diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
index 9c10c70f..1a1f3484 100644
--- a/.release-please-manifest.json
+++ b/.release-please-manifest.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  ".": "3.15.0"
+  ".": "3.16.0"
 }
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 285a1b82..e668e033 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,27 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+## [3.16.0](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/compare/v3.15.0...v3.16.0) (2026-09-10)
+
+
+### Added
+
+* **agent:** ingest file tails through the agent with stable identity ([#223](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/issues/223)) ([a81b15d](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/commit/a81b15d8ba24cf8911395f437f73188cf18e8d71))
+* **observatory:** complete evidence-led agent delivery ([#218](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/issues/218)) ([23b9144](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/commit/23b9144707cd5a6eefc23c7c29d1327c5acf54a1))
+
+
+### Fixed
+
+* address post-merge concurrency review ([#211](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/issues/211)) ([143461e](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/commit/143461ec13d86f9503495275357f7c82af6b8ce3))
+* **agent:** preserve embedded Docker log severity ([#220](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/issues/220)) ([d9d199f](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/commit/d9d199f1a6e81702232046d28688022f0a0d2544))
+* **agent:** report the failing ssh command when a remote closes stdin early ([#226](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/issues/226)) ([b1c1815](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/commit/b1c1815a12da07b1778fa562ee419f912e328283))
+* consolidate outstanding Cortex reliability work ([#210](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/issues/210)) ([e8a9764](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/commit/e8a9764910274b86a8012848054a514437260cdb))
+* **deps:** bump js-yaml to 4.3.2 in the web workspace ([#228](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/issues/228)) ([5940f6d](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/commit/5940f6db85acd57c494dcd428f242b6d4c9b73da))
+* harden Cortex contracts, recovery, and release validation ([#213](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/issues/213)) ([d1e60c4](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/commit/d1e60c4e805ae4be2f337105bfeec25329282eb6))
+* harden graph staging coordination ([#212](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/issues/212)) ([63df9d6](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/commit/63df9d6223d51db93a17ce05f6d1d32ef73b3066))
+* **reflection:** restore Codex skill evidence and app-server assessments ([#219](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/issues/219)) ([5fd4c82](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/commit/5fd4c82dd500ee6809564128cea3c330d0169e29))
+* **runtime:** release syslog listeners on shutdown ([#217](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/issues/217)) ([3e4929d](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/commit/3e4929d008b82a7834f92950a6a07e13b4ace7da))
+
 ## [3.15.0](https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex/compare/v3.14.0...v3.15.0) (2026-08-25)
 
 
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index e3c906ad..4ac88571 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ checksum = "773648b94d0e5d620f64f280777445740e61fe701025087ec8b57f45c791888b"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "cortex"
-version = "3.15.0"
+version = "3.16.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "async-stream",
@@ -4525,7 +4525,7 @@ checksum = "1ffae5123b2d3fc086436f8834ae3ab053a283cfac8fe0a0b8eaae044768a4c4"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "xtask"
-version = "3.15.0"
+version = "3.16.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "clap",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index d064092c..8aa71e1c 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ missing_safety_doc = "deny"
 
 [package]
 name = "cortex"
-version = "3.15.0"
+version = "3.16.0"
 edition.workspace = true
 rust-version.workspace = true
 authors.workspace = true
diff --git a/docker-compose.prod.yml b/docker-compose.prod.yml
index d2f236d7..5c8fb799 100644
--- a/docker-compose.prod.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.prod.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ services:
     # Default tag is kept in sync by `cargo xtask bump-version` (version canon);
     # previously this was frozen at 1.0.0 while migrations moved forward —
     # a stale binary against a newer schema (full-review OH1).
-    image: ghcr.io/dinglebear-ai/cortex:${CORTEX_VERSION:-3.15.0}
+    image: ghcr.io/dinglebear-ai/cortex:${CORTEX_VERSION:-3.16.0}
     container_name: cortex
     user: "${CORTEX_UID:-1000}:${CORTEX_GID:-1000}"
     group_add:
diff --git a/mcpb/manifest.json b/mcpb/manifest.json
index 78eebe74..8bdd05a1 100644
--- a/mcpb/manifest.json
+++ b/mcpb/manifest.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   "manifest_version": "0.4",
   "name": "cortex",
   "display_name": "Cortex",
-  "version": "3.15.0",
+  "version": "3.16.0",
   "description": "Self-hosted log aggregation and investigation for homelabs: syslog, Docker, OTLP, and AI transcripts in SQLite/FTS, exposed over MCP, CLI, and REST.",
   "long_description": "cortex packages the existing cortex stdio entrypoint as a local MCP Bundle. It is query-only: it reads the configured SQLite database and does not start syslog listeners, HTTP servers, Docker Compose, REST, or deploy flows.",
   "author": {
diff --git a/packages/cortex-rmcp/package.json b/packages/cortex-rmcp/package.json
index f8bd433f..5127cc54 100644
--- a/packages/cortex-rmcp/package.json
+++ b/packages/cortex-rmcp/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@dinglebear/cortex",
-  "version": "3.15.0",
+  "version": "3.16.0",
   "license": "AGPL-3.0-only",
   "description": "Self-hosted log aggregation and investigation for homelabs: syslog, Docker, OTLP, and AI transcripts in SQLite/FTS, exposed over MCP, CLI, and REST.",
   "homepage": "https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex#readme",
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
     "llm"
   ],
   "mcpName": "ai.dinglebear/cortex",
-  "binaryVersion": "3.15.0",
+  "binaryVersion": "3.16.0",
   "author": {
     "name": "dinglebear.ai",
     "url": "https://dinglebear.ai"
diff --git a/server.json b/server.json
index fee0d07b..0b3510ce 100644
--- a/server.json
+++ b/server.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   "name": "ai.dinglebear/cortex",
   "title": "Cortex RMCP",
   "description": "Self-hosted homelab log intelligence over MCP, CLI, and REST with SQLite/FTS.",
-  "version": "3.15.0",
+  "version": "3.16.0",
   "websiteUrl": "https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex",
   "repository": {
     "url": "https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex",
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
       "registryType": "npm",
       "registryBaseUrl": "https://registry.npmjs.org",
       "identifier": "@dinglebear/cortex",
-      "version": "3.15.0",
+      "version": "3.16.0",
       "runtimeHint": "npx",
       "packageArguments": [
         {
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
           "format": "string",
           "isRequired": false,
           "isSecret": false,
-          "placeholder": "v3.15.0"
+          "placeholder": "v3.16.0"
         },
         {
           "name": "CORTEX_RMCP_REPO",
@@ -105,12 +105,12 @@
       "namespace": "ai.dinglebear",
       "dnsDomain": "dinglebear.ai",
       "distribution": {
-        "npm": "@dinglebear/cortex@3.15.0",
+        "npm": "@dinglebear/cortex@3.16.0",
         "nodePackage": "@dinglebear/cortex",
-        "ociImage": "ghcr.io/dinglebear-ai/cortex:v3.15.0"
+        "ociImage": "ghcr.io/dinglebear-ai/cortex:v3.16.0"
       },
       "buildInfo": {
-        "version": "3.15.0",
+        "version": "3.16.0",
         "repository": "https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/cortex"
       }
     }
diff --git a/xtask/Cargo.toml b/xtask/Cargo.toml
index e1d82823..47532c26 100644
--- a/xtask/Cargo.toml
+++ b/xtask/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "xtask"
-version = "3.15.0"
+version = "3.16.0"
 edition.workspace = true
 rust-version.workspace = true
 authors.workspace = true