diff --git a/actions/checks/action.yml b/actions/checks/action.yml
index b898b6c..1ca89e2 100644
--- a/actions/checks/action.yml
+++ b/actions/checks/action.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ runs:
       shell: bash
       run: curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash && echo "$HOME/.bun/bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
 
+    - name: Resolve external workspaces
+      shell: bash
+      run: bun "$GITHUB_ACTION_PATH/../../scripts/resolve-workspaces.ts"
+
     - name: Install dependencies
       shell: bash
       run: bun install --frozen-lockfile
diff --git a/actions/release/action.yml b/actions/release/action.yml
index db2070a..30cb498 100644
--- a/actions/release/action.yml
+++ b/actions/release/action.yml
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ runs:
       shell: bash
       run: curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash && echo "$HOME/.bun/bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
 
+    - name: Resolve external workspaces
+      shell: bash
+      run: bun "$GITHUB_ACTION_PATH/../../scripts/resolve-workspaces.ts"
+
     - name: Install dependencies
       shell: bash
       run: bun install --frozen-lockfile
diff --git a/scripts/resolve-workspaces.ts b/scripts/resolve-workspaces.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bc37262
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/resolve-workspaces.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import { readFileSync, writeFileSync, existsSync, readdirSync } from "fs"
+import { join } from "path"
+import { execSync } from "child_process"
+
+const pkg = JSON.parse(readFileSync("package.json", "utf8"))
+const ws: string[] = pkg.workspaces?.packages || pkg.workspaces || []
+if (!Array.isArray(ws)) process.exit(0)
+
+const ext = ws.filter((p) => p.startsWith(".."))
+if (ext.length === 0) process.exit(0)
+
+// collect local workspace package names
+const localNames = new Set<string>()
+for (const pattern of ws.filter((p) => !p.startsWith(".."))) {
+  const base = pattern.replace(/\/\*$/, "")
+  if (!existsSync(base)) continue
+  for (const dir of readdirSync(base, { withFileTypes: true })) {
+    if (!dir.isDirectory()) continue
+    const p = join(base, dir.name, "package.json")
+    if (existsSync(p)) localNames.add(JSON.parse(readFileSync(p, "utf8")).name)
+  }
+}
+
+// remove external workspace entries
+pkg.workspaces.packages = ws.filter((p) => !p.startsWith(".."))
+writeFileSync("package.json", JSON.stringify(pkg, null, 2) + "\n")
+
+// find all workspace:* deps that are not local — those are external
+const files = execSync('find . -name package.json -not -path "*/node_modules/*"')
+  .toString()
+  .trim()
+  .split("\n")
+
+const resolved: string[] = []
+for (const file of files) {
+  const content = readFileSync(file, "utf8")
+  let changed = content
+  const re = /"([^"]+)": "workspace:\*"/g
+  let m: RegExpExecArray | null
+  while ((m = re.exec(content)) !== null) {
+    if (!localNames.has(m[1])) {
+      changed = changed.replace(m[0], `"${m[1]}": "*"`)
+      resolved.push(m[1])
+    }
+  }
+  if (changed !== content) writeFileSync(file, changed)
+}
+
+if (resolved.length) {
+  console.log("Resolved external workspace deps:", [...new Set(resolved)].join(", "))
+}
diff --git a/src/sync.ts b/src/sync.ts
index 05898b6..5c9c444 100644
--- a/src/sync.ts
+++ b/src/sync.ts
@@ -49,11 +49,10 @@ export async function sync(targetDir: string): Promise<void> {
       const targetPath = join(rcDir, relPath)
       const strategy = getStrategy(relPath, patterns)
 
-      // Check target directory exists
+      // Ensure target directory exists
       const targetFileDir = dirname(targetPath)
       if (!existsSync(targetFileDir)) {
-        console.log(`  ${relPath}: ${yellow}warning: directory does not exist, skipping${reset}`)
-        continue
+        require("fs").mkdirSync(targetFileDir, { recursive: true })
       }
 
       if (strategy === "merge json") {