diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
index e2cea80..67aefed 100644
--- a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
+++ b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ body:
     id: version
     attributes:
       label: Franco version or commit
-      placeholder: "0.5.0, or the output of: git rev-parse --short HEAD"
+      placeholder: "0.5.1, or the output of: git rev-parse --short HEAD"
     validations:
       required: true
   - type: input
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8579eea..457c1a1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ minor versions can still change behaviour.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.5.1] — 2026-10-17
+
 ### Security
 
 - **Bounces are verified before Franco acts on them.** Anyone can send a message that looks like a bounce, and acting on one marks a contact's address invalid and moves the bounce rate toward the kill switch. A delivery report is acted on only when it references the Message-ID of an email Franco actually sent (`In-Reply-To` or `References`) and names that email's recipient. A report that matches only by naming an address Franco emailed in the last 14 days could be forged by anyone who knows whom Franco emails, so it is logged as `bounce_needs_review` for a person to check, and changes nothing. Unmatched reports are logged as `bounce_ignored`.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 78557f9..541cac3 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "franco"
-version = "0.5.0"
+version = "0.5.1"
 description = "Autonomous AI sales agent. Always Be Closing."
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.11"