diff --git a/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
index d1e717fd..41fc5259 100644
--- a/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
+++ b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
       "name": "beads",
       "source": "./",
       "description": "AI-supervised issue tracker for coding workflows",
-      "version": "0.43.0"
+      "version": "0.44.0"
     }
   ]
 }
diff --git a/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index 4184212b..e38e51af 100644
--- a/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "beads",
   "description": "AI-supervised issue tracker for coding workflows. Manage tasks, discover work, and maintain context with simple CLI commands.",
-  "version": "0.43.0",
+  "version": "0.44.0",
   "author": {
     "name": "Steve Yegge",
     "url": "https://github.com/steveyegge"
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 95451f66..ea27be51 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,121 @@ All notable changes to the beads project will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+## [0.44.0] - 2026-01-04
+
+### Added
+
+- **Recipe-based setup architecture** - Major refactor of `bd init` (bd-i3ed)
+  - Modular, composable setup via recipes
+  - Cleaner separation of init concerns
+
+- **Gate evaluation system** - Phases 2-4
+  - `bd gate check` for timer and GitHub gate evaluation (GH#884)
+  - `bd gate discover` for auto-discovery of gh:run await_id (bd-z6kw)
+  - `bd gate add-waiter` and `bd gate show` for phase handoff
+  - Cross-rig bead gate support
+  - Gate-aware beads-release.formula v2 (bd-r24e)
+  - Merge-slot gate for serialized conflict resolution
+
+- **Dependency command improvements**
+  - `--blocks` shorthand flag for natural dependency syntax (GH#884)
+  - `--blocked-by` and `--depends-on` flag aliases (bd-09kt)
+
+- **Multi-prefix support** - `allowed_prefixes` config option (#881)
+  - Configure multiple valid prefixes per rig
+  - Enables flexible issue routing
+
+- **Sync improvements**
+  - Detect uncommitted JSONL changes before sync (GH#885)
+  - `bd doctor` sync divergence check for JSONL/SQLite/git
+  - `BD_DEBUG_SYNC` env for protection debugging
+
+- **`PRIME.md` override** - Workflow customization (GH#876)
+  - Custom prime output per project
+
+- **Daemon config** - `daemon.auto_*` settings in config.yaml (GH#871)
+
+- **Compound visualization** - `bd mol show` displays compound structure (bd-iw4z)
+
+- **`/handoff` skill** - Session cycling slash command (bd-xwvo)
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **`bd ready` now shows in_progress issues** (#894)
+  - Previously filtered out your active work
+
+- **`bd show` displays external_ref field** in text output (#899)
+
+- **macOS case-insensitive path handling** (GH#880)
+  - Worktree validation, daemon paths, git operations
+  - Canonicalize path case for consistency
+
+- **Sync metadata timing** - Finalize after commit, not push (GH#885)
+  - Defer SQLite metadata updates until after git commit
+  - Prevents sync state corruption
+
+- **Sparse checkout isolation** - Prevent config leaking to main repo (GH#886)
+  - Disable sparse checkout on main repo after worktree creation
+
+- **`close_reason` preserved** during merge/sync (GH#891)
+
+- **Parent hub contamination** during `bd init` (GH#896)
+
+- **NoDb mode** - Set cmdCtx.StoreActive correctly (GH#897)
+
+- **Event storm prevention** when gitRefsPath is empty (#883)
+
+- **Doctor improvements**
+  - Detect status mismatches between DB and JSONL (GH#885)
+  - Detect missing git repo, improve daemon startup message (#890)
+  - Skip JSONL tracking checks in sync-branch mode (GH#858)
+
+- **`bd rename-prefix`** - Sync JSONL before and after (#893)
+
+- **`sync.remote` config** now respected in `bd sync` (GH#872)
+
+- **Snapshot protection** made timestamp-aware (GH#865)
+
+- **Hyphenated rig names** supported in agent IDs (GH#854, GH#868)
+
+- **Cross-repo agent routing** (#864)
+
+- **Config key normalization** - GetYamlConfig matches SetYamlConfig (#874)
+
+- **Daemon startup failure** - Propagate reason to user (GH#863)
+
+- **Molecule variable substitution** in root bead title/desc
+
+- **Submodule detection** - Correct main repo root detection (#849)
+
+- **`bd merge` output** sorted by issue id (#859)
+
+- **Auto-create agent bead** when `bd agent state` called on non-existent agent
+
+- **Windows zip extraction** - Add retry logic for npm install
+
+- **Cycle detection** runs in daemon mode for --blocks flag
+
+- **`bd slot set`** cross-beads prefix routing (bd-hmeb)
+
+- **`git status` noise** - Hide issues.jsonl when sync.branch configured (GH#870)
+
+### Changed
+
+- **Skill names** updated from `/bd-*` to `/beads:*` (#862)
+
+### Performance
+
+- **Batch external dep checks** by project (bd-687v)
+
+### Internal
+
+- Extract warnIfCyclesExist helper
+- Gate field parsing and creation tests
+- Sync unit tests for gitHasUncommittedBeadsChanges
+- SQLite cache rebuild benchmarks
+- Repository guards in deployment workflows
+
 ## [0.43.0] - 2026-01-02
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/cmd/bd/info.go b/cmd/bd/info.go
index 12663ac9..0e469d13 100644
--- a/cmd/bd/info.go
+++ b/cmd/bd/info.go
@@ -296,6 +296,41 @@ type VersionChange struct {
 
 // versionChanges contains agent-actionable changes for recent versions
 var versionChanges = []VersionChange{
+	{
+		Version: "0.44.0",
+		Date:    "2026-01-04",
+		Changes: []string{
+			"NEW: Recipe-based setup - bd init refactored to modular recipes (bd-i3ed)",
+			"NEW: Gate evaluation phases 2-4 - Timer, GitHub, cross-rig gate support",
+			"NEW: bd gate check/discover/add-waiter/show - Gate workflow commands",
+			"NEW: --blocks flag for bd dep add - Natural dependency syntax (GH#884)",
+			"NEW: --blocked-by/--depends-on aliases for bd dep add (bd-09kt)",
+			"NEW: Multi-prefix support - allowed_prefixes config option (#881)",
+			"NEW: Sync divergence detection - JSONL/SQLite/git consistency checks (GH#885)",
+			"NEW: PRIME.md override - Custom prime output per project (GH#876)",
+			"NEW: Compound visualization - bd mol show displays compound structure (bd-iw4z)",
+			"NEW: /handoff skill - Session cycling slash command (bd-xwvo)",
+			"FIX: bd ready now shows in_progress issues (#894)",
+			"FIX: macOS case-insensitive path handling for worktrees/daemon (GH#880)",
+			"FIX: Sync metadata timing - finalize after commit not push (GH#885)",
+			"FIX: Sparse checkout isolation - prevent config leak to main repo (GH#886)",
+			"FIX: close_reason preserved during merge/sync (GH#891)",
+			"FIX: Hyphenated rig names supported in agent IDs (GH#854, GH#868)",
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		Version: "0.43.0",
+		Date:    "2026-01-02",
+		Changes: []string{
+			"NEW: Step.Gate evaluation Phase 1 - Human gates for workflow control",
+			"NEW: bd lint command - Template validation against schema",
+			"NEW: bd ready --pretty - Formatted human-friendly output",
+			"FIX: Cross-rig routing for bd close and bd update",
+			"FIX: Agent ID validation accepts any rig prefix (GH#827)",
+			"FIX: bd sync in bare repo worktrees - Exit 128 error (GH#827)",
+			"FIX: bd --no-db dep tree shows complete tree (GH#836)",
+		},
+	},
 	{
 		Version: "0.42.0",
 		Date:    "2025-12-30",
diff --git a/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/post-checkout b/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/post-checkout
index 20baa157..79ea13a2 100755
--- a/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/post-checkout
+++ b/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/post-checkout
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
 # bd-shim v1
-# bd-hooks-version: 0.43.0
+# bd-hooks-version: 0.44.0
 #
 # bd (beads) post-checkout hook - thin shim
 #
diff --git a/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/post-merge b/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/post-merge
index 5dbc5661..1cd62cae 100755
--- a/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/post-merge
+++ b/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/post-merge
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
 # bd-shim v1
-# bd-hooks-version: 0.43.0
+# bd-hooks-version: 0.44.0
 #
 # bd (beads) post-merge hook - thin shim
 #
diff --git a/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/pre-commit b/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/pre-commit
index c3df5a79..799c5a24 100755
--- a/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/pre-commit
+++ b/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/pre-commit
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
 # bd-shim v1
-# bd-hooks-version: 0.43.0
+# bd-hooks-version: 0.44.0
 #
 # bd (beads) pre-commit hook - thin shim
 #
diff --git a/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/pre-push b/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/pre-push
index 3a80cc30..58509019 100755
--- a/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/pre-push
+++ b/cmd/bd/templates/hooks/pre-push
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
 # bd-shim v1
-# bd-hooks-version: 0.43.0
+# bd-hooks-version: 0.44.0
 #
 # bd (beads) pre-push hook - thin shim
 #
diff --git a/cmd/bd/version.go b/cmd/bd/version.go
index d59ba9cd..6cc7b264 100644
--- a/cmd/bd/version.go
+++ b/cmd/bd/version.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 
 var (
 	// Version is the current version of bd (overridden by ldflags at build time)
-    Version = "0.43.0"
+    Version = "0.44.0"
 	// Build can be set via ldflags at compile time
 	Build = "dev"
 	// Commit and branch the git revision the binary was built from (optional ldflag)
diff --git a/integrations/beads-mcp/pyproject.toml b/integrations/beads-mcp/pyproject.toml
index ecde59bb..fd6884c3 100644
--- a/integrations/beads-mcp/pyproject.toml
+++ b/integrations/beads-mcp/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "beads-mcp"
-version = "0.43.0"
+version = "0.44.0"
 description = "MCP server for beads issue tracker."
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
diff --git a/integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/__init__.py b/integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/__init__.py
index 5b4d7365..75edf87e 100644
--- a/integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/__init__.py
+++ b/integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/__init__.py
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@ This package provides an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that exposes
 beads (bd) issue tracker functionality to MCP Clients.
 """
 
-__version__ = "0.43.0"
+__version__ = "0.44.0"
diff --git a/npm-package/package.json b/npm-package/package.json
index 9b759dcf..35d71b03 100644
--- a/npm-package/package.json
+++ b/npm-package/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@beads/bd",
-  "version": "0.43.0",
+  "version": "0.44.0",
   "description": "Beads issue tracker - lightweight memory system for coding agents with native binary support",
   "main": "bin/bd.js",
   "bin": {