diff --git a/.github/workflows/dependabot-auto-merge.yml b/.github/workflows/dependabot-auto-merge.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8a5bc0438
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/dependabot-auto-merge.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+name: Dependabot auto-merge
+on: pull_request
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  pull-requests: write
+
+jobs:
+  auto-merge:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'dependabot[bot]' && github.repository == 'DataBiosphere/data-browser'
+    steps:
+      - uses: dependabot/fetch-metadata@25dd0e34f4fe68f24cc83900b1fe3fe149efef98 # v3.1.0
+        id: metadata
+        with:
+          github-token: "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}"
+      # Auto-merge only patch-level bumps of dev-only or transitive dependencies;
+      # runtime dependencies and minor/major bumps stay manual.
+      - if: |
+          steps.metadata.outputs.update-type == 'version-update:semver-patch' &&
+          contains(fromJSON('["direct:development", "indirect"]'), steps.metadata.outputs.dependency-type)
+        run: |
+          gh pr review --approve "$PR_URL"
+          gh pr merge --auto --squash "$PR_URL"
+        env:
+          PR_URL: ${{ github.event.pull_request.html_url }}
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}