diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 618405f..2d3a669 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -95,6 +95,77 @@ jobs:
           echo "zip_name=${ZIP_NAME}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "Building: ${ZIP_NAME} (${STABILITY})"
 
+      - name: Auto-bump patch version
+        id: bump
+        env:
+          GA_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GA_TOKEN }}
+          INPUT_VERSION: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.version }}
+          INPUT_STABILITY: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.stability }}
+          INPUT_SUFFIX: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.suffix }}
+        run: |
+          # Read current version from README.md
+          CURRENT=$(sed -n 's/.*VERSION:[[:space:]]*\([0-9][0-9]\.[0-9][0-9]\.[0-9][0-9]\).*/\1/p' README.md 2>/dev/null | head -1)
+          if [ -z "$CURRENT" ]; then
+            echo "No VERSION in README.md — using input version"
+            echo "version=${INPUT_VERSION}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "zip_name=${EXT_ELEMENT}-${INPUT_VERSION}${INPUT_SUFFIX}.zip" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            exit 0
+          fi
+
+          # Bump patch: XX.YY.ZZ → XX.YY.(ZZ+1)
+          MAJOR=$(echo "$CURRENT" | cut -d. -f1)
+          MINOR=$(echo "$CURRENT" | cut -d. -f2)
+          PATCH=$(echo "$CURRENT" | cut -d. -f3)
+          NEW_PATCH=$(printf "%02d" $((10#$PATCH + 1)))
+          NEW_VERSION="${MAJOR}.${MINOR}.${NEW_PATCH}"
+
+          echo "Bumping: ${CURRENT} → ${NEW_VERSION}"
+
+          # Update README.md
+          sed -i "s/VERSION:[[:space:]]*${CURRENT}/VERSION: ${NEW_VERSION}/" README.md
+
+          # Update templateDetails.xml / manifest
+          MANIFEST=$(find . -maxdepth 2 -name "*.xml" -exec grep -l '<extension' {} \; 2>/dev/null | head -1)
+          if [ -n "$MANIFEST" ]; then
+            sed -i "s|<version>${CURRENT}</version>|<version>${NEW_VERSION}</version>|" "$MANIFEST"
+          fi
+
+          # Update only the matching stability channel in updates.xml
+          if [ -f "updates.xml" ]; then
+            export PY_OLD="$CURRENT" PY_NEW="$NEW_VERSION" PY_STABILITY="$INPUT_STABILITY"
+            python3 << 'PYEOF'
+          import re, os
+          old = os.environ["PY_OLD"]
+          new = os.environ["PY_NEW"]
+          stability = os.environ["PY_STABILITY"]
+          with open("updates.xml") as f:
+              content = f.read()
+          pattern = r"(<update>(?:(?!</update>).)*?<tag>" + re.escape(stability) + r"</tag>.*?</update>)"
+          match = re.search(pattern, content, re.DOTALL)
+          if match:
+              block = match.group(1)
+              updated = block.replace(old, new)
+              content = content.replace(block, updated)
+          with open("updates.xml", "w") as f:
+              f.write(content)
+          print(f"Updated {stability} channel: {old} -> {new}")
+          PYEOF
+          fi
+
+          # Commit bump
+          git config --local user.email "gitea-actions[bot]@mokoconsulting.tech"
+          git config --local user.name "gitea-actions[bot]"
+          git remote set-url origin "https://jmiller:${GA_TOKEN}@git.mokoconsulting.tech/${{ github.repository }}.git"
+          git add -A
+          git diff --cached --quiet || {
+            git commit -m "chore(version): bump ${CURRENT} → ${NEW_VERSION} [skip ci]" \
+              --author="gitea-actions[bot] <gitea-actions[bot]@mokoconsulting.tech>"
+            git push
+          }
+
+          echo "version=${NEW_VERSION}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "zip_name=${EXT_ELEMENT}-${NEW_VERSION}${INPUT_SUFFIX}.zip" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
       - name: Install dependencies
         env:
           COMPOSER_AUTH: '{"http-basic":{"git.mokoconsulting.tech":{"username":"token","password":"${{ secrets.GA_TOKEN }}"}}}'
@@ -119,7 +190,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build ZIP
         id: zip
         run: |
-          ZIP_NAME="${{ steps.meta.outputs.zip_name }}"
+          ZIP_NAME="${{ steps.bump.outputs.zip_name }}"
           cd build/package
           zip -r "../${ZIP_NAME}" .
           cd ..
@@ -157,7 +228,7 @@ jobs:
         id: gitea_release
         run: |
           TAG="${{ steps.meta.outputs.tag_name }}"
-          VERSION="${{ steps.meta.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version }}"
           STABILITY="${{ steps.meta.outputs.stability }}"
           PRERELEASE="${{ steps.meta.outputs.prerelease }}"
           SHA256="${{ steps.zip.outputs.sha256 }}"
@@ -207,7 +278,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: "Gitea: Upload ZIP"
         run: |
           RELEASE_ID="${{ steps.gitea_release.outputs.release_id }}"
-          ZIP_NAME="${{ steps.meta.outputs.zip_name }}"
+          ZIP_NAME="${{ steps.bump.outputs.zip_name }}"
           TOKEN="${{ secrets.GA_TOKEN }}"
           API="${GITEA_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITEA_ORG}/${GITEA_REPO}"
 
@@ -225,9 +296,9 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: true
         run: |
           TAG="${{ steps.meta.outputs.tag_name }}"
-          VERSION="${{ steps.meta.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version }}"
           STABILITY="${{ steps.meta.outputs.stability }}"
-          ZIP_NAME="${{ steps.meta.outputs.zip_name }}"
+          ZIP_NAME="${{ steps.bump.outputs.zip_name }}"
           SHA256="${{ steps.zip.outputs.sha256 }}"
           TOKEN="${{ secrets.GH_TOKEN }}"
           GH_REPO="mokoconsulting-tech/${GITEA_REPO}"
@@ -275,9 +346,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: "Update updates.xml for this channel"
         run: |
           STABILITY="${{ steps.meta.outputs.stability }}"
-          VERSION="${{ steps.meta.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version }}"
           SHA256="${{ steps.zip.outputs.sha256 }}"
-          ZIP_NAME="${{ steps.meta.outputs.zip_name }}"
+          ZIP_NAME="${{ steps.bump.outputs.zip_name }}"
           TAG="${{ steps.meta.outputs.tag_name }}"
           DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)
 
@@ -375,7 +446,7 @@ jobs:
           fi
 
           STABILITY="${{ steps.meta.outputs.stability }}"
-          VERSION="${{ steps.meta.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version }}"
           CURRENT_BRANCH="${{ github.ref_name }}"
           TOKEN="${{ secrets.GA_TOKEN }}"
 
@@ -428,9 +499,9 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Summary
         run: |
-          VERSION="${{ steps.meta.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version }}"
           STABILITY="${{ steps.meta.outputs.stability }}"
-          ZIP_NAME="${{ steps.meta.outputs.zip_name }}"
+          ZIP_NAME="${{ steps.bump.outputs.zip_name }}"
           SHA256="${{ steps.zip.outputs.sha256 }}"
           TAG="${{ steps.meta.outputs.tag_name }}"