundle['frontend_version_id'] ?? null);
-        $apiVersionId = $this->nullablePositiveInt($bundle['api_version_id'] ?? null);
         $deploymentId = $this->nullablePositiveInt($bundle['api_deployment_id'] ?? null)
             ?? $this->nullablePositiveInt($bundle['frontend_deployment_id'] ?? null);
 
diff --git a/services/nginx/app/tests/Unit/ReleaseManager/ReleaseManagerTest.php b/services/nginx/app/tests/Unit/ReleaseManager/ReleaseManagerTest.php
index 92b695c1..5083d149 100644
--- a/services/nginx/app/tests/Unit/ReleaseManager/ReleaseManagerTest.php
+++ b/services/nginx/app/tests/Unit/ReleaseManager/ReleaseManagerTest.php
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ it('normalizes app-specific release gate auto-sync metadata', function (): void
         'channel_slug' => 'stable',
         'route_slug' => 'master',
         'app' => 'api',
+        'apps' => ['api'],
         'repository' => 'copenhagentruckwash/api',
         'branch' => 'master',
         'expected_commit' => 'd52ceb85138740c45f20cda9b7ed9b7a21f0d4e8',
@@ -90,6 +91,11 @@ it('normalizes app-specific release gate auto-sync metadata', function (): void
         'auto_sync' => true,
     ]);
 
+    $fullStackGate = $normalizeGate->invoke($manager, [
+        'channel_slug' => 'stable',
+    ], ['slug' => 'stable']);
+
+    expect($fullStackGate['apps'])->toBe(['frontend', 'api']);
     expect($appMatches->invoke($manager, ['app' => 'api'], 'api'))->toBeTrue();
     expect($appMatches->invoke($manager, ['apps' => ['frontend', 'api']], 'api'))->toBeTrue();
     expect($appMatches->invoke($manager, [], 'frontend'))->toBeTrue();
@@ -899,6 +905,7 @@ it('defines release manager schema, routes, permissions, and system-status integ
     expect($manager)->toContain('createBundle');
     expect($manager)->toContain('deployBundle');
     expect($manager)->toContain('promoteBundle');
+    expect($manager)->toContain('if ($apiVersionId !== null)');
     expect($manager)->toContain('setChannelBundle');
     expect($manager)->toContain('searchAssignmentSubjects');
     expect($manager)->toContain('publicAssignmentSubjectSuggestion');
@@ -975,6 +982,7 @@ it('defines release manager schema, routes, permissions, and system-status integ
     expect($manager)->toContain('channelSlugForRoute');
     expect($manager)->toContain('syncChannel');
     expect($manager)->toContain('runReleaseTest');
+    expect($manager)->toContain("'apps' => \$this->releaseTestAppsFromInput(\$input)");
     expect($manager)->toContain('releaseTestAppsFromInput');
     expect($manager)->toContain('release_operation_runs');
     expect($manager)->toContain('active_channel_app_key');