diff --git a/.busbar-ref b/.busbar-ref
index a96ed9e..3e77816 100644
--- a/.busbar-ref
+++ b/.busbar-ref
@@ -1 +1 @@
-934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767 1.6.0
+e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b 1.6.0
diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d128b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Dependency updates target dev; they reach main only through a release.
+version: 2
+updates:
+  - package-ecosystem: cargo
+    directory: "/"
+    target-branch: dev
+    schedule:
+      interval: weekly
+  - package-ecosystem: github-actions
+    directory: "/"
+    target-branch: dev
+    schedule:
+      interval: weekly
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index d4860c4..023dd3c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   ci:
-    uses: GetBusbar/busbar/.github/workflows/plugin-ci.yml@934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767
+    uses: GetBusbar/busbar/.github/workflows/plugin-ci.yml@e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b
     with:
       service: none
       busbar_checkout: true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/consumer-verify.yml b/.github/workflows/consumer-verify.yml
index f7b47a8..53cf732 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/consumer-verify.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/consumer-verify.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   consumer:
-    uses: GetBusbar/busbar/.github/workflows/plugin-consumer-verify.yml@934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767
+    uses: GetBusbar/busbar/.github/workflows/plugin-consumer-verify.yml@e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b
     with:
       version: ${{ inputs.version || '' }}
       asset_prefix: busbar-store-sqlite
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 8ca2a01..f35de79 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ name: release
 
 on:
   push:
-    tags: ["v*", "!v*-*"]
+    # `vX.Y.Z-dev.N` is a signed PRE-RELEASE from dev (never main/qa); other suffixed tags start nothing.
+    tags: ["v*", "!v*-*", "v*-dev.*"]
   # A tag pushed with GITHUB_TOKEN starts no workflow, so a workflow that tags dispatches this on
   # the tag ref (`gh workflow run release.yml --ref <tag>`).
   workflow_dispatch: {}
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   ci:
-    uses: GetBusbar/busbar/.github/workflows/plugin-ci.yml@934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767
+    uses: GetBusbar/busbar/.github/workflows/plugin-ci.yml@e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b
     with:
       service: none
       busbar_checkout: true
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ jobs:
     secrets: inherit
   release:
     needs: ci
-    uses: GetBusbar/busbar/.github/workflows/plugin-release.yml@934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767
+    uses: GetBusbar/busbar/.github/workflows/plugin-release.yml@e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b
     with:
       plugin_crate: busbar-store-sqlite-plugin
       manifest_name: busbar-store-sqlite
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ jobs:
   consumer-verify:
     needs: release
     if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
-    uses: GetBusbar/busbar/.github/workflows/plugin-consumer-verify.yml@934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767
+    uses: GetBusbar/busbar/.github/workflows/plugin-consumer-verify.yml@e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b
     with:
       version: ${{ github.ref_name }}
       asset_prefix: busbar-store-sqlite
diff --git a/.github/workflows/repin.yml b/.github/workflows/repin.yml
index b9b7288..ef6ea15 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/repin.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/repin.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   repin:
-    uses: GetBusbar/busbar/.github/workflows/plugin-repin.yml@934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767
+    uses: GetBusbar/busbar/.github/workflows/plugin-repin.yml@e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b
     with:
       busbar_sha: ${{ github.event.client_payload.sha || inputs.busbar_sha }}
       busbar_version: ${{ github.event.client_payload.version || inputs.busbar_version }}
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index a13d586..62f3744 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -12,9 +12,7 @@ Thanks for your interest in improving `busbar-store-sqlite`.
 
 ## Layout
 
-Every busbar plugin repo has the same shape. This one is a two-crate Cargo workspace:
-`store-sqlite/` holds the plugin's logic and `store-sqlite-plugin/` is the thin `cdylib` that
-packages it as a droppable `kind: store` plugin. busbar itself is a git dependency
+Every busbar plugin repo has the same skeleton. This one is a two-crate Cargo workspace: `store-sqlite/` holds the plugin's logic and `store-sqlite-plugin/` is the thin `cdylib` that packages it as a droppable `kind: store` plugin. busbar itself is a git dependency
 pinned to the commit in `.busbar-ref`. The CI, release and lint configuration are
 rendered from [busbar's plugin registry](https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar/blob/main/plugins.yaml);
 change them there, not here.
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 027587e..e3c42eb 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ checksum = "72f5acc6cb2ba439de613abc23857ec3d78374d8ed5ac84e9d11336e87da8649"
 [[package]]
 name = "busbar-contract"
 version = "1.6.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar?rev=934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767#934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767"
+source = "git+https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar?rev=e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b#e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "futures",
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "busbar-kernel-ledger"
 version = "1.6.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar?rev=934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767#934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767"
+source = "git+https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar?rev=e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b#e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b"
 dependencies = [
  "busbar-contract",
  "serde",
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "busbar-kernel-wal"
 version = "1.6.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar?rev=934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767#934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767"
+source = "git+https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar?rev=e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b#e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b"
 dependencies = [
  "busbar-contract",
  "sha2 0.11.0",
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "busbar-plugin-loader"
 version = "1.5.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar?rev=934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767#934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767"
+source = "git+https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar?rev=e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b#e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "busbar-contract",
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "39cab71617ae0d63f51a36d69f866391735b51691dbda63cf6f96d042b63efeb"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1019,7 +1019,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "once_cell",
  "socket2",
  "tracing",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1182,7 +1182,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "errno",
  "libc",
  "linux-raw-sys",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 26d6c63..98169bb 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -23,5 +23,5 @@ publish = false
 repository = "https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar-store-sqlite"
 
 [workspace.dependencies]
-busbar-contract = { git = "https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar", rev = "934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767" }
-busbar-plugin-loader = { git = "https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar", rev = "934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767" }
+busbar-contract = { git = "https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar", rev = "e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b" }
+busbar-plugin-loader = { git = "https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar", rev = "e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b" }
diff --git a/store-sqlite-plugin/Cargo.toml b/store-sqlite-plugin/Cargo.toml
index 1402761..8894521 100644
--- a/store-sqlite-plugin/Cargo.toml
+++ b/store-sqlite-plugin/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@ crate-type = ["cdylib", "rlib"]
 [dependencies]
 # THE LOGIC, same repo: its `door::door` is the door this image exports.
 busbar-store-sqlite = { path = "../store-sqlite" }
-busbar-contract = { git = "https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar", rev = "934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767" }
+busbar-contract = { git = "https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar", rev = "e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b" }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 # The conformance and e2e tests load the built cdylib and the linked door over the REAL loader (the
 # one dispatcher, the store v3 table) — dev-only, never in the shipped artifact. Same pinned rev as
 # the logic crate's busbar-contract, so one busbar source resolves.
-busbar-plugin-loader = { git = "https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar", rev = "934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767" }
+busbar-plugin-loader = { git = "https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar", rev = "e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b" }
 serde_json = "1"
 # Dev-only: the conformance test awaits the store v3 calls (`StoreCalls`), which are futures.
 tokio = { version = "1", features = ["rt"] }
diff --git a/store-sqlite/Cargo.toml b/store-sqlite/Cargo.toml
index a60b71e..747ff01 100644
--- a/store-sqlite/Cargo.toml
+++ b/store-sqlite/Cargo.toml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ crate-type = ["rlib"]
 # as `busbar_contract::abi::sdk`). Pinned by git rev to the busbar commit in `.busbar-ref`; a busbar
 # build that links this crate `[patch]`es the busbar git source to its own tree, so ONE copy of the
 # contract links.
-busbar-contract = { git = "https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar", rev = "934a016e20fc1a67c209b671d137c8cc28092767" }
+busbar-contract = { git = "https://github.com/GetBusbar/busbar", rev = "e1d3d8b097201859751d77208e66249d98b50a4b" }
 # `bundled` compiles SQLite from source so the plugin has no system libsqlite3 dependency at all.
 rusqlite = { version = "0.40.0", features = ["bundled"] }
 serde_json = "1"