diff --git a/packages/gittensory-mcp/bin/gittensory-mcp.js b/packages/gittensory-mcp/bin/gittensory-mcp.js
index 28b087e8a3..f87f913170 100755
--- a/packages/gittensory-mcp/bin/gittensory-mcp.js
+++ b/packages/gittensory-mcp/bin/gittensory-mcp.js
@@ -8,10 +8,15 @@ import { StdioServerTransport } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/stdio.js"
 import { z } from "zod";
 import { buildBranchAnalysisPayload, collectLocalDiff, collectLocalBranchMetadata, probeLocalScorer, referenceScorePreviewExample, resolveScorePreviewCommand, resolveWorkspaceCwd, sanitizeLocalScorerStatus, setupGuidanceForLocalScorer, isTestFile } from "../lib/local-branch.js";
 
+// Read name/version from this package's own package.json (always present in any install --
+// global, npx, or local -- npm ships it regardless of the "files" allowlist) instead of hand-synced
+// literals, so a release bump never has a second place to forget.
+const ownPackageJson = JSON.parse(readFileSync(new URL("../package.json", import.meta.url), "utf8"));
+
 const defaultApiUrl = "https://gittensory-api.aethereal.dev";
 const legacyDefaultApiUrls = new Set(["https://gittensory-api.zeronode.workers.dev"]);
-const packageName = "@jsonbored/gittensory-mcp";
-const packageVersion = "0.7.0";
+const packageName = ownPackageJson.name;
+const packageVersion = ownPackageJson.version;
 const npmRegistryUrl = (process.env.GITTENSORY_NPM_REGISTRY_URL ?? "https://registry.npmjs.org").replace(/\/+$/, "");
 const upgradeCommand = `npm install -g ${packageName}@latest`;
 const npxFallbackCommand = `npx ${packageName}@latest <command>`;
diff --git a/src/services/mcp-compatibility.ts b/src/services/mcp-compatibility.ts
index c413b4a75e..79bd857067 100644
--- a/src/services/mcp-compatibility.ts
+++ b/src/services/mcp-compatibility.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,14 @@
+// Derives the recommended version from the actual published package instead of a second hand-synced
+// literal (src/server.ts:14 uses the same pattern for the root package.json) -- a release bump now has
+// one fewer place to forget. Deploys with the Worker on merge, same as today's manual-sync timing: this
+// advertises the new version to /health and /v1/mcp/compatibility as soon as the release PR merges,
+// before the npm package itself is actually tagged/published.
+import gittensoryMcpPackageJson from "../../packages/gittensory-mcp/package.json";
+
 export const GITTENSORY_API_VERSION = "0.1.0";
 export const GITTENSORY_MCP_PACKAGE_NAME = "@jsonbored/gittensory-mcp";
 export const MINIMUM_SUPPORTED_MCP_VERSION = "0.5.0";
-export const LATEST_RECOMMENDED_MCP_VERSION = "0.7.0";
+export const LATEST_RECOMMENDED_MCP_VERSION: string = gittensoryMcpPackageJson.version;
 
 export type McpCompatibilityStatus = "current" | "stale" | "incompatible" | "unknown";
 
diff --git a/test/unit/mcp-cli-basics.test.ts b/test/unit/mcp-cli-basics.test.ts
index 637266eb4e..8f86b2a8c6 100644
--- a/test/unit/mcp-cli-basics.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/mcp-cli-basics.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { closeFixtureServer, createPacketRepo, run, runAsync, startFixtureServer } from "./support/mcp-cli-harness";
+import mcpPackageJson from "../../packages/gittensory-mcp/package.json";
 
 describe("gittensory-mcp CLI — basics", () => {
   let tempDir: string | null = null;
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ describe("gittensory-mcp CLI — basics", () => {
   });
 
   it("reports the package version via version, --version, and -v", () => {
-    const expected = "@jsonbored/gittensory-mcp/0.7.0";
+    const expected = `@jsonbored/gittensory-mcp/${mcpPackageJson.version}`;
     for (const flag of ["version", "--version", "-v"]) {
       const plain = run([flag]).trim();
       expect(plain).toContain(expected);
@@ -131,7 +132,7 @@ describe("gittensory-mcp CLI — basics", () => {
   it("emits machine-readable version output with --json", () => {
     const payload = JSON.parse(run(["version", "--json"])) as { name: string; version: string; apiVersion: string; node: string };
     expect(payload.name).toBe("@jsonbored/gittensory-mcp");
-    expect(payload.version).toBe("0.7.0");
+    expect(payload.version).toBe(mcpPackageJson.version);
     expect(payload.apiVersion).toBe("0.1.0");
     expect(payload.node).toBe(process.version);
   });
diff --git a/test/unit/mcp-cli-doctor.test.ts b/test/unit/mcp-cli-doctor.test.ts
index e3897f5658..01048d72aa 100644
--- a/test/unit/mcp-cli-doctor.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/mcp-cli-doctor.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,15 @@ import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { bin, closeFixtureServer, createPacketRepo, git, runAsync, startFixtureServer } from "./support/mcp-cli-harness";
+import mcpPackageJson from "../../packages/gittensory-mcp/package.json";
+
+// A "higher-core prerelease" fixture (release outranks any prerelease of the same core, but a
+// HIGHER-core prerelease still beats a lower-core release) needs a version strictly above the local
+// package's own -- computed instead of hardcoded so it stays correct across every future release.
+const oneMinorAboveLocal = (() => {
+  const [major, minor] = mcpPackageJson.version.split(".").map(Number) as [number, number, number];
+  return `${major}.${minor + 1}.0`;
+})();
 
 describe("gittensory-mcp CLI — doctor", () => {
   let tempDir: string | null = null;
@@ -146,7 +155,7 @@ describe("gittensory-mcp CLI — doctor", () => {
 
   it("reports a current install without upgrade guidance", async () => {
     tempDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "gittensory-cli-"));
-    const url = await startFixtureServer({ latestVersion: "0.7.0", minMcpVersion: "0.5.0" });
+    const url = await startFixtureServer({ latestVersion: mcpPackageJson.version, minMcpVersion: "0.5.0" });
     const payload = JSON.parse(
       await runAsync(["status", "--json"], {
         GITTENSORY_API_URL: url,
@@ -166,7 +175,7 @@ describe("gittensory-mcp CLI — doctor", () => {
       status: "compatible",
       source: "compatibility_endpoint",
       minVersion: "0.5.0",
-      latestRecommendedVersion: "0.7.0",
+      latestRecommendedVersion: mcpPackageJson.version,
       apiVersion: "0.1.0",
     });
   });
@@ -186,8 +195,8 @@ describe("gittensory-mcp CLI — doctor", () => {
     expect(ahead.package).toMatchObject({ state: "ahead", updateAvailable: false });
     await closeFixtureServer();
 
-    // Local 0.7.0 vs a higher-core prerelease 0.8.0-rc.1 -> stale.
-    const staleUrl = await startFixtureServer({ latestVersion: "0.8.0-rc.1" });
+    // Local (mcpPackageJson.version) vs a higher-core prerelease (one minor above) -> stale.
+    const staleUrl = await startFixtureServer({ latestVersion: `${oneMinorAboveLocal}-rc.1` });
     const stale = JSON.parse(
       await runAsync(["status", "--json"], {
         GITTENSORY_API_URL: staleUrl,
@@ -227,7 +236,7 @@ describe("gittensory-mcp CLI — doctor", () => {
 
   it("flags a stale install in doctor with upgrade remediation", async () => {
     tempDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "gittensory-cli-"));
-    const url = await startFixtureServer({ latestVersion: "1.0.0" });
+    const url = await startFixtureServer({ latestVersion: oneMinorAboveLocal });
     const payload = JSON.parse(
       await runAsync(["doctor", "--cwd", tempDir, "--repo", "JSONbored/gittensory", "--json"], {
         GITTENSORY_API_URL: url,
@@ -282,7 +291,7 @@ describe("gittensory-mcp CLI — doctor", () => {
 
   it("uses API recommended package metadata when the npm registry is unavailable", async () => {
     tempDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "gittensory-cli-"));
-    const url = await startFixtureServer({ npmStatus: 500, latestRecommendedMcpVersion: "0.8.0" });
+    const url = await startFixtureServer({ npmStatus: 500, latestRecommendedMcpVersion: oneMinorAboveLocal });
     const payload = JSON.parse(
       await runAsync(["status", "--json"], {
         GITTENSORY_API_URL: url,
@@ -294,7 +303,7 @@ describe("gittensory-mcp CLI — doctor", () => {
     expect(payload.package).toMatchObject({
       state: "stale",
       latestStatus: "api",
-      latestVersion: "0.8.0",
+      latestVersion: oneMinorAboveLocal,
       upgradeCommand: "npm install -g @jsonbored/gittensory-mcp@latest",
     });
   });
diff --git a/test/unit/mcp-cli-profiles.test.ts b/test/unit/mcp-cli-profiles.test.ts
index 56b3dd8900..a2c3b5ad9b 100644
--- a/test/unit/mcp-cli-profiles.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/mcp-cli-profiles.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { closeFixtureServer, run, runAsync, startFixtureServer } from "./support/mcp-cli-harness";
+import mcpPackageJson from "../../packages/gittensory-mcp/package.json";
 
 describe("gittensory-mcp CLI — profiles", () => {
   let tempDir: string | null = null;
@@ -157,12 +158,12 @@ describe("gittensory-mcp CLI — profiles", () => {
       }),
     ) as { package: { name: string; version: string; latestStatus: string }; api: { status: string }; auth: { login: string } };
 
-    expect(status.package).toMatchObject({ name: "@jsonbored/gittensory-mcp", version: "0.7.0", latestStatus: "skipped" });
+    expect(status.package).toMatchObject({ name: "@jsonbored/gittensory-mcp", version: mcpPackageJson.version, latestStatus: "skipped" });
     expect(status.api.status).toBe("ok");
     expect(status.auth.login).toBe("JSONbored");
 
     const changelog = JSON.parse(run(["changelog", "--json"])) as { package: { version: string }; changelog: string };
-    expect(changelog.package.version).toBe("0.7.0");
+    expect(changelog.package.version).toBe(mcpPackageJson.version);
     expect(changelog.changelog).toContain("# Changelog");
   });
 
@@ -180,7 +181,7 @@ describe("gittensory-mcp CLI — profiles", () => {
 
     const sessionRequest = requests.find((request) => request.url === "/v1/auth/session");
     expect(sessionRequest?.headers["x-gittensory-mcp-package"]).toBe("@jsonbored/gittensory-mcp");
-    expect(sessionRequest?.headers["x-gittensory-mcp-version"]).toBe("0.7.0");
+    expect(sessionRequest?.headers["x-gittensory-mcp-version"]).toBe(mcpPackageJson.version);
     expect(sessionRequest?.headers["x-gittensory-mcp-client"]).toBe("gittensory-mcp-cli");
     const telemetryHeaders = JSON.stringify({
       package: sessionRequest?.headers["x-gittensory-mcp-package"],
diff --git a/test/unit/mcp-compatibility.test.ts b/test/unit/mcp-compatibility.test.ts
index 5cbfb7cbde..515db58ee0 100644
--- a/test/unit/mcp-compatibility.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/mcp-compatibility.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,21 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { buildMcpClientTelemetry } from "../../src/services/client-telemetry";
-import { classifyMcpClientVersion, compareMcpSemver } from "../../src/services/mcp-compatibility";
+import { classifyMcpClientVersion, compareMcpSemver, LATEST_RECOMMENDED_MCP_VERSION, MINIMUM_SUPPORTED_MCP_VERSION } from "../../src/services/mcp-compatibility";
+
+// Derives values relative to the actual current recommended release instead of hardcoding a literal
+// that only happens to be correct for whichever version is current when the test is written --
+// LATEST_RECOMMENDED_MCP_VERSION now derives from packages/gittensory-mcp/package.json (no longer a
+// second hand-synced literal), so these assertions stay correct across every future release too.
+// MINIMUM_SUPPORTED_MCP_VERSION-relative literals ("0.5.9" etc.) stay hardcoded on purpose: unlike the
+// recommended version, that constant is deliberately NOT bumped every release.
+function bumpMinor(version: string): string {
+  const [major, minor] = version.split(".").map(Number) as [number, number, number];
+  return `${major}.${minor + 1}.0`;
+}
+function bumpPatch(version: string): string {
+  const [major, minor, patch] = version.split(".").map(Number) as [number, number, number];
+  return `${major}.${minor}.${patch + 1}`;
+}
 
 describe("MCP compatibility telemetry", () => {
   it("classifies local MCP package versions against the advertised support window", () => {
@@ -8,10 +23,9 @@ describe("MCP compatibility telemetry", () => {
     expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("0.2.1")).toBe("incompatible");
     expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("0.3.0")).toBe("incompatible");
     expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("0.4.0")).toBe("incompatible");
-    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("0.5.0")).toBe("stale");
+    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion(MINIMUM_SUPPORTED_MCP_VERSION)).toBe("stale");
     expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("0.5.9")).toBe("stale");
-    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("0.6.0")).toBe("stale");
-    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("0.7.0")).toBe("current");
+    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion(LATEST_RECOMMENDED_MCP_VERSION)).toBe("current");
     expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("not-a-version")).toBe("unknown");
     expect(classifyMcpClientVersion(undefined)).toBe("unknown");
     expect(classifyMcpClientVersion(null)).toBe("unknown");
@@ -19,16 +33,16 @@ describe("MCP compatibility telemetry", () => {
 
   it("treats prerelease builds below the minimum or recommended cutoffs as incompatible or stale", () => {
     expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("0.4.9-rc.1")).toBe("incompatible");
-    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("0.5.0-rc.1")).toBe("incompatible");
-    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("0.7.0-rc.1")).toBe("stale");
+    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion(`${MINIMUM_SUPPORTED_MCP_VERSION}-rc.1`)).toBe("incompatible");
+    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion(`${LATEST_RECOMMENDED_MCP_VERSION}-rc.1`)).toBe("stale");
   });
 
   it("classifies the exact recommended version and newer releases as current", () => {
-    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("0.7.0")).toBe("current");
-    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("0.7.1")).toBe("current");
-    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("1.0.0")).toBe("current");
-    expect(compareMcpSemver("0.7.0", "0.7.0")).toBe(0);
-    expect(compareMcpSemver("0.8.0", "0.7.0")).toBe(1);
+    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion(LATEST_RECOMMENDED_MCP_VERSION)).toBe("current");
+    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion(bumpPatch(LATEST_RECOMMENDED_MCP_VERSION))).toBe("current");
+    expect(classifyMcpClientVersion("999.0.0")).toBe("current");
+    expect(compareMcpSemver(LATEST_RECOMMENDED_MCP_VERSION, LATEST_RECOMMENDED_MCP_VERSION)).toBe(0);
+    expect(compareMcpSemver(bumpMinor(LATEST_RECOMMENDED_MCP_VERSION), LATEST_RECOMMENDED_MCP_VERSION)).toBe(1);
   });
 
   it("builds bounded telemetry from allowlisted MCP headers", () => {