diff --git a/.mokogitea/workflows/auto-release.yml b/.mokogitea/workflows/auto-release.yml
index e555c14..80908e4 100644
--- a/.mokogitea/workflows/auto-release.yml
+++ b/.mokogitea/workflows/auto-release.yml
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ jobs:
             --from auto --to release-candidate \
             --token "${{ secrets.GA_TOKEN }}" \
             --api-base "${API_BASE}" \
-            --branch "${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}"
+            --branch "${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref || 'dev' }}"
 
       - name: Cascade lesser channels
         continue-on-error: true
@@ -180,7 +180,17 @@ jobs:
             echo "::notice::No RC release — full build pipeline"
           fi
 
-      # Version bump handled by auto-bump.yml (minor on main, patch on dev)
+      - name: "Step 1b: Minor bump version"
+        id: bump
+        if: >-
+          steps.version.outputs.skip != 'true' &&
+          steps.rc.outputs.promote != 'true'
+        run: |
+          MOKO_API="/tmp/moko-platform-api/cli"
+          php ${MOKO_API}/version_bump.php --path . --minor 2>&1 || true
+          VERSION=$(php ${MOKO_API}/version_read.php --path .)
+          echo "version=${VERSION}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "Bumped to: ${VERSION}"
 
       - name: Check if already released
         if: steps.version.outputs.skip != 'true'
@@ -207,7 +217,7 @@ jobs:
           steps.version.outputs.skip != 'true' &&
           steps.check.outputs.already_released != 'true'
         run: |
-          VERSION="${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version || steps.version.outputs.version }}"
           php /tmp/moko-platform-api/cli/release_validate.php \
             --path . --version "$VERSION" --output-summary --github-output || true
 
@@ -218,7 +228,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           BRANCH="${{ steps.version.outputs.branch }}"
           IS_MINOR="${{ steps.version.outputs.is_minor }}"
-          PATCH="${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}"
+          PATCH="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version || steps.version.outputs.version }}"
           PATCH_NUM=$(echo "$PATCH" | awk -F. '{print $3}')
 
           # Check if branch exists
@@ -237,7 +247,7 @@ jobs:
           steps.version.outputs.skip != 'true' &&
           steps.check.outputs.already_released != 'true'
         run: |
-          VERSION="${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version || steps.version.outputs.version }}"
           php /tmp/moko-platform-api/cli/version_set_platform.php \
             --path . --version "$VERSION" --branch main
 
@@ -245,7 +255,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: "Step 4: Update version badges"
         if: steps.version.outputs.skip != 'true'
         run: |
-          VERSION="${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version || steps.version.outputs.version }}"
           php /tmp/moko-platform-api/cli/badge_update.php --path . --version "${VERSION}" 2>/dev/null || true
           php /tmp/moko-platform-api/cli/version_check.php --path . --fix 2>/dev/null || true
 
@@ -260,7 +270,7 @@ jobs:
             echo "No changes to commit"
             exit 0
           fi
-          VERSION="${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version || steps.version.outputs.version }}"
           git config --local user.email "gitea-actions[bot]@mokoconsulting.tech"
           git config --local user.name "gitea-actions[bot]"
           # Set push URL with token for branch-protected repos
@@ -292,7 +302,7 @@ jobs:
           steps.version.outputs.skip != 'true' &&
           steps.rc.outputs.promote == 'true'
         run: |
-          VERSION="${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version || steps.version.outputs.version }}"
           API_BASE="${GITEA_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITEA_ORG}/${GITEA_REPO}"
           php /tmp/moko-platform-api/cli/release_promote.php \
             --from release-candidate --to stable \
@@ -307,7 +317,7 @@ jobs:
           steps.version.outputs.skip != 'true' &&
           steps.rc.outputs.promote != 'true'
         run: |
-          VERSION="${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version || steps.version.outputs.version }}"
           RELEASE_TAG="${{ steps.version.outputs.release_tag }}"
           API_BASE="${GITEA_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITEA_ORG}/${GITEA_REPO}"
           php /tmp/moko-platform-api/cli/release_create.php \
@@ -323,7 +333,7 @@ jobs:
           steps.version.outputs.skip != 'true' &&
           steps.rc.outputs.promote != 'true'
         run: |
-          VERSION="${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version || steps.version.outputs.version }}"
           RELEASE_TAG="${{ steps.version.outputs.release_tag }}"
           API_BASE="${GITEA_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITEA_ORG}/${GITEA_REPO}"
           php /tmp/moko-platform-api/cli/release_package.php \
@@ -335,7 +345,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: "Step 5: Write update stream"
         if: steps.version.outputs.skip != 'true'
         run: |
-          VERSION="${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version || steps.version.outputs.version }}"
           SHA256="${{ steps.package.outputs.sha256_zip }}"
 
           # Fetch latest updates.xml from main so preserve logic has all channels
@@ -368,29 +378,15 @@ jobs:
       # -- STEP 8b: Update release description with changelog ----------------------
       - name: "Step 8b: Update release body"
         if: steps.version.outputs.skip != 'true'
+        continue-on-error: true
         run: |
-          VERSION="${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version || steps.version.outputs.version }}"
           RELEASE_TAG="${{ steps.version.outputs.release_tag }}"
-          MOKO_CLI="/tmp/moko-platform-api/cli"
-
-          php ${MOKO_CLI}/release_body_update.php \
+          php /tmp/moko-platform-api/cli/release_body_update.php \
             --path . --version "${VERSION}" --tag "${RELEASE_TAG}" \
             --token "${{ secrets.GA_TOKEN }}" \
             --gitea-url "${GITEA_URL}" --org "${GITEA_ORG}" --repo "${GITEA_REPO}" \
-            2>/dev/null || {
-            # Fallback: simple body update if CLI not available
-            API_BASE="${GITEA_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITEA_ORG}/${GITEA_REPO}"
-            RELEASE_ID=$(curl -sf -H "Authorization: token ${{ secrets.GA_TOKEN }}" \
-              "${API_BASE}/releases/tags/${RELEASE_TAG}" 2>/dev/null | \
-              python3 -c "import sys,json; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('id',''))" 2>/dev/null || true)
-            if [ -n "$RELEASE_ID" ] && [ "$RELEASE_ID" != "None" ]; then
-              BODY="## ${VERSION} ($(date +%Y-%m-%d))\n\nChecksum files attached as \`*.sha256\` assets."
-              curl -sf -X PATCH -H "Authorization: token ${{ secrets.GA_TOKEN }}" \
-                -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-                "${API_BASE}/releases/${RELEASE_ID}" \
-                -d "{\"body\":\"${BODY}\"}" > /dev/null 2>&1
-            fi
-          }
+            2>&1 || true
           echo "Release body updated" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
 
       # -- STEP 9: Mirror to GitHub (stable only) --------------------------------
@@ -400,7 +396,7 @@ jobs:
           secrets.GH_TOKEN != ''
         continue-on-error: true
         run: |
-          VERSION="${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version || steps.version.outputs.version }}"
           RELEASE_TAG="${{ steps.version.outputs.release_tag }}"
           GH_REPO="${{ vars.GH_MIRROR_REPO || github.repository }}"
           API_BASE="${GITEA_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITEA_ORG}/${GITEA_REPO}"
@@ -433,7 +429,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: "Delete lesser pre-release channels"
         continue-on-error: true
         run: |
-          VERSION="${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version || steps.version.outputs.version }}"
           API_BASE="${GITEA_URL}/api/v1/repos/${GITEA_ORG}/${GITEA_REPO}"
           php /tmp/moko-platform-api/cli/release_cascade.php \
             --stability stable \
@@ -475,7 +471,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Pipeline Summary
         if: always()
         run: |
-          VERSION="${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}"
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version || steps.version.outputs.version }}"
           PLATFORM="${{ steps.platform.outputs.platform }}"
           if [ "${{ steps.version.outputs.skip }}" = "true" ]; then
             echo "## Release Skipped" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY