diff --git a/src/brainy.ts b/src/brainy.ts
index 59eeabcc..55b80d5a 100644
--- a/src/brainy.ts
+++ b/src/brainy.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 /**
- * 🧠 Brainy 3.0 - The Future of Neural Databases
- *
- * Beautiful, Professional, Planet-Scale, Fun to Use
- * NO STUBS, NO MOCKS, REAL IMPLEMENTATION
+ * @module brainy
+ * @description The `Brainy` class — the Triple-Intelligence database that unifies
+ * vector similarity, graph traversal, and metadata filtering behind a single API
+ * (`add`/`find`/`relate`/`related`/`get`/`similar`/`graph.*`/`now`/`asOf`/`transact`/
+ * `export`/`import`). Native acceleration is feature-detected through the provider
+ * boundary; when no provider is registered, the built-in JS engines serve everything.
  */
 
 import { v4 as uuidv4, v7 as uuidv7 } from './universal/uuid.js'
@@ -159,6 +161,7 @@ import {
 import { GenerationStore } from './db/generationStore.js'
 import { isDeterministicEmbedMode } from './embeddings/deterministicEmbedMode.js'
 import { GenerationConflictError } from './db/errors.js'
+import { BrainyError } from './errors/brainyError.js'
 import { MemoryStorage } from './storage/adapters/memoryStorage.js'
 import type {
   CompactHistoryOptions,
@@ -390,6 +393,14 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
    * (use the TS fallback); otherwise the provider instance.
    */
   private _graphAccelProvider: GraphAccelerationProvider | null | undefined = undefined
+  /**
+   * Set when a non-fatal index rebuild fails at init() (the brain is allowed to
+   * start, but in a degraded state where queries may be incomplete). Surfaced
+   * through {@link checkHealth} so consumers can observe the failure
+   * programmatically rather than only via the console. A storage *read* failure
+   * during rebuild is NOT recorded here — it re-throws and aborts init() loudly.
+   */
+  private _indexRebuildFailed: Error | null = null
 
   // Sub-APIs (lazy-loaded)
   private _nlp?: NaturalLanguageProcessor
@@ -1291,9 +1302,11 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
 
   /**
    * @description Persist one single-operation write (`add`/`update`/`remove`/
-   * `relate`/`updateRelation`/`unrelate` and the per-item calls of their `*Many`
-   * variants) as its OWN immutable generation — the Model-B "every write
-   * versioned" contract. Wraps the write's existing `executeTransaction` batch in
+   * `relate`/`updateRelation`/`unrelate` and the per-item calls of `addMany`/
+   * `updateMany`/`relateMany`) as its OWN immutable generation — the Model-B
+   * "every write versioned" contract. (`removeMany` is the one exception: it
+   * commits each delete *chunk* as a single generation for bulk-delete efficiency,
+   * not one generation per removed id.) Wraps the write's existing `executeTransaction` batch in
    * {@link GenerationStore.commitSingleOp}, which captures byte-identical
    * before-images of `touched`, runs the batch with the generation watermark
    * pinned to the reserved generation (so this write's graph-index ops stamp cor
@@ -1326,6 +1339,26 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
     })
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @description Add an entity (noun) to the brain. Embeds `data` into a vector and
+   * indexes the entity across all three intelligences — vector similarity, graph
+   * adjacency, and metadata — then returns its id. When no `id` is supplied a fresh
+   * time-ordered **UUID v7** is generated; a supplied natural-key string is
+   * normalized to a stable **UUID v5**. Under Model-B every add is its own immutable
+   * generation, so it is time-travelable via {@link asOf}.
+   * @param params - The entity to add. `data` (embedded for similarity) and `type`
+   *   (a {@link NounType}) are the essentials; `subtype`, `metadata`, an explicit
+   *   `id`, `visibility`, `confidence`, and `weight` are optional.
+   * @returns The entity's id — the supplied/normalized id, or a freshly generated UUID v7.
+   * @throws If the brain is read-only (`mode: 'reader'`), or brain-wide `requireSubtype`
+   *   is on and the entity's type has no subtype.
+   * @example
+   * const id = await brain.add({
+   *   data: 'Ada Lovelace',
+   *   type: NounType.Person,
+   *   metadata: { role: 'mathematician' }
+   * })
+   */
   async add(params: AddParams<T>): Promise<string> {
     this.assertWritable('add')
     await this.ensureInitialized()
@@ -4665,6 +4698,30 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
     return new Set(ids)
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @description The unified Triple-Intelligence query. Composes vector similarity
+   * (`query` / `vector` / `near`), metadata filtering (`type` / `subtype` / `where` /
+   * `service`), and graph traversal (`connected`) into one ranked, paginated result
+   * set — pass a bare string for a quick semantic search, or a {@link FindParams}
+   * object to combine dimensions. Internal/system entities are hidden by default
+   * (opt in with `includeInternal` / `includeSystem`); `orderBy`/`order` and
+   * `limit`/`offset` apply across the composed result. Every returned row is
+   * re-validated against its own predicate, so a stale or cross-bucket index entry
+   * can never surface an entity that does not actually match.
+   * @param query - A semantic search string, or a {@link FindParams} object combining
+   *   any of `query`, `vector`, `near`, `type`, `subtype`, `where`, `connected`,
+   *   `orderBy`/`order`, `limit`, `offset`.
+   * @returns The matching {@link Result}s — flattened (`id`, `score`, `type`,
+   *   `metadata`, `data`, …) and ranked; an empty array when nothing matches.
+   * @example
+   * // Semantic + metadata + graph, composed in one call:
+   * const rows = await brain.find({
+   *   query: 'climate policy',
+   *   where: { year: { gte: 2020 } },
+   *   connected: { from: orgId, via: VerbType.Authored },
+   *   limit: 10
+   * })
+   */
   async find(query: string | FindParams<T>): Promise<Result<T>[]> {
     await this.ensureInitialized()
 
@@ -5152,11 +5209,19 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
     // `entityMatchesFind` (db.ts). On a healthy index it is a no-op; on a
     // corrupted one it drops the bad row instead of returning a phantom.
     if (result.length > 0) {
-      result = result.filter(
-        (r) =>
-          r.entity != null &&
-          entityMatchesFind(r.entity as unknown as Entity, params as unknown as FindParams)
-      )
+      result = result.filter((r) => {
+        if (r.entity == null) return false
+        try {
+          return entityMatchesFind(r.entity as unknown as Entity, params as unknown as FindParams)
+        } catch {
+          // The JS matcher doesn't implement a where-operator the provider already
+          // matched on (e.g. a future native-only operator). The guard cannot
+          // DISPROVE a match the provider made, so keep the row rather than
+          // hard-failing a correct provider result. (The db.ts historical path
+          // keeps its throw, which legitimately reroutes to materialization.)
+          return true
+        }
+      })
     }
 
     // includeVectors — opt-in vector hydration. Default (false) keeps the perf
@@ -10896,7 +10961,20 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
     recommendation: string | null
   }> {
     await this.ensureInitialized()
-    return this.metadataIndex.validateConsistency()
+    const result = await this.metadataIndex.validateConsistency()
+    // Fold in a non-fatal index-rebuild failure recorded at init() so the degraded
+    // state is observable through the same health surface (not just the console).
+    if (this._indexRebuildFailed) {
+      return {
+        ...result,
+        healthy: false,
+        recommendation:
+          `Index rebuild failed at init() (degraded — queries may be incomplete): ` +
+          `${this._indexRebuildFailed.message}. Rebuild the indexes and re-open.` +
+          (result.recommendation ? ` Also: ${result.recommendation}` : '')
+      }
+    }
+    return result
   }
 
   /**
@@ -12785,8 +12863,19 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
       }
 
     } catch (error) {
-      console.warn('Warning: Could not rebuild indexes:', error)
-      // Don't throw - allow system to start even if rebuild fails
+      // A storage READ failure here is surfaced by getNouns/getVerbs as a named
+      // BrainyError — it means we could not even read the store to decide whether
+      // a rebuild is needed (or to perform it). That is a hard init failure, not a
+      // "start anyway" condition: booting a brain whose data we couldn't read would
+      // serve empty/incomplete results with no signal (the silent-failure class the
+      // 8.0 contract forbids). Re-throw it loud.
+      if (error instanceof BrainyError) throw error
+      // Any other rebuild hiccup is non-fatal — the brain may start on partially
+      // rebuilt indexes — but it is recorded as a queryable degraded state
+      // (surfaced via checkHealth) and escalated to error-level logging, rather
+      // than only emitting a console.warn that is trivially lost.
+      this._indexRebuildFailed = error instanceof Error ? error : new Error(String(error))
+      console.error('[Brainy] Index rebuild failed; starting in a DEGRADED state (queries may be incomplete):', error)
     }
   }
 
@@ -12808,7 +12897,20 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
     recommendation: string | null
   }> {
     await this.ensureInitialized()
-    return this.metadataIndex.validateConsistency()
+    const result = await this.metadataIndex.validateConsistency()
+    // Fold in a non-fatal index-rebuild failure recorded at init() so the degraded
+    // state is observable through the same health surface (not just the console).
+    if (this._indexRebuildFailed) {
+      return {
+        ...result,
+        healthy: false,
+        recommendation:
+          `Index rebuild failed at init() (degraded — queries may be incomplete): ` +
+          `${this._indexRebuildFailed.message}. Rebuild the indexes and re-open.` +
+          (result.recommendation ? ` Also: ${result.recommendation}` : '')
+      }
+    }
+    return result
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/coreTypes.ts b/src/coreTypes.ts
index 69133b1d..45caebb3 100644
--- a/src/coreTypes.ts
+++ b/src/coreTypes.ts
@@ -888,6 +888,16 @@ export interface StorageAdapter {
    */
   getMetadata(id: string): Promise<NounMetadata | null>
 
+  /**
+   * Delete a system/metadata object previously written with {@link saveMetadata}.
+   * Routes by the same key analysis as save/get (system channel), so callers that
+   * persist their own keyed payloads — e.g. the LSM graph store reclaiming its
+   * compacted-away SSTables — can free the storage instead of orphaning it.
+   * Idempotent: a missing key is a no-op, not an error.
+   * @param id The same key passed to {@link saveMetadata}.
+   */
+  deleteMetadata(id: string): Promise<void>
+
   /**
    * Get multiple metadata objects in batches (prevents socket exhaustion)
    * @param ids Array of IDs to get metadata for
diff --git a/src/graph/lsm/LSMTree.ts b/src/graph/lsm/LSMTree.ts
index 32f941bb..960efe9e 100644
--- a/src/graph/lsm/LSMTree.ts
+++ b/src/graph/lsm/LSMTree.ts
@@ -1,21 +1,21 @@
 /**
- * LSMTree - Log-Structured Merge Tree for Graph Storage
- *
- * Production-grade LSM-tree implementation that reduces memory usage
- * from 500GB to 1.3GB for 1 billion relationships while maintaining
- * sub-5ms read performance.
+ * @module graph/lsm/LSMTree
+ * @description Log-Structured Merge tree for the JS (open-core) graph store — the
+ * fallback used when no native graph provider is registered. Verb-id postings are
+ * buffered in an in-memory MemTable, flushed to immutable sorted SSTables, and
+ * background-compacted; bloom filters give fast negative lookups.
  *
  * Architecture:
- * - MemTable: In-memory write buffer (100K relationships, ~24MB)
- * - SSTables: Immutable sorted files on disk (10K relationships each)
- * - Bloom Filters: In-memory filters for fast negative lookups
- * - Compaction: Background merging of SSTables
+ * - MemTable: in-memory write buffer (flush threshold configurable, default 100K)
+ * - SSTables: immutable sorted segments, persisted via the StorageAdapter
+ * - Bloom filters: in-memory membership pre-checks
+ * - Compaction: background merge of SSTables (reclaims superseded segments)
  *
- * Key Properties:
- * - Write-optimized: O(1) writes to MemTable
- * - Read-efficient: O(log n) reads with bloom filter optimization
- * - Memory-efficient: 385x less memory than all-in-RAM approach
- * - Storage-agnostic: Works with any StorageAdapter
+ * Complexity: O(1) MemTable writes; O(log n) reads with bloom-filter pre-filtering.
+ * Note: this JS implementation loads its SSTables into memory after open (it is the
+ * fallback engine). Billion-scale, on-disk-resident operation is the native graph
+ * provider's role behind the provider boundary, not this fallback's; no absolute
+ * memory/latency figures are claimed here without a cited benchmark.
  */
 
 import { StorageAdapter } from '../../coreTypes.js'
@@ -457,15 +457,20 @@ export class LSMTree {
         }
       })
 
-      // Delete old SSTables from storage
+      // Reclaim the compacted-away SSTables: drop them from the manifest AND
+      // delete their persisted payloads, so the system channel does not grow
+      // unbounded with graph write volume. (deleteMetadata is idempotent, so a
+      // never-persisted memtable-only SSTable is a harmless no-op.)
       for (const sstable of sstables) {
         const oldKey = `${this.config.storagePrefix}-${sstable.metadata.id}`
+        this.manifest.sstables.delete(sstable.metadata.id)
         try {
-          // StorageAdapter doesn't have deleteMetadata, so we'll leave orphaned data
-          // In production, we'd add a cleanup mechanism
-          this.manifest.sstables.delete(sstable.metadata.id)
+          await this.storage.deleteMetadata(oldKey)
         } catch (error) {
-          prodLog.warn(`LSMTree: Failed to delete old SSTable ${sstable.metadata.id}`, error)
+          // A reclaim failure must not abort compaction (the merged SSTable is
+          // already durable and the manifest no longer references the old one);
+          // surface it so a persistent leak is visible rather than silent.
+          prodLog.warn(`LSMTree: failed to delete compacted SSTable ${sstable.metadata.id}`, error)
         }
       }
 
diff --git a/src/storage/adapters/baseStorageAdapter.ts b/src/storage/adapters/baseStorageAdapter.ts
index 2b54f076..6815ced4 100644
--- a/src/storage/adapters/baseStorageAdapter.ts
+++ b/src/storage/adapters/baseStorageAdapter.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ export abstract class BaseStorageAdapter implements StorageAdapter {
 
   abstract getMetadata(id: string): Promise<any | null>
 
+  abstract deleteMetadata(id: string): Promise<void>
+
   abstract getNounMetadata(id: string): Promise<any | null>
 
   abstract getVerbMetadata(id: string): Promise<any | null>
diff --git a/src/storage/baseStorage.ts b/src/storage/baseStorage.ts
index 768d1920..353be9e4 100644
--- a/src/storage/baseStorage.ts
+++ b/src/storage/baseStorage.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import { getShardId } from './sharding.js'
 import { BlobStorage, type BlobStoreAdapter } from './blobStorage.js'
 import { unwrapBinaryData } from './binaryDataCodec.js'
 import { prodLog } from '../utils/logger.js'
+import { BrainyError } from '../errors/brainyError.js'
 import { MetadataWriteBuffer } from '../utils/metadataWriteBuffer.js'
 import {
   splitNounMetadataRecord,
@@ -1568,23 +1569,24 @@ export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
         }
       }
 
-      // Storage adapter does not support pagination
-      prodLog.error(
-        'Storage adapter does not support pagination. The deprecated getAllNouns_internal() method has been removed. Please implement getNounsWithPagination() in your storage adapter.'
+      // Storage adapter does not support pagination. This is a hard
+      // misconfiguration — find()/rebuild/aggregation all read through this path,
+      // so returning an empty page would silently present a misconfigured adapter
+      // as an empty database. Fail loud instead.
+      throw BrainyError.storage(
+        'Storage adapter does not implement getNounsWithPagination(). The deprecated getAllNouns_internal() fallback has been removed; implement pagination in your storage adapter.'
       )
-      
-      return {
-        items: [],
-        totalCount: 0,
-        hasMore: false
-      }
     } catch (error) {
-      prodLog.error('Error getting nouns with pagination:', error)
-      return {
-        items: [],
-        totalCount: 0,
-        hasMore: false
-      }
+      // Never convert a genuine read failure into a success-shaped empty page:
+      // this is the highest-fan-in read path (find() fallback, cold-start rebuild
+      // gating, aggregation backfill, getNounsByNounType), so a swallowed error
+      // would propagate as "zero rows" everywhere — indistinguishable from a truly
+      // empty store, and the exact silent-failure class the 8.0 contract forbids.
+      if (error instanceof BrainyError) throw error
+      throw BrainyError.storage(
+        'getNouns pagination read failed',
+        error instanceof Error ? error : undefined
+      )
     }
   }
 
@@ -2415,12 +2417,14 @@ export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
           : undefined
       }
     } catch (error) {
-      prodLog.error('Error getting verbs with pagination:', error)
-      return {
-        items: [],
-        totalCount: 0,
-        hasMore: false
-      }
+      // Same no-silent-failure contract as getNouns: a genuine read failure must
+      // surface as a named, catchable error, not a success-shaped empty page that
+      // callers read as "this graph has no verbs."
+      if (error instanceof BrainyError) throw error
+      throw BrainyError.storage(
+        'getVerbs pagination read failed',
+        error instanceof Error ? error : undefined
+      )
     }
   }
 
@@ -2576,6 +2580,26 @@ export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
     return null
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Delete a system/metadata object previously written with {@link saveMetadata}.
+   * The exact inverse of save/get: routes through `analyzeKey(id, 'system')` and
+   * removes the canonical object (plus the legacy flat path that `getMetadata`
+   * also reads, so a sharded key leaves nothing behind). Lets keyed-payload
+   * owners — e.g. the LSM graph store reclaiming its compacted-away SSTables —
+   * free storage instead of orphaning it. Idempotent: deleting a missing path is
+   * a no-op.
+   */
+  public async deleteMetadata(id: string): Promise<void> {
+    await this.ensureInitialized()
+    const keyInfo = this.analyzeKey(id, 'system')
+    await this.deleteCanonicalObject(keyInfo.fullPath)
+    // Mirror getMetadata's legacy fallback so an older flat-path payload for a
+    // sharded key is also reclaimed.
+    if (keyInfo.shardId !== null) {
+      await this.deleteCanonicalObject(`${SYSTEM_DIR}/${id}.json`)
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Save noun metadata to storage (now typed)
    * Routes to correct sharded location based on UUID
@@ -3175,15 +3199,11 @@ export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
     await this.ensureInitialized()
 
     // Direct O(1) lookup with ID-first paths - no type search needed!
+    // Symmetric with getNounMetadata: readCanonicalObject already returns null for
+    // a genuine not-found, so a real storage fault (permission/corruption/IO) must
+    // propagate rather than be masked as "this verb has no metadata".
     const path = getVerbMetadataPath(id)
-
-    try {
-      const metadata = await this.readCanonicalObject(path)
-      return metadata || null
-    } catch (error) {
-      // Entity not found
-      return null
-    }
+    return this.readCanonicalObject(path)
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/utils/version.ts b/src/utils/version.ts
index 718d44fe..d616cee3 100644
--- a/src/utils/version.ts
+++ b/src/utils/version.ts
@@ -1,100 +1,85 @@
 /**
- * Version utilities for Brainy
+ * @module utils/version
+ * @description Resolves the running `@soulcraft/brainy` package version. Brainy 8.0
+ * targets Node-like runtimes only (Node.js, Bun, Deno — all expose `node:fs`), so the
+ * version is read **synchronously** from `package.json` on first call and cached.
+ *
+ * The synchronous read is load-bearing: `loadPlugins()` is the first step of `init()`
+ * and reads the version to drive the brainy↔provider version-coupling guard
+ * (`plugin.ts` → `pluginRangeSatisfies`). A deferred/async value would return a stale
+ * default on that first synchronous call and spuriously reject a correctly-matched
+ * native provider (e.g. cor 3.x declaring `>=8.0.0`). Reading synchronously removes
+ * that window entirely.
  */
 
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { dirname, join } from 'node:path'
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url'
 import { isNode } from './environment.js'
 
-// Default version - this should be replaced at build time
-const DEFAULT_VERSION = '3.14.0'
+/**
+ * Last-resort sentinel, returned only if `package.json` cannot be read at all
+ * (a non-Node runtime, or a genuinely broken install). It is intentionally an
+ * "unknown" `0.0.0` rather than a plausible-looking release, so a real read
+ * failure can never masquerade as a valid version and silently satisfy a
+ * coupling range — it will fail loud instead.
+ */
+const UNKNOWN_VERSION = '0.0.0'
 
 let cachedVersion: string | null = null
-let versionPromise: Promise<string> | null = null
 
 /**
- * Load version from package.json in Node.js environment
+ * Synchronously read `version` from the package's own `package.json`. The path
+ * `../../package.json` resolves to the package root from both `src/utils/` (dev)
+ * and `dist/utils/` (published).
  */
-async function loadVersionFromPackageJson(): Promise<string> {
-  if (!isNode()) {
-    return DEFAULT_VERSION
-  }
-
+function readVersionSync(): string {
+  if (!isNode()) return UNKNOWN_VERSION
   try {
-    // Dynamic imports for Node.js modules - modern approach
-    const [{ readFileSync }, { join, dirname }, { fileURLToPath }] = await Promise.all([
-      import('node:fs'),
-      import('node:path'),
-      import('node:url')
-    ])
-
-    const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)
-    const __dirname = dirname(__filename)
-    const packageJsonPath = join(__dirname, '../../package.json')
-
-    const packageJson = JSON.parse(readFileSync(packageJsonPath, 'utf8'))
-    return packageJson.version || DEFAULT_VERSION
-  } catch (error) {
-    // Silently fall back to default version
-    return DEFAULT_VERSION
+    const here = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url))
+    const pkg = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(here, '../../package.json'), 'utf8'))
+    return typeof pkg.version === 'string' && pkg.version.length > 0
+      ? pkg.version
+      : UNKNOWN_VERSION
+  } catch {
+    return UNKNOWN_VERSION
   }
 }
 
 /**
- * Get the current Brainy package version
- * In Node.js, attempts to read from package.json
- * In browser, returns the default version
- * @returns The current version string
+ * @description The running Brainy package version, read synchronously from
+ * `package.json` and cached. Correct on the **first** call — including the
+ * version-coupling check during `init()` — with no async warm-up.
+ * @returns The semver version string (e.g. `"8.0.0"`).
+ * @example
+ * const v = getBrainyVersion() // "8.0.0"
  */
 export function getBrainyVersion(): string {
-  if (cachedVersion) {
-    return cachedVersion
-  }
-
-  // In browser or if we need immediate response, return default
-  if (!isNode()) {
-    cachedVersion = DEFAULT_VERSION
-    return cachedVersion
-  }
-
-  // For Node.js, try to load synchronously first time
-  // This is a compromise for backward compatibility
-  if (!versionPromise) {
-    versionPromise = loadVersionFromPackageJson()
-    versionPromise.then(version => {
-      cachedVersion = version
-    })
-  }
-
-  // Return default while loading
-  return cachedVersion || DEFAULT_VERSION
+  if (cachedVersion === null) cachedVersion = readVersionSync()
+  return cachedVersion
 }
 
 /**
- * Get the current Brainy package version asynchronously
- * Guaranteed to attempt loading from package.json in Node.js
- * @returns Promise resolving to the current version string
+ * @description Async accessor retained for API compatibility. The version is
+ * resolved synchronously, so this returns the same value as
+ * {@link getBrainyVersion} — there is no longer any deferred state.
+ * @returns A promise resolving to the version string.
  */
 export async function getBrainyVersionAsync(): Promise<string> {
-  if (cachedVersion) {
-    return cachedVersion
-  }
-
-  if (!versionPromise) {
-    versionPromise = loadVersionFromPackageJson()
-  }
-
-  const version = await versionPromise
-  cachedVersion = version
-  return version
+  return getBrainyVersion()
 }
 
 /**
- * Get version information for augmentation metadata
- * @param service The service/augmentation name
- * @returns Version metadata object
+ * @description Build the version-metadata object stamped onto augmentation /
+ * provenance records.
+ * @param service - The augmentation or service name to record.
+ * @returns `{ augmentation, version }` carrying the current package version.
+ * @example
+ * getAugmentationVersion('aggregation') // { augmentation: 'aggregation', version: '8.0.0' }
  */
 export function getAugmentationVersion(service: string): { augmentation: string; version: string } {
   return {
     augmentation: service,
     version: getBrainyVersion()
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugin-version-coupling.test.ts b/tests/unit/plugin-version-coupling.test.ts
index 26f551c1..00b236aa 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugin-version-coupling.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/plugin-version-coupling.test.ts
@@ -12,9 +12,17 @@
  *   6. a graceful decline (activate()→false) → no throw, loud warn
  */
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url'
+import { dirname, join } from 'node:path'
 import { Brainy } from '../../src/brainy.js'
+import { getBrainyVersion } from '../../src/utils/version.js'
 import { pluginRangeSatisfies, type BrainyPlugin, type BrainyPluginContext } from '../../src/plugin.js'
 
+const PACKAGE_VERSION: string = JSON.parse(
+  readFileSync(join(dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), '../../package.json'), 'utf8')
+).version
+
 function memBrain(): Brainy {
   return new Brainy({ requireSubtype: false, storage: { type: 'memory' }, silent: true })
 }
@@ -44,6 +52,21 @@ describe('pluginRangeSatisfies (dep-free range matcher)', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('getBrainyVersion() — synchronously correct on first call', () => {
+  it('returns the real package version, not a stale build-time default', () => {
+    // Regression: the version was read async, so the FIRST (synchronous) call —
+    // the one loadPlugins() makes to build context.version — returned a stale
+    // default ('3.14.0'), which fails any realistic cor 3.x `>=8.0.0` range and
+    // hard-rejects the matched native pairing on cold init. The sync read makes
+    // the first call correct.
+    const v = getBrainyVersion()
+    expect(v).toBe(PACKAGE_VERSION)
+    expect(v).not.toBe('3.14.0')
+    expect(v).not.toBe('0.0.0') // the unknown-read sentinel must not surface in a real install
+    expect(v.startsWith('8.')).toBe(true)
+  })
+})
+
 /** A minimal fake plugin; `onActivate` lets a test register providers / throw. */
 function fakePlugin(
   name: string,
@@ -72,6 +95,17 @@ describe('version coupling at init() — no silent fallback', () => {
     await brain.close()
   })
 
+  it('does NOT throw for a realistic cor 3.x range (^8.0.0) on a COLD init', async () => {
+    // The actual regression: loadPlugins() is the first init step and makes the
+    // first getBrainyVersion() call, so a stale sync default would reject a
+    // correctly-matched native provider declaring the real 8.x range. A fresh
+    // brain registering a `^8.0.0` plugin must init cleanly.
+    const brain = memBrain()
+    brain.use(fakePlugin('@fake/cor-3x', { brainyRange: '^8.0.0' }))
+    await expect(brain.init()).resolves.toBeUndefined()
+    await brain.close()
+  })
+
   it('throws (does not swallow) when activate() throws', async () => {
     const brain = memBrain()
     brain.use(fakePlugin('@fake/boom', { onActivate: () => { throw new Error('kaboom') } }))