diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 0b1e47c..e3cf5c8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -76,6 +76,5 @@ jobs:
             build/manifest.json
             build/main.js
             build/styles.css
-            build/versions.json
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 321383a..3afd148 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ The release is self-contained. You do not need `pngquant`, `mozjpeg`, Homebrew,
 
 Source lives in `src-ts`. Root `main.js` is generated and ignored, so readable TypeScript rather than compiled output stays in Git. `npm run build` creates a production-minified local bundle; `npm run test:release` rebuilds it twice, requires deterministic bytes, validates inline WASM, and stages the release allowlist.
 
-The GitHub release artifact contains only Obsidian install files: `manifest.json`, `main.js`, `styles.css`, and `versions.json`. Production minification is not obfuscation: the complete source remains readable in the repository. Tags are exact numeric SemVer without a `v` prefix. See [RELEASE_POLICY.md](RELEASE_POLICY.md).
+The GitHub release artifact contains only Obsidian install files: `manifest.json`, `main.js`, and `styles.css`. `versions.json` stays in the repository for compatibility metadata, but it is not uploaded as a release asset. Production minification is not obfuscation: the complete source remains readable in the repository. Tags are exact numeric SemVer without a `v` prefix. See [RELEASE_POLICY.md](RELEASE_POLICY.md).
 
 ### Commands
 - **Compress all images in note**: Processes images referenced/used in the active note.
diff --git a/README.ru.md b/README.ru.md
index f716b6f..ac5c124 100644
--- a/README.ru.md
+++ b/README.ru.md
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Release самодостаточный. Устанавливать `pngquant`, `
 
 Исходники находятся в `src-ts`. Корневой `main.js` генерируется и игнорируется Git, поэтому в репозитории остаётся читаемый TypeScript, а не compiled output. `npm run build` создаёт production-minified локальный bundle; `npm run test:release` собирает его дважды, проверяет детерминированные байты, inline WASM и точный allowlist релиза.
 
-GitHub release artifact содержит только install-файлы Obsidian: `manifest.json`, `main.js`, `styles.css` и `versions.json`. Минификация не является обфускацией: полный читаемый исходный код остаётся в репозитории. Теги имеют точный numeric SemVer без префикса `v`. См. [RELEASE_POLICY.md](RELEASE_POLICY.md).
+GitHub release artifact содержит только install-файлы Obsidian: `manifest.json`, `main.js` и `styles.css`. `versions.json` остаётся в репозитории как compatibility metadata, но не загружается как release asset. Минификация не является обфускацией: полный читаемый исходный код остаётся в репозитории. Теги имеют точный numeric SemVer без префикса `v`. См. [RELEASE_POLICY.md](RELEASE_POLICY.md).
 
 ### Возможности
 - **Локальное сжатие**: PNG через libimagequant-wasm и PNG WASM decode; JPEG через mozjpeg-wasm.
diff --git a/RELEASE_POLICY.md b/RELEASE_POLICY.md
index ef5e306..1c60d06 100644
--- a/RELEASE_POLICY.md
+++ b/RELEASE_POLICY.md
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ installed production bundle locally or in CI.
 3. Rebuilds production output and requires byte-identical SHA-256 results.
 4. Runs `verify:root-ts` to prove root `main.js` equals the generated
    production artifact.
-5. Recreates `build/` from an explicit four-file allowlist.
+5. Recreates `build/` from the explicit Obsidian install-file allowlist.
 
 The production build has no source map and keeps WASM codecs inline, so users
 do not need package dependencies, external binaries, or separate `.wasm`
@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ GitHub release assets are exactly:
 - `manifest.json`
 - `main.js`
 - `styles.css`
-- `versions.json`
+
+`versions.json` remains tracked in the repository for compatibility metadata,
+but it is not a GitHub Release asset.
 
 The ignored `build/` staging directory is recreated on every release. It must
 not contain source workspaces, package metadata, caches, settings, backups,
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b4ee6a4..0c0f449 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@
   "files": [
     "manifest.json",
     "main.js",
-    "styles.css",
-    "versions.json"
+    "styles.css"
   ],
   "scripts": {
     "lint": "node scripts/class-wide-gates.js",
diff --git a/scripts/prepare-release.js b/scripts/prepare-release.js
index 798a5fa..4a01ce5 100644
--- a/scripts/prepare-release.js
+++ b/scripts/prepare-release.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const { resolveRepositoryLayout } = require("./repository-layout");
 
 const { repositoryRoot: root } = resolveRepositoryLayout();
 const buildDir = path.join(root, "build");
-const releaseFiles = ["manifest.json", "main.js", "styles.css", "versions.json"];
+const releaseFiles = ["manifest.json", "main.js", "styles.css"];
 
 fs.rmSync(buildDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
 fs.mkdirSync(buildDir, { recursive: true });
diff --git a/scripts/smoke-ts.js b/scripts/smoke-ts.js
index 7afe18d..0ab7a7a 100644
--- a/scripts/smoke-ts.js
+++ b/scripts/smoke-ts.js
@@ -973,12 +973,18 @@ if (isDevLayout) {
   assert(rootPackageSource.scripts.build === "npm run build:root", "Standalone package.json build must use the local source build");
   assert(rootPackageSource.scripts.test.includes("npm run test:ts") && rootPackageSource.scripts["test:release"].includes("npm run verify:release"), "Standalone package.json test scripts must run local source and release verification");
 }
-assert(Array.isArray(rootPackageSource.files) && JSON.stringify(rootPackageSource.files) === JSON.stringify(["manifest.json", "main.js", "styles.css", "versions.json"]), "Root package.json files allowlist must contain only Obsidian install artifacts");
+assert(Array.isArray(rootPackageSource.files) && JSON.stringify(rootPackageSource.files) === JSON.stringify(["manifest.json", "main.js", "styles.css"]), "Root package.json files allowlist must contain only Obsidian install artifacts");
 assert(!releaseWorkflowSource.includes("build/package.json") && !releaseWorkflowSource.includes("build/README.md") && releaseWorkflowSource.includes("npm run test:release"), "Release workflow still ships dev package metadata or bypasses root test:release");
 assert(releaseWorkflowSource.includes('"*.*.*"') && releaseWorkflowSource.includes("^[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+$") && !releaseWorkflowSource.includes('"v*"') && !releaseWorkflowSource.includes("GITHUB_REF_NAME#v"), "Release workflow does not combine a dotted tag trigger with exact numeric SemVer validation");
 assert((releaseWorkflowSource.match(/actions\/checkout@v6/g) || []).length === 2 && (releaseWorkflowSource.match(/actions\/setup-node@v6/g) || []).length === 2 && (releaseWorkflowSource.match(/node-version:\s*"24"/g) || []).length === 2, "Release workflow must use checkout/setup-node v6 and Node 24 in both jobs");
 const releasePrepareCommand = isDevLayout ? "npm --prefix source-recovery run prepare:release" : "npm run prepare:release";
-assert(releaseWorkflowSource.includes(releasePrepareCommand) && prepareReleaseSource.includes('["manifest.json", "main.js", "styles.css", "versions.json"]'), "Release workflow does not use the exact install-file staging allowlist");
+assert(
+  releaseWorkflowSource.includes(releasePrepareCommand)
+    && prepareReleaseSource.includes('["manifest.json", "main.js", "styles.css"]')
+    && !releaseWorkflowSource.includes("build/versions.json")
+    && !prepareReleaseSource.includes('"versions.json"'),
+  "Release workflow does not use the exact supported Obsidian install-file staging allowlist"
+);
 assert(validateManifestSource.includes("forbiddenReleaseEntries") && validateManifestSource.includes("package.json must declare a files allowlist"), "Manifest validation does not guard release packaging against dev artifact leaks");
 assert(validateManifestSource.includes("MIN_API_SURFACE_APP_VERSION") && validateManifestSource.includes("activeWindow/activeDocument/getBasePath"), "Manifest validation does not enforce API-surface minAppVersion");
 assert(validateManifestSource.includes("manifest.json authorUrl must be a valid URL") && validateManifestSource.includes("must not point to localhost"), "Manifest validation does not reject malformed or local authorUrl values");
diff --git a/scripts/validate-manifest.js b/scripts/validate-manifest.js
index deeb716..d4eeca2 100644
--- a/scripts/validate-manifest.js
+++ b/scripts/validate-manifest.js
@@ -136,8 +136,7 @@ for (const [version, minAppVersion] of Object.entries(versions)) {
 const releaseFiles = [
   "manifest.json",
   "main.js",
-  "styles.css",
-  "versions.json"
+  "styles.css"
 ];
 const forbiddenReleaseEntries = [
   "cache-backups",
@@ -174,7 +173,9 @@ assert(
 assert(releaseWorkflow.includes('"*.*.*"'), "Release workflow must trigger on dotted tag candidates");
 assert(releaseWorkflow.includes("^[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+$"), "Release workflow must validate exact numeric SemVer tags");
 assert(!releaseWorkflow.includes("GITHUB_REF_NAME#v") && !releaseWorkflow.includes('"v*"'), "Release workflow must reject v-prefixed tags");
-assert(releasePrepare.includes('["manifest.json", "main.js", "styles.css", "versions.json"]'), "Release preparation script must use the explicit install-file allowlist");
+assert(releasePrepare.includes('["manifest.json", "main.js", "styles.css"]'), "Release preparation script must use the explicit install-file allowlist");
+assert(!releaseWorkflow.includes("build/versions.json"), "Release workflow must not upload versions.json as a GitHub Release asset");
+assert(!releasePrepare.includes('"versions.json"'), "Release preparation script must not stage versions.json as a GitHub Release asset");
 for (const pattern of [
   /^node_modules\/$/m,
   /^main\.js$/m,
diff --git a/scripts/verify-release.js b/scripts/verify-release.js
index 51271e3..72ee7ff 100644
--- a/scripts/verify-release.js
+++ b/scripts/verify-release.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const { resolveRepositoryLayout } = require("./repository-layout");
 
 const { repositoryRoot: root, sourceRoot } = resolveRepositoryLayout();
 const rootMainPath = path.join(root, "main.js");
-const releaseFiles = ["manifest.json", "main.js", "styles.css", "versions.json"];
+const releaseFiles = ["manifest.json", "main.js", "styles.css"];
 
 function sha256(buffer) {
   return crypto.createHash("sha256").update(buffer).digest("hex").toUpperCase();