diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 93a7da4..5a1a2aa 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ on:
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
       version:
-        description: 'Release version; must match pyproject.toml (for example 1.3.2)'
+        description: 'Release version; must match pyproject.toml (without the v prefix)'
         required: true
         type: string
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index cb0ddad..0f07e0d 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "contextd"
-version = "1.3.2"
+version = "1.4.0"
 description = "Build system for AI coding-agent context"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
diff --git a/scripts/test_contextd_runtime.py b/scripts/test_contextd_runtime.py
index d5cb3e9..da07e59 100644
--- a/scripts/test_contextd_runtime.py
+++ b/scripts/test_contextd_runtime.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import io
 import importlib.util
 import os
+import re
 import shutil
 import subprocess
 import sys
@@ -1364,7 +1365,16 @@ def test_thesis_hardening_docs_and_release_mapping() -> None:
     assert 'BINARY="contextd-${PLATFORM}-arm64"' not in release, release
     assert "Linux arm64 prebuilt binary is not available" in release, release
     assert "contextd-linux-arm64" not in release, release
-    assert 'version = "1.3.2"' in pyproject, pyproject
+    project_version_match = re.search(
+        r'(?m)^version\s*=\s*"([^"]+)"\s*$',
+        pyproject,
+    )
+    assert project_version_match, pyproject
+    project_version = project_version_match.group(1)
+    assert re.fullmatch(
+        r"[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(?:[.-][0-9A-Za-z.-]+)?",
+        project_version,
+    ), project_version
     for module in ("cmd_synapse", "lib.synapse_engine", "lib.frontmatter"):
         assert f"'{module}'" in spec, (module, spec)
     assert "'synapse_engine'" not in spec, "top-level lib module would create duplicate state"
@@ -1372,7 +1382,7 @@ def test_thesis_hardening_docs_and_release_mapping() -> None:
     assert "needs: [release-metadata, verify, package-source, build-binaries]" in release
     assert "python-version: ['3.10', '3.12']" in release
     actual_version = contextd_version.get_version(start_path=ROOT)
-    assert actual_version == "1.3.2", actual_version
+    assert actual_version == project_version, (actual_version, project_version)
     print("  ok thesis_hardening_docs_and_release_mapping")