diff --git a/.claude/agent-memory/archgate-developer/MEMORY.md b/.claude/agent-memory/archgate-developer/MEMORY.md
index f4aae44..4b8e598 100644
--- a/.claude/agent-memory/archgate-developer/MEMORY.md
+++ b/.claude/agent-memory/archgate-developer/MEMORY.md
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ Non-enforceable lessons — environment/CI/platform quirks no static rule can re
 - **`Bun.env` modifications in parallel test files leak into integration test subprocesses** — Bun test runner runs all test files in a single process sharing `Bun.env`. Tests that set `Bun.env.HOME`, `Bun.env.GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM`, or `Bun.env.GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL` (e.g., `auth.test.ts`, `credential-store.test.ts`) modify the shared environment. Integration tests that spawn CLI subprocesses via `runCli()` spread `process.env` (which IS `Bun.env`) into the child, inheriting the leaked values. Symptom: git operations in the subprocess fail with "not a git repo" or similar, but the test passes in isolation. Fix: integration tests that rely on git must explicitly reset git-related env vars in the `runCli` call: `runCli(args, dir, { GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM: "", GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL: "" })`. Applied in `tests/integration/check.test.ts` for the `--base` tests.
 - **Cross-command I/O sharing: export from the existing command file, don't create shared files** — When two commands need to share I/O functions (console.log with styleText), you CANNOT put them in `src/helpers/` (ARCH-002 forbids console.log in helpers) or create a new file under `src/commands/<parent>/` without a register function (ARCH-001 requires register\*Command export, ARCH-016 requires docs heading). The correct pattern: export the shared functions from the command file that already defines them (e.g., `plugin/install.ts` exports `installForEditor()` and `printManualInstructions()`) and import them in the other command. Applied in `upgrade.ts` importing from `./plugin/install`.
 - **macOS `/var` → `/private/var` symlink breaks temp dir path comparisons in tests** — On macOS, `/var` is a symlink to `/private/var`. `mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), ...))` returns `/var/folders/...` but `process.cwd()` after `chdir()` resolves the symlink to `/private/var/folders/...`. Tests that compare `tempDir` against paths derived from `process.cwd()` or `findProjectRoot()` will fail. Fix: always wrap `mkdtempSync` with `realpathSync` in test setup: `tempDir = realpathSync(mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "archgate-test-")))`. This normalizes the path upfront. Discovered in v0.38.0/v0.39.0 release builds — PR CI runs on ubuntu-latest only, so macOS-specific issues are invisible until the release workflow.
+- **jq on Windows Git Bash emits CRLF line endings** — `jq -r` output ends lines with `\r\n`. In sh scripts, command substitution strips only trailing newlines, so parsed values carry a trailing `\r` (and multi-line lists get `\r` on every entry except the last). Symptom: charset validations reject valid values, or URLs get an embedded CR. Fix: pipe jq (and grep/sed fallbacks) through `tr -d '\r'`. Bit us in `install.sh` resolve_version — the release-walk skipped every tag except the last one.
+- **`archgate review-context` misses uncommitted changes when a base ref is detected** — `getFilesChangedSinceRef` (src/engine/git-files.ts) runs `git diff base...HEAD`, which only sees COMMITTED changes. During a normal dev session (Write/Edit tools, nothing committed), `review-context` lists the branch's committed files but silently omits the working-tree edits actually under review. Workaround: scope reviewer sub-agents manually from `git status` / `git diff --name-only main`. Tracked in issue #403; candidate CLI fix: union `base...HEAD` with `getChangedFiles()` (staged+unstaged).
 - **Don't test that well-known tools exist on PATH** — Tests like `expect(resolveCommand("bun")).toBe("bun")` assert CI environment state, not application logic. They fail when the runner installs tools via shims (e.g., proto on macOS ARM64 where `Bun.which` returns null). Delete such tests entirely — the "returns null for non-existent command" tests already cover `resolveCommand`'s actual logic, and WSL-specific tests cover the `.exe` fallback path.
 
 ## Translation Quality
@@ -75,4 +77,5 @@ Non-enforceable lessons — environment/CI/platform quirks no static rule can re
 - **npm shim + GitHub Releases** — The npm package is a thin shim (`bin/archgate.cjs`). On first run, the shim downloads the platform binary from GitHub Releases and caches it to `~/.archgate/bin/`. No platform-specific npm packages.
 - **`.cjs` extension is mandatory** — Root `package.json` has `"type": "module"`. Any Node.js CJS wrapper script placed at the package root MUST use `.cjs`, not `.js`, or Node.js will attempt to parse it as ESM and fail.
 - [Shim publishing pipeline gotchas](project_shim_publishing.md) — PyPI README, RubyGem Rakefile/working-dir, Maven waitUntil; build reqs not caught by `archgate check`
+- **Advertised version != installable version** — `docs/public/version.json` is committed in the release PR and deployed by Cloudflare on merge to main, BEFORE `release.yml` creates the GitHub release and `release-binaries.yml` uploads assets (~15-25 min gap; indefinite if the release job fails, as in the v0.44 incident). `install.sh`/`install.ps1` therefore verify the platform asset exists (HEAD request) before trusting any advertised version, and fall back to walking `releases?per_page=10` for the newest release whose asset exists. The shims (npm/pypi/go/etc.) pin version constants at release time and share this exposure — if they get the same hardening, codify the rule in ARCH-017.
 - **Registering a subdir Go module on pkg.go.dev** — A subdir Go module's zip only contains files under its subtree, so the repo-root `LICENSE.md` is excluded and pkg.go.dev shows "no license" until `shims/go/LICENSE.md` exists (the shim LICENSE sync is enforced by ARCH-013). To trigger registration, hit the proxy: `curl https://proxy.golang.org/<module>/@v/<version>.info`.
diff --git a/install.ps1 b/install.ps1
index 89c8320..9b341b5 100644
--- a/install.ps1
+++ b/install.ps1
@@ -14,10 +14,37 @@ if ($Arch -ne "AMD64") {
     exit 1
 }
 
+# --- Release asset helpers ---
+
+function Get-AssetUrl {
+    param([string]$Version)
+    return "https://github.com/$Repo/releases/download/$Version/$Artifact.zip"
+}
+
+# Returns $true when the platform asset for the given version tag actually
+# exists on GitHub Releases. A version being advertised (version.json,
+# releases/latest) does not guarantee its assets are uploaded yet - releases
+# are published before the binary build workflow finishes, and a failed
+# release pipeline can advertise a version that never gets assets at all.
+function Test-AssetExists {
+    param([string]$Version)
+    try {
+        Invoke-WebRequest -Uri (Get-AssetUrl $Version) -Method Head -UseBasicParsing -ErrorAction Stop | Out-Null
+        return $true
+    } catch {
+        return $false
+    }
+}
+
 # --- Resolve version ---
 
 function Get-LatestVersion {
     if ($env:ARCHGATE_VERSION) {
+        if (-not (Test-AssetExists $env:ARCHGATE_VERSION)) {
+            Write-Host "Error: no $Artifact.zip asset found for pinned ARCHGATE_VERSION='$($env:ARCHGATE_VERSION)'." -ForegroundColor Red
+            Write-Host "Check that the release exists and has finished building: https://github.com/$Repo/releases"
+            return $null
+        }
         return $env:ARCHGATE_VERSION
     }
 
@@ -25,24 +52,42 @@ function Get-LatestVersion {
     try {
         $versionInfo = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://cli.archgate.dev/version.json" -ErrorAction Stop
         if ($versionInfo.version) {
-            return $versionInfo.version
+            # The version endpoint can advertise a release before its binaries
+            # are uploaded (or one whose release pipeline failed). Trust it
+            # only when the platform asset is actually downloadable.
+            if (Test-AssetExists $versionInfo.version) {
+                return $versionInfo.version
+            }
+            Write-Warning "$($versionInfo.version) is advertised but its release assets are not available yet (release may be in progress). Falling back to the newest installable release..."
         }
     } catch {
-        # Fall through to GitHub API
+        Write-Verbose "version.json lookup failed: $($_.Exception.Message); falling back to GitHub API"
     }
 
-    # Fallback: GitHub releases API
+    # Fallback: walk recent GitHub releases (newest first) and pick the first
+    # one whose platform asset exists. 'releases/latest' alone is not enough -
+    # it returns a release as soon as it is published, before assets upload.
+    $releases = $null
     try {
         $headers = @{ "Accept" = "application/vnd.github+json" }
         if ($env:GITHUB_TOKEN) {
             $headers["Authorization"] = "token $($env:GITHUB_TOKEN)"
         }
-        $release = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://api.github.com/repos/$Repo/releases/latest" -Headers $headers -ErrorAction Stop
-        return $release.tag_name
+        $releases = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://api.github.com/repos/$Repo/releases?per_page=10" -Headers $headers -ErrorAction Stop
     } catch {
         Write-Error "Error: failed to query latest archgate version. Details: $($_.Exception.Message)"
         return $null
     }
+
+    foreach ($release in $releases) {
+        if ($release.tag_name -and (Test-AssetExists $release.tag_name)) {
+            return $release.tag_name
+        }
+    }
+
+    Write-Host "Error: none of the recent releases have a $Artifact.zip asset." -ForegroundColor Red
+    Write-Host "Visit https://github.com/$Repo/releases or https://cli.archgate.dev/getting-started/installation/ for alternative install methods."
+    return $null
 }
 
 $Version = Get-LatestVersion
@@ -53,7 +98,7 @@ if (-not $Version) {
 
 # --- Download and install ---
 
-$Url = "https://github.com/$Repo/releases/download/$Version/$Artifact.zip"
+$Url = Get-AssetUrl $Version
 
 Write-Host "Installing archgate $Version ($Artifact)..."
 
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index fcd30c8..fd92e76 100644
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -48,6 +48,34 @@ detect_platform() {
   fi
 
   ARTIFACT="archgate-${platform}-${arch}"
+
+  if [ "$platform" = "win32" ]; then
+    EXT="zip"
+  else
+    EXT="tar.gz"
+  fi
+}
+
+# --- Release asset helpers ---
+
+asset_url() {
+  echo "https://github.com/${REPO}/releases/download/${1}/${ARTIFACT}.${EXT}"
+}
+
+# Returns 0 when the platform asset for the given version tag actually exists
+# on GitHub Releases. A version being advertised (version.json, releases/latest)
+# does not guarantee its assets are uploaded yet - releases are published
+# before the binary build workflow finishes, and a failed release pipeline can
+# advertise a version that never gets assets at all.
+asset_exists() {
+  check_url="$(asset_url "$1")"
+  if command -v curl >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    curl -fsIL -o /dev/null "$check_url" 2>/dev/null
+  elif command -v wget >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    wget -q --spider "$check_url" 2>/dev/null
+  else
+    return 1
+  fi
 }
 
 # --- Resolve version ---
@@ -55,6 +83,11 @@ detect_platform() {
 resolve_version() {
   if [ -n "${ARCHGATE_VERSION:-}" ]; then
     VERSION="$ARCHGATE_VERSION"
+    if ! asset_exists "$VERSION"; then
+      echo "Error: no ${ARTIFACT}.${EXT} asset found for pinned ARCHGATE_VERSION='${VERSION}'." >&2
+      echo "Check that the release exists and has finished building: https://github.com/${REPO}/releases" >&2
+      exit 1
+    fi
     return
   fi
 
@@ -69,19 +102,30 @@ resolve_version() {
   fi
 
   if [ -n "$static_response" ]; then
+    # tr -d '\r': jq on Windows (Git Bash) emits CRLF line endings, which
+    # would otherwise leave a stray carriage return in the parsed value.
     if command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-      static_version="$(printf '%s' "$static_response" | jq -r '.version // empty')"
+      static_version="$(printf '%s' "$static_response" | jq -r '.version // empty' | tr -d '\r')"
     else
-      static_version="$(printf '%s' "$static_response" | grep '"version"' | sed 's/.*"version": *"//;s/".*//')"
+      static_version="$(printf '%s' "$static_response" | grep '"version"' | sed 's/.*"version": *"//;s/".*//' | tr -d '\r')"
     fi
     if [ -n "$static_version" ]; then
-      VERSION="$static_version"
-      return
+      # The version endpoint can advertise a release before its binaries are
+      # uploaded (or one whose release pipeline failed). Trust it only when
+      # the platform asset is actually downloadable.
+      if asset_exists "$static_version"; then
+        VERSION="$static_version"
+        return
+      fi
+      echo "Warning: ${static_version} is advertised but its release assets are not available yet (release may be in progress)." >&2
+      echo "Falling back to the newest installable release..." >&2
     fi
   fi
 
-  # Fallback: GitHub releases API
-  api_url="https://api.github.com/repos/${REPO}/releases/latest"
+  # Fallback: walk recent GitHub releases (newest first) and pick the first
+  # one whose platform asset exists. 'releases/latest' alone is not enough -
+  # it returns a release as soon as it is published, before assets upload.
+  api_url="https://api.github.com/repos/${REPO}/releases?per_page=10"
   auth_header=""
   if [ -n "${GITHUB_TOKEN:-}" ]; then
     auth_header="Authorization: token ${GITHUB_TOKEN}"
@@ -96,9 +140,9 @@ resolve_version() {
     exit 1
   fi
 
-  # Basic sanity check that we got a JSON-like response
+  # Basic sanity check that we got a JSON array back
   case "$response" in
-    \{*)
+    \[*)
       ;;
     *)
       echo "Error: unexpected response from GitHub releases API." >&2
@@ -107,36 +151,39 @@ resolve_version() {
       ;;
   esac
 
+  # tr -d '\r': jq on Windows (Git Bash) emits CRLF line endings, which would
+  # otherwise leave a carriage return on every tag and fail validation below.
   if command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    VERSION="$(printf '%s' "$response" | jq -r '.tag_name // empty')"
+    tags="$(printf '%s' "$response" | jq -r '.[].tag_name // empty' | tr -d '\r' || true)"
   else
-    VERSION="$(printf '%s' "$response" | grep "tag_name" | sed 's/.*"tag_name": *"//;s/".*//')"
+    tags="$(printf '%s' "$response" | grep '"tag_name"' | sed 's/.*"tag_name": *"//;s/".*//' | tr -d '\r' || true)"
   fi
 
-  if [ -z "$VERSION" ]; then
-    echo "Error: could not determine latest version (empty tag_name)." >&2
+  if [ -z "$tags" ]; then
+    echo "Error: could not determine latest version (no release tags found)." >&2
     exit 1
   fi
 
-  # Validate that VERSION looks reasonable (non-empty and not an obvious error)
-  case "$VERSION" in
-    *[!A-Za-z0-9._-]*)
-      echo "Error: invalid version tag received: '$VERSION'" >&2
-      exit 1
-      ;;
-  esac
+  for tag in $tags; do
+    # Validate that the tag looks reasonable before using it in a URL
+    case "$tag" in
+      *[!A-Za-z0-9._-]*) continue ;;
+    esac
+    if asset_exists "$tag"; then
+      VERSION="$tag"
+      return
+    fi
+  done
+
+  echo "Error: none of the recent releases have a ${ARTIFACT}.${EXT} asset." >&2
+  echo "Visit https://github.com/${REPO}/releases or https://cli.archgate.dev/getting-started/installation/ for alternative install methods." >&2
+  exit 1
 }
 
 # --- Download and install ---
 
 download_and_install() {
-  if [ "$platform" = "win32" ]; then
-    ext="zip"
-  else
-    ext="tar.gz"
-  fi
-
-  url="https://github.com/${REPO}/releases/download/${VERSION}/${ARTIFACT}.${ext}"
+  url="$(asset_url "$VERSION")"
 
   echo "Installing archgate ${VERSION} (${ARTIFACT})..."
 
@@ -144,9 +191,9 @@ download_and_install() {
   trap 'rm -rf "$tmpdir"' EXIT
 
   if command -v curl >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    curl -fsSL "$url" -o "$tmpdir/archgate.${ext}"
+    curl -fsSL "$url" -o "$tmpdir/archgate.${EXT}"
   elif command -v wget >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    wget -qO "$tmpdir/archgate.${ext}" "$url"
+    wget -qO "$tmpdir/archgate.${EXT}" "$url"
   else
     echo "Error: neither 'curl' nor 'wget' is installed. Please install one of them to download archgate." >&2
     exit 1
diff --git a/src/helpers/plugin-install.ts b/src/helpers/plugin-install.ts
index d775c47..9ddd694 100644
--- a/src/helpers/plugin-install.ts
+++ b/src/helpers/plugin-install.ts
@@ -166,9 +166,8 @@ async function mergeCursorHooks(cursorDir: string): Promise<void> {
   if (!existsSync(hooksPath)) return;
 
   try {
-    const existing: { event: string; command?: string }[] = JSON.parse(
-      await Bun.file(hooksPath).text()
-    );
+    const existing: { event: string; command?: string }[] =
+      await Bun.file(hooksPath).json();
 
     // Remove any previous archgate hooks
     const filtered = existing.filter(
diff --git a/tests/helpers/session-context-copilot.test.ts b/tests/helpers/session-context-copilot.test.ts
index 301f45c..43f0f29 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/session-context-copilot.test.ts
+++ b/tests/helpers/session-context-copilot.test.ts
@@ -227,12 +227,16 @@ describe("readCopilotSession", () => {
   });
 
   test("returns error when session-state directory does not exist", async () => {
+    // beforeEach creates stateDir — remove it so this test actually exercises
+    // the missing-directory branch (afterEach recreates the temp home anyway)
+    rmSync(stateDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
     const result = await readCopilotSession(
       "/nonexistent/path/that/wont/match"
     );
-    // This may return "no sessions found for this project" or "no session-state dir"
-    // depending on whether ~/.copilot/session-state/ exists
     expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!result.ok) {
+      expect(result.error).toBe("No Copilot CLI session-state directory found");
+    }
   });
 
   test("skip option reads the second-most-recent matching session", async () => {