diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 1aa6aaa..e5ede22 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -23,8 +23,6 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
         with:
-          # Full history so `changeset status` can diff against the base branch.
-          fetch-depth: 0
           persist-credentials: false
 
       # Reads the pnpm version from `packageManager` in package.json.
@@ -50,8 +48,3 @@ jobs:
 
       # Biome (lint + format), then build, types, tests and bundle size via Turbo.
       - run: pnpm run ci
-
-      # Fails if a package changed without a changeset. Changes that must not
-      # release anything (docs, CI) can add an empty one: `pnpm changeset --empty`.
-      - name: Check for a changeset
-        run: pnpm changeset status --since="origin/${{ github.base_ref }}"
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index dd93239..e2ba903 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ Run from the repo root (Turborepo fans out to every workspace):
 - `pnpm build` / `pnpm check-types` / `pnpm test` / `pnpm size`
 - `pnpm lint` / `pnpm format`: Biome check / check with `--write`
 - `pnpm ci`: what CI runs on every PR (`biome ci` + build, types, tests, size)
-- `pnpm changeset`: add a changeset. CI fails on a PR that changes a package without one (`pnpm changeset --empty` for changes that release nothing)
+- `pnpm changeset`: add a changeset. Only changes with a changeset get released
 - One package: `pnpm --filter @rustrak/openshowcase-<name> <script>`
 - Extension dev: `pnpm --filter @rustrak/openshowcase-extension dev`, then load `apps/extension/.output/chrome-mv3` unpacked in `chrome://extensions`
 
diff --git a/packages/player-core/src/__test__/integration/Player.test.ts b/packages/player-core/src/__test__/integration/Player.test.ts
index 8f8c665..6a0361e 100644
--- a/packages/player-core/src/__test__/integration/Player.test.ts
+++ b/packages/player-core/src/__test__/integration/Player.test.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ describe("Player (mount.ts) integration", () => {
   });
 
   afterEach(() => {
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
     player?.destroy();
     container.remove();
   });
@@ -133,6 +134,49 @@ describe("Player (mount.ts) integration", () => {
     expect(player.currentIndex).toBe(2);
   });
 
+  it("reveals the photo's hotspot again after seeking back to the video step before it", async () => {
+    // no real clip to decode here: play() is stubbed and the video step is ended by hand
+    vi.spyOn(HTMLMediaElement.prototype, "play").mockResolvedValue();
+    const onStepChange = vi.fn();
+    player = new Player({
+      container,
+      onStepChange,
+      demo: {
+        id: "demo-2",
+        title: "Video then photo",
+        theme: { wrapper: "none", autoplay: false, appearance: "light" },
+        video: {
+          src: "data:video/webm;base64,",
+          width: 800,
+          height: 600,
+          durationSec: 2,
+        },
+        steps: [
+          { id: "clip", type: "video", startTime: 0, endTime: 1 },
+          {
+            id: "photo",
+            type: "photo",
+            image: { src: TINY_PNG, width: 800, height: 600 },
+            hotspot: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5, label: "Click here" },
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+    });
+    player.mount();
+    const hotspot = () => container.querySelector('[aria-label="Hotspot"]');
+    // wait out the initial render before navigating (see the background-click test)
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(onStepChange).toHaveBeenCalled());
+
+    player.next();
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(hotspot()).not.toBeNull());
+
+    player.goTo(0);
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(hotspot()).toBeNull());
+
+    player.next();
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(hotspot()).not.toBeNull());
+  });
+
   it("destroys cleanly, leaving the container empty", async () => {
     player = new Player({ container, demo: createDemo() });
     player.mount();
diff --git a/packages/player-core/src/components/PhotoLayer.svelte b/packages/player-core/src/components/PhotoLayer.svelte
index 5773ab0..8e6ac30 100644
--- a/packages/player-core/src/components/PhotoLayer.svelte
+++ b/packages/player-core/src/components/PhotoLayer.svelte
@@ -22,9 +22,12 @@ interface Props {
   stageSize: { width: number; height: number };
   hotspot?: PhotoHotspotVisual;
   tooltip?: PhotoTooltipVisual;
-  /** Fires once per `src` change, after the browser has decoded the new frame (or failed to) —
-   * the signal the parent waits for before swapping video/photo visibility, so the swap never
-   * flashes a not-yet-decoded frame. */
+  /** Bumped by the parent for every photo step it shows, so showing the same `src` again (e.g.
+   * returning to a photo after replaying the video before it) still fires `onReady`. */
+  renderId?: number;
+  /** Fires once per `src`/`renderId` change, after the browser has decoded the new frame (or
+   * failed to) — the signal the parent waits for before swapping video/photo visibility, so the
+   * swap never flashes a not-yet-decoded frame. */
   onReady?: () => void;
   /** Clicking the hotspot/tooltip themselves always means "seen it, continue". */
   onHotspotAdvance?: () => void;
@@ -41,6 +44,7 @@ let {
   stageSize,
   hotspot,
   tooltip,
+  renderId = 0,
   onReady,
   onHotspotAdvance,
 }: Props = $props();
@@ -59,8 +63,10 @@ let lastShown: { src: string; transform: string; visible: boolean } | null =
   null;
 
 $effect(() => {
-  // re-run whenever `src` changes; decode (success or failure) is the "ready to reveal" signal.
-  // The cleanup guards against a superseded decode (rapid navigation) reporting ready late.
+  // re-run whenever `src` or `renderId` changes; decode (success or failure) is the "ready to
+  // reveal" signal. The cleanup guards against a superseded decode (rapid navigation) reporting
+  // ready late.
+  void renderId;
   const current = src;
   const el = imgEl;
   if (!el) return;
diff --git a/packages/player-core/src/components/Player.svelte b/packages/player-core/src/components/Player.svelte
index 0edd0b4..3c4edec 100644
--- a/packages/player-core/src/components/Player.svelte
+++ b/packages/player-core/src/components/Player.svelte
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ let stageSize = $state({ width: 0, height: 0 });
 let photo = $state<{
   visible: boolean;
   src: string;
+  /** Bumped per photo step render: PhotoLayer re-reports ready even when `src` is unchanged. */
+  renderId: number;
   alt: string;
   transform: string;
   transformInstant: boolean;
@@ -86,6 +88,7 @@ let photo = $state<{
 }>({
   visible: false,
   src: "",
+  renderId: 0,
   alt: "",
   transform: IDENTITY_ZOOM_TRANSFORM,
   transformInstant: false,
@@ -308,6 +311,7 @@ function renderPhotoStep(step: PhotoStep, previousIndex: number): void {
     overlay.hide();
   }
   photo.src = resolveAssetUrl(step.image.src, assetBaseUrl);
+  photo.renderId += 1;
   photo.alt = step.hotspot?.label ?? `Step ${index + 1}`;
   // the actual reveal happens in handlePhotoReady, once PhotoLayer's decode resolves
 }
@@ -485,6 +489,7 @@ onMount(() => {
       <PhotoLayer
         visible={photo.visible}
         src={photo.src}
+        renderId={photo.renderId}
         alt={photo.alt}
         transform={photo.transform}
         transformInstant={photo.transformInstant}
diff --git a/turbo.json b/turbo.json
index f2d2d45..7c160fa 100644
--- a/turbo.json
+++ b/turbo.json
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
       "dependsOn": ["^build"]
     },
     "size": {
-      "dependsOn": ["^build"]
+      "dependsOn": ["build"]
     },
     "dev": {
       "dependsOn": ["^build"],